Differences between Geisha and Oiran; famous Japanese courtesans

Differences between Geisha and Oiran; famous Japanese courtesans

Japan is a country that is famous for its unique traditions, and one thing that might pop in our mind is the graceful Japanese courtesan ladies Geisha and Oiran. Both of the courtesans look very similar as they wear Kimono and painted their face and skin white, but there are actually few important things that sets them apart.

History

Although both courtesans are famous, Geisha is more well-known in Western countries, and actually the role and position of these courtesans were very different. The Oiran tradition started in the early Edo period (1600-1868), and at the time Oiran was seen as an entertainer and a superstar. Geisha on the other hand was not allowed to compete with the Oiran, so basically Oiran profession was actually the forerunner of the Geisha, but apparently this profession died out, and there are no professional working Oiran left.

In Japan today, but you can still see the Oiran through Oiran Dochu (おいらん道中) parades, which you can see at local festivals, or when visiting Japanese style theme park like Nikko Edo Wonderland.

The Kimono

Geisha is dressed modestly and her kimono is not as flashy as Oiran’s. So she usually wears pastel colored kimono with simple but elegant patterns.

Oiran’s main job is to attract customers, so she is extravagantly dressed, usually in a strong vivid colored kimono with gold patterns. The higher the class of the oiran, the more expensive, and the heavier the kimono is (up to 20kg per attire!).

The hair

Geisha’s hairstyle is also modest like her kimono; usually she would wear a simple wig without any accessories.

On the other hand, Oiran wears a bow-shaped wig with ornamental hairpins (kanzashi) and other golden colored accessories. Her wig and the accessories weigh up to 10 kilos.

The Geta (shoes)

Both Geisha and Oiran ladies walk around the town with Japanese wooden geta shoes, but what differs both is the heels. The geta worn by a Geisha is usually low-heeled and flat; not much different than the other geta worn by Japanese people in general.

However, the geta worn by an Oiran is usually high-heeled; usually the height of the heels can go up to 15cm. The reason why Oiran wears high-heeled geta is to make sure that Oiran is the tallest in the Oiran Dochu parades, and of course to make them more visible to the audience.

The feet

Back then it was not common for females to show off their bare skin in public, so Geisha wore white socks known as tabi to cover her skin. This tradition is followed by Japanese people until today, as you can see all Japanese people always cover the skin of their legs and feet with socks, stockings, or tights.

On the other hand, Oiran didn’t wear anything except the geta, but just like Geisha, Oiran covered her skin like the Geisha by painting it white.

Read more article about Geisha

• Four areas to meet Geisha in Japan

 

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