What is a Japanese oiran walk?
Oiran Dochu is a procession-reenactment of processions done by the oiran, the courtesans of Yoshiwara in Edo Period, with a purpose to advertise the houses they worked in. The reenactment involves men and women dressed up in Edo period costumes.
Japanese oiran walk is a slow, graceful movement typically performed in a kimono. The oiran themselves were highly trained in the art of entertainment and were considered to be the pinnacle of Japanese beauty and elegance
Why do oiran walk that way?
Oiran - Soto Hachi Monji
The Oiran's walking style is considered the outer figure eight where the geta is dragged along her sides in big half circles. The geta get scraped and scuffed in the process, another way for the Oiran to show her wealth as she simply doesn't care about the damage to her expensive footwear.
Why do Oirans wear high shoes?
However, the geta worn by an Oiran is usually high-heeled; usually the height of the heels can go up to 15cm. The reason why Oiran wears high-heeled geta is to make sure that Oiran is the tallest in the Oiran Dochu parades, and of course to make them more visible to the audience.
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