Cherry blossoms in the New Yoshiwara

Utagawa Toyokuni I, “Cherry blossoms in the New Yoshiwara”, ca. 1811, color woodcut, 371mm (width), 503mm (height)

This woodcut print depicts the different elements of the daily Yoshiwara life. This is done through the conventions of Yamato-e which was a Japanese style of painting that incorporated the ideas of daily life into paintings and images. Within the image itself, we can see the Oiran in the center of the painting in which she is covered by many of her elaborate layers showing off her elegance and beauty. However, this is much different than daily life as normally the Oiran would not be seen in public. This was one of the 4 times during the year called dochu which was celebrated in response to the changing seasons. During this time the Oiran were given the rare opportunity to move out of their isolated environments and show off their beauty to those around them. This idea of the higher courtesans or Oiran's beauty being sheltered was treated much differently than those of lower-ranking courtesans which we can see throughout the image as well depicted wearing less elaborate clothing with fewer layers as viewing the Oirans in all of her elegance. Courtesans with lesser status were allowed much more freedom than that of the Oiran. It also shows all the nearby visitors and workers within the Yoshiwara admiring the elegance and sophistication of both her natural beauty and the extravagant layers of her dress.