The Lesser Tada’s assignations teahouse had been among the first to promote young serving maids as peony girls, selecting those with a lively manner and sweet disposition, outfitting them in gaudy robes then encouraging them to feel emotions and share their feelings widely.

More than that, friend, if I can say it, he said, and leaned in towards Old Master Bashō confidingly. A chance for love. An opportunity for the joys and heartbreaks of romantic love.

What does Edo have in abundance? The Lesser Tada answered his own question: Samurai bumpkins with time to fill and money to spend. And what else? The sons of rich merchants with even more money available. And what do they want? Their food served and their wine poured? Someone dancing, someone singing, someone banging away on the three-string? Is that all? Smutty chitchat? Finger games? And then of course as occurs in the natural order of things — he hurried past it in deference to the famous poet’s no doubt heightened sensibility – access to the release of carnal desire. But can that be all? The Lesser Tada draped his hand towel on top of his head. More than that, friend, if I can say it, he said, and leaned in towards Old Master Bashō confidingly. A chance for love. An opportunity for the joys and heartbreaks of romantic love.

Woman Playing a Samisen
(Ink and color on paper)
Honolulu Museum of Art

The grand courtesans cannot provide it?

Hardly. Grand courtesans are like the decorated towers of the Gion festival-floats that are dragged through the streets of the Old Imperial Capital at the start of summer, beautiful to look at but massive and ponderous and —

And what would you know about it? called Oyuki, the larger and bolder of his peony girls as she advanced across the back garden, her hand towel held draped down over her loins with casual and sluttish aplomb. Have you ever pulled on one?

Oyuki and Ohasu had bound up their elaborate coiffures with white head-cloths to preserve the shapes of them. They kicked off their garden clogs and squatted near the dipping buckets then began scrubbing themselves vigorously, rubbing their skin pink.

You can buy wine anywhere in the Nightless City, the Lesser Tada continued, tasty food, lively music, a quilt-companion, female or male. But can dreams reach no higher? Is that all there is to be wished for? I think we can agree it is not. Hearts aflame, that’s what’s wanted! Burning with love’s ardor!

Stomachs burning from cheap wine, muttered bold Oyuki; and little Ohasu laughed then glanced shyly at the famous haikai poet sunk up to his neck in the murky water.

A sense of shared style, declared the Lesser Tada, undaunted, a sense of urban polish appreciated — that is what the modern pleasure-seeker requires.

Oyuki and Ohasu had been acquired by the House of the Lesser Tada around the same time and were thought of as a set. Neither had as yet acquired a sponsoring patron, and their reluctance to commit to dependency bonds was in itself considered a sign of modern times. You see the shape of it yet? said the Lesser Tada. Novelty is what attracts customers in Edo today, new words to old melodies…