Hi there! I know what Tayuu and Kamuro are, but what is a Shoujo?
     So, to the best of my understanding, a âshoujoâ (written ć°ć„ł) is a middle step between âkamuroâ and âtayuuâ that use to be common in the Shimabara before WW2 and earlier. Itâs apparently pronounced âshoumeâ (ăăăă), so I need to go back and fix my previous posts.
     In Aoi-tayuuâs article (link: https://hakken-japan.com/columns/kyoto_shimabara5/), she explains that the original path to becoming a tayuu in the Shimabara pre-WW2 looked something like this:
   犿, Kamuro --> ć°ć„ł, Shoume --> 怩ç„, Tenjin --> ć€Ș怫, Tayuu
As she explains, the âshoujo/ shoumeâ stage was when the proprietor of an ageya would decide if a kamuro had what it took to become a tayuu or not. If she was deemed capable, this stage would be when the young girl started taking specialized classes in earnest and trained to become a proper tayuu. If she was deemed incapable, the proprietor would have her train to become a geisha. I donât know if that meant turning the former kamuro over to a willing geisha okiya, or if she was trained within the Shimabara to take on an entertainment-only role.
     Aoi-tayuu is interested in bringing back these middle ranks for many reasons. Firstly, she wants to restore as many traditions as possible within the Shimabara. These middle ranks of shoume and tenjin were possible when the Shimabara was still a busy and well-funded entertainment district, so she wants to give modern people a glimpse of this former glory. This is true of other traditions being revived by her ageya, the Suehiroya (æ«ć»Łć±), such as the Tayuu Hassaku every August 1 and the Tayuu Mochitsukai every December.
     Secondly, itâs probably due to her own experience with training to be a Tayuu at her former ageya, the Wachigaiya (èŒȘéć±). At the Wachigaiya, the path to becoming a tayuu currently looks like this:
   犿, Kamuro --> æŻèąć€Ș怫 / èŠçżăć€Ș怫, Furisode-Tayuu/ Minarai-Tayuu --> ć€Ș怫, Tayuu
Aoi-tayuu discussed how she was a kamuro from ages 2-12, a furisode-tayuu from ages 12-27, and a tayuu from age 27 to the present. As she tells the story, her promotion to furisode-tayuu seemed rather haphazard with no special recognition or ceremony from the Wachigaiya. Itâs my belief that she may have felt like her dedication to the traditional arts and culture as a kamuro wasnât being appreciated or acknowledged by her ageya. This may be why, now that she has several dedicated young girls working at the Suehiroya, she would want to bring back the shoume rank as a way to recognize their dedication to traditional arts and culture.Â
     I also wonder if the optics didnât have something to do with it. After all, most yukaku made sure to let you know which women were âavailableâ by having them wear their obi musubi (knots) in front. So, kamuro, shoume, maiko, and geisha are clearly âunavailableâ because they wear their obi musubi in the back. However, Aoi-tayuu was 12 when she was promoted to furisode-tayuu and wouldâve worn her obi musubi in front, accordingly. Even though modern-day tayuu donât offer sexual services, the idea of a 12-year-old signaling her sexual availability must leave a bad taste in the mouth of modern-day sensibilities. The shoume rank could help alleviate this situation by providing a way to acknowledge & signal the girlâs growth without any sexual implications.Â
     So, in summary, a âshoujoâ is a middle rank on the path to becoming a tayuu that was common in the Shimabara before WW2. Aoi-tayuu, as part of her Suehiroya ageya, is reviving the rank because she wants to revive as many Shimabara traditions as possible. And, I suspect, it may also be a way for Aoi-tayuu to acknowledge the growth and dedication of her apprentices without giving them a title that has sexual implications/ connotations. I hope I answered your question!