Respectable Entertainment

Tokyo,




The TAIKOMOCHI (formally called “Houkan”) are one of Japanese traditional entertainment cultures in terms of Geisha.  Geishas are mostly considered to be professional female entertainers, however, Taikomochi perform as male Geisha through enjoyable storytelling and traditional Japanese dance at banquets (this is called “Enkai”).  The TAIKOMOCHI started entertaining people before Geisha culture ever existed, but they were both conceived during the Edo period.  They usually provided their performances at the customer’s site such as restaurants, teahouses, or customer houses so that they could help to make Enkai atmosphere cheerful and delightful.  Unfortunately, as time goes on, Geisha culture slowly disappears, and only four Taikomochi currently exist in Japan today, and they may soon disappear in the next generation.  I was so lucky to be able to enjoy Shichiko Sakuragawa’s performance. That was the first time for me to see Taikomochi even though I have lived in Japan my whole entire life.  His performance art was very fascinating; the way he used a traditional Japanese towel as well as the Kimono that he wore while performing an attractive dance and telling a funny story based on Japanese traditional living was totally amazing. 

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