#suehiro okiya

[koikishu]

Hello! Do you know the location of Suehiro okiya? I know it's in Shimabara, but I can't find an address.

Hi!

No, I don't know the address for the Suehiroya okiya/ ageya and I suspect that that's by design. Remember that the Suehiroya is a breakaway of the Wachigaiya, so they don't have a traditional building to host events. It's likely a more private, modern location used for storage and non-ozashiki work. The Suehiroya is also a much more public-facing okiya/ ageya than their predecessor, so they probably want to maintain some privacy when they're not officially working. It's okay though! The Suehiroya's social media accounts (1, 2, & 3) always detail the location of all their events very clearly. Why not enjoy them there, if you can?

[karyukai-is-life]

July 2018: The tayuu Aoi (葵) and her kamuro of Suehiro Okiya in Shimabara performing a tayuu dōchū  (parade) at Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto.

Source: Kunihiko Takenaka on Facebook.

[missmyloko]

Hi Justine, is it apt to say that Suehiro okiya functions as more of a booking office in comparison to that of a Geisha's okiya which is also a dorm?

Technically yes ^^

[karyukai-is-life]

July 2018: The tayuu Aoi (葵) of Suehiro Okiya in Shimabara during a visit to Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto.

Source:

Kunihiko Takenaka on Facebook.

[koikishu]

September 2021: Aoi-tayuu, of Suehiro okiya, posted as series of photos as a time lapse. On the left: a photo of Aoi-tayuu in 1999, age 12, debuting as the Furisode-tayuu of the Wachigaiya okiya most likely during their April tayuu-dochu. In the middle: a photo of Aoi-tayuu during her Tayuu Debut in 2014, age 27, at the Shimogamo Shrine. On the right: a photo of Aoi-tayuu during an ozashiki in June, which likely makes her about 33-34.

[koikishu]

June 2021: Aoi-tayuu, of Suehiro okiya, demonstrating a magnetic accessory from Waraku, a store which allows patrons to buy and create miscellaneous Japanese goods and accessories.

Source: https://twitter.com/ayaka8700119/status/1401355295582875649?s=20&t=XWbRuCLy5v2gs4uJD2KyRg

[koikishu]

February 2021: Aoi-tayuu and her kamuro, Miwa-chan & Rio-chan, of Suehiro okiya modeling their lace face veils in order aesthetically maintain Covid safety protocols.

Source: https://twitter.com/ayaka8700119/status/1366243516481871873?s=20

[koikishu]

February 2022: Aoi-tayuu and Tsukasa-tayuu, of Suehiro okiya, posing in costumes for Obake with a bikuni (i.e. Buddhist nun) at the Senbon Enmado at Injo-ji Temple in Kamigyo, Kyoto, Japan. 

Obake is a part of Setsubun celebrations where the wearing of outrageous costumes is meant to confuse ghosts who would bring bad luck. On the right, Aoi-tayuu is wearing a costume resembling the character Tsuri Onna from the kabuki play “ Ebisu Môde Koi no Tsuribari,” who is considered to be an ugly woman. On the left, Tsukasa-tayuu is wearing a tiger inspired costume because 2022 is the year of the Tiger.

Source: https://twitter.com/ayaka8700119/status/1489158894362382337?s=20&t=zpFzDBd33hAYR6lJ4QAFYA

[koikishu]

September 2021: Aoi-tayuu and her kamuro, of Suehiro okiya, and Mai-geigi, of the Aizu-Higashiyama Geigi Association, posing for photos at the Iori-no-Yado Ashina Inn where the 8th Regular Broadcast - Kyoto Shimabara Tayuu's Dream Writing will be livestreamed.

Source: https://twitter.com/ayaka8700119/status/1442826830088531971?s=20&t=oOBbqrTfJ9aekZqz4BWhHw

[koikishu]

June 2021: Aoi-tayuu, of Suehiro okiya, modeling her new wisteria kanzashi from Floresta.

Source: https://twitter.com/ayaka8700119/status/1401453730755534848?s=20&t=XWbRuCLy5v2gs4uJD2KyRg

[koikishu]

August 1, 2021: Aoi-tayuu (葵太夫), and her kamuro, of Suehiro okiya, taking part in Hassaku Dochu (八朔道中) as they pose in front of the Shimabara Oomon.

During the Edo period, daimyos and hatamotos would visit the shogun dressed in ceremonial white katabira and hakama to praise the founding of the Tokugawa shogunate on the 1st day of the 8th month. As a way of thanking the Tokugawa for permitting the creation of the yukaku (licensed pleasure quarters), tayuu and oiran would mimic the samurai class by wearing light hemp shiromuku and parading with full retinue around the quarter.

As they use to do during New Years, each courtesan would present a set of sake cups to each of the tea-houses. Each sake cup was inscribed with the crest of the courtesan, and each set was packed in a tiny box of kiri (paulownia) wood on which was written the courtesan's name and the name of the house to which she belonged. The tradition of Hassaku would also become popular with geisha as a way to give thanks to the various teahouses for their patronage.

Source: https://twitter.com/ayaka8700119/status/1421827894800748545?s=20&t=LQilhVdraCAFiyZ7o1GU_Q

[koikishu]

November 2021: Aoi-tayuu, of Suehiro okiya, reflecting on the importance of choosing one’s seat in a theater, such as the Pontocho Kaburenjo Theatre, wisely when wearing tayuu nihongami. Unlike nihongami worn by Kyoto maiko, tayuu nihongami tends to be taller and wider, which makes it that much more of an obstacle to other patrons.

Source: https://twitter.com/ayaka8700119/status/1460861937332330500?s=20&t=SyzCV53Zh-GFCW_sgAmWyQ

[koikishu]

September 2021: Aoi-tayuu, of Suehiro okiya, and her kamuro pose in front of Tsuruga Castle, a.k.a. Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle, during a business trip to Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.

Source: https://twitter.com/ayaka8700119/status/1442826830088531971?s=20&t=oOBbqrTfJ9aekZqz4BWhHw

[koikishu]

November 2017: Aoi-tayuu, of Suehiro okiya, serving as a model for photographers at a workshop hosted by Daniel Korzhonov overlooking the Katsura River in Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan.

Source: https://twitter.com/ayaka8700119/status/1488747495446695937?s=20&t=hCgwgLDogK5okGODy9i80g

[koikishu]

November 2017: Aoi-tayuu, of Suehiro okiya, serving as a model for photographers at a workshop hosted by Daniel Korzhonov in the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in Kyoto, Japan.

Source: https://twitter.com/ayaka8700119/status/1488747495446695937?s=20&t=hCgwgLDogK5okGODy9i80g