Ｏｉｒａｎ・花魁

Little Yoshiwara , Milarepa (158.101,20.3308,46.2539)

Oiran (花魁) and Tayuu (太夫), used to be high class courtesans in Japan。The Oiran were considered a type of "Yuujo" (遊女) "woman of pleasure", or prostitute。However, they are distinguished from the Yuujo in that they were entertainers rather than simply sex-workers, and many became celebrities of their times outside the pleasure districts。Their art and fashions often set trends among the wealthy, and because of this, cultural aspects of Oiran traditions continue to be preserved to this day。

The Oiran arose in the Edo period (1600-1868)。The rise of the Geiko (Geisha) ended the era of the Oiran as sex workers。
These days Oiran are merely played by Kabuki actors such as Onnagata or Yakusha, without any sexual service as a matter of course。

Do not confuse them with Geisha in future anymore, please。