Entertaining Becomes a Female Role
By the 1780s, women mostly overtook over the role of entertainer, called odoriko (dancing girls), although the position changed a bit from the era of the taikomochi. The odoriko’s duties expanded. They still provided skilled entertainment at high society parties and upper-crust brothels. But Edo period geisha additionally served as assistants to the oiran, high-ranking, beautiful, respected courtesans of the noble and wealthy living in Japan’s most powerful cities. This didn’t last long, though. Odoriko were entertainers, but that often meant interacting with the oiran clients. This interaction made the courtesans nervous; they feared the entertainers would steal their benefactors. The suspicious courtesans imposed strict rules about how much contact the dancers could have with their customers. They were forbidden to sit near the patrons during meals and other events, nor were they permitted to develop personal relationships with them. These odoriko were the foundation of modern geisha.