Our friend Teruko Shibata took us to see Sumiya., a preserved ageya in the Shimabara pleasure district in Kyoto. An ageya was an elegant restaurant where banquets and dinner parties were held accompanied by the entertainment of geisha and taiyu (premiere geisha), who performed tea ceremonies, sang and danced. The geisha and taiyu lived and were employed at establishments called okiya from where they were summoned to the ageya.

October 06, 2015