Fukagawa geisha is said to have originated from dancers in Edo. They moved to Fukagawa fearing fire, from the Great Fire of Akechi in 1657. Many samurai families, temples and merchants moved to Fukagawa as well, establishing a thriving area for the geisha to work in despite not receiving recognition from the shogunate like the Yoshiwara geisha.
A particularly famous geisha emerged from Fukagawa named Kikuya, Being a notable singer, she taught kouta and shamisen while opening her own tea stall, and her popularity further boosted the hanamachi. She also made the trend of wearing black haori coats, which is why Fukagawa geisha are also called “Haori geisha”.
On the other hand, there was an incident where 115 odoriko dancer geishas were arrested for illegal prostitution. Restrictions upon the Fukagawa geisha were imposed, driving them into extinction before the end of the Edo period.
Sources
菊弥https://kotobank.jp/word/%E8%8F%8A%E5%BC%A5-1068932
花柳界の歴史（江戸時代–幕末）http://karyuukai.jp/history01.html
Leave a Reply