Marking the Arrival of the Geisha Mitomi

This print commemorates the arrival of the new geisha Mitomi みとみ to Yawataya, a restaurant, brothel or inn in Osaka. In her poem, Mitomi alludes to her willingness to learn from the older members of Yawataya:

On the snowy path, 足あとを
I will be guided 係りにふむや
By the footprints before me. 雪の道

Her "younger sister" Konatsu and "older sister" Raku, the lead geisha of the establishment, lend support in their poetic remarks.

A geisha was expected to be adept at a number of arts, ranging from singing and playing the shamisen (a stringed instrument) to composing poetry and dancing—the latter of which involved holding one or two fans. For this reason, the shamisen and the fan became shorthand markers for geishas in early modern Japanese visual culture. The fans in this print also bear a seasonal implication: the presence of the plum, bamboo and pine are typical symbols of the New Year—an auspicious time for announcements, changes in status and ceremonies to admit a new geisha into the household.

Published in Osaka, the print may have been produced for the male customers of the Yawataya to ease Mitomi’s entry into the geisha world. For the customers, the sensitive poem and design must have presented an alluring vision of a cultured world of beauty and arts.