Oiran Dochu Yoshiwara Festival Asakusa 9th April 2023 | 花魁道中

The Orian Dochu (Ichiyo Sakura festival) is an annual festival held on the second Saturday of April. This year it was moved to the Sunday due to bad weather. #geisha #oiran #asakusa #tokyo #japan

The Oiran is the highest level of courtesan (ie prostitute) and the heavy make up and elaborate kimono's they wear often get them mistaken for Geisha. However, Geisha don't sleep with their clients which is a big difference.

The highest ranking Oiran, the Taiyu, were highly respected, even as much as a Samurai! The festival walks through the streets of Yoshiwara, which is still a red light district today.

To read more, check out the official website - https://www.ichiyosakura.com/

Check out our other page ‪@WylieWestie‬ to check out more of our Japanese adventures with our dog, Wylie :)