#pads..... of paper??

[tanuki-kimono]

Cw: We are going to talk here about periods, and sex education in the past. Read this note according to your own sensibilities :)

How women dealt with periods during Edo period, article by shunga enthousiast Shungirl who made a paper pad following instructions found in makura bunko 枕文庫 - ie ancient sex books illustrated with erotic ukiyoe.

One of such makura bunko is 渓斎英泉 Keisai Eisen's 閨中紀聞-枕文庫, first published in 1822. It details Chinese remedies recipes for menstrual pains and irregularities, give tips about sex, and information about menstruations and pregnancy. From a modern point of view, some beliefs are outdated, but it was then such a bestseller it went through several reeditions.

Several words were apparently in use during Edo era to designates menstrual period: keisui 経水, gekkei 月経, tsukiyaku 月水, etc.

When girls went throught their first period, their females relatives or nannies would taught them how to deal with them. One method was to use paper as sanitary products (please note people without easy access to paper probably dealt with periods differently).

__________ 御馬 paper pads

Sanitary pads, such as the one recreated above by Shungirl, were then called mima 御馬 (probably as a pun on true "mima" which were then fine horses own by noblemen, or attached to sanctuaries as mounts for gods etc) or simply ouma お馬 ("honorable" horse).

Ouma were made from inexpensive recycled paper called Asakusagami 浅草紙. Sheets were folded 8 times, tied with twisted paper strings (koyori 紙縒), and then wrapped with another layer of folded paper. It was secured once again with paper strings.

Part of the strings could be left long so to tie around the waist, or/and pad was hold into place by wearing fundoshi 褌 loincloth (which would also help prevent leaking on inner tights).

Asakusagami quality was low (it was also used as toilet paper) so paper pads had to be changed often, meaning you had to fold quite a lot of them to go through your period!

Shungirl folded the pad above following instructions found in the book 実娯教絵抄, which provided several other "models":

__________ 詰め紙 paper tampons

Another method for dealing with periods were tampon-like paper bundles which were inserted into the vagina, the 詰め紙 (tsumeshi? I am not sure of the reading).

This method may have first appeared in red-light districts (?). Beside its use for periods, prostitutes also used those tampons as method of contraception (OP has an interesting article on this subject).

By the end of Edo period and into Meiji, paper tampons were widely used even by women who were not prostitutes - despite voices branding this method as unsanitary.

__________ About girls' coming of age rites

Menarche (first period) was an important milestone for girls, and was celebrated as such via specific rites (shochō o iwau 初潮を祝). Those differed a lot from places to places, and also depended on social status.

Celebrations would concern close family, but often spread to wider community who could received for example a festive meal (sekihan 赤飯) for the occasion (some Edo era senryû poems stress how mortifying this publicity could be!).

Interestingly, some traditions were also pretty sweet: in some places, mothers would sew 3 stiches into their daughter's underskirt (koshimaki 腰巻き) as a good luck charm, hoping their periods would last only 3 days <3

Those rites were part of coming of age traditions (seijoshiki 成女式) which marked the start of a young woman adulthood. Another example is the blackening of teeth (ohaguro お歯黒) which usually started around 16-17 years old.

Celebrating menarche publicly was a way of advertising that the girl was no longer a child and would "soon" be a bride. Yet, if menarche often took place around 13-14 years old, in reality it was somehow unusual to have girls married so soon!

Before marriage, especially in non-noble/samurai families, young women often started their sexual life via flings or yobai 夜這い ("night crawling" ie pseudo-secret nighttime encounters) before any wedding actually took place.

[opens-up-4-nobody]

:-P

[strangezuicide]

Hi! Bye,

[dreamysummer03]

[littlealienproducts]

Cute Panda Writing Pad by SomedaySomeplace

[glimmerkey]

Suzy’s Zoo - Duck Stationery Notepad

[8g-soymilk]

Day 10 of @quezify's Eggtober! Colored pencil on black paper for this one. Id in alt text

[pathologising]

alcohol markers are so fun u guys I was just playing around with them and drew raw chicken

[kinsleygenesis]

🌱 Two herons in a water pond, surrounded by waterlilies...

2024/06/08, art by Ƙịŋ§łĕƴĞẹṅë§ıṣ.

(My first time drawing herons. I'm quite satisfied.)

[zenni-bunni]

Designed some printable autumn themed memo and stationery paper.

You can download the set here for free.

[azteriiverse]

now draw omori and basil

im tired

here's your order of omori pizza with extra basil

[smile-files]

4th/5th grade...

...to now!

Booey: The Ducky Pokemon (Water)

Booey are always found in groups of three, and usually follow their guardian Goosub atop the water. When these mischievous Pokemon get lost and have to fend for themselves, the front member becomes the leader: the followers suck up water through their beaks, and send it to the leader through their connecting tubes to shoot out at enemies. The leader ends up evolving, acting as the guardian of the other two.

Goosub: The Buoyant Pokemon (Water)

When Goosub's internal sac is full of air, it floats atop the water, acting as a raft for other Pokemon: this can include its Booey siblings. Goosub can instead fill the sac with water through its beak, though, which causes it to sink -- then it extends its neck so its head remains above water, where it can then ambush enemies with jets of water. Goosub is very caring and protective of the Pokemon it ferries, especially Booey.

[leenfiend]

Hi!!! Very informal interest check gauge because I want to make things that you guys actually want to have for the What's Ur Type physical release!

[aveil]

okay everyone now that i’m on this cleaning kick where i’m trying to make cleaning easier for myself/my depression what tools or products do you recommend that you can’t live without and make things easier

[sketchinfun]

More sketches from today since I was on a roll. Feels good to just draw in sharpie and pen

[alienswearsunglasses]

My favourite paper doesn't come in a notebook form so i made myself one. The cover is made with washable paper, so it won't stain easily and will weather nicely. I just joined each four pieces of paper on a sewing machine and then threaded them through metal eyelets on the cover, so i can just exchange it once i use it all up.