Debut of a Furisode Shinzo

With several of our hikikomi kamuro preparing to debut as a furisode shinzo in the next few weeks and months, I thought it appropriate to post about what we do to celebrate and why.

Furisode (long sleeves) and shinzo (newly launched boat) were hopeful tayuu/oiran and courtesans in their own right. This statement applies mostly with the period we are focusing on, as the ranks and responsibilities of courtesans changed from decade to decade. The debut process we use loosely reflects what J.E. De Becker reported in The Nightless City.

We start off relatively simple and match a younger sister to an older one. Until this point, the apprentice has received training from the leaders of the house and though she will continue to attend formal lessons offered by sensei, she will now receive informal training and guidance from her elder sister. Working together with the sensei, the elder sister will develop a new name for the furisode. The name will be something innocent sounding, especially with regards to the work the new courtesan will be involved in. The name does not have to be derivative of her older sister's, as this came into style in a later era than our focus. Typically, the debutante would have received a new name as soon as she entered the house, but in Second Life it seems a little sudden to start renaming people as soon as they join the group.

The new furi-shin learns her name at her private presentation, which is our version of receiving "congratulatory presents from her friends" and sister courtesans (De Becker, p. 57). We extend invitations to all of the courtesan houses we are on friendly terms with and welcome them to see who new furisode. At this point, the debutante is still dressing as a hikikomi kamuro; hopefully, she will receive a few gifts like courtesan kimono, hair ornaments and makeup to use once she officially becomes a furisode.

The last part of the debut, the formal presentation, is less historical and more practical. By De Becker's accounts, the new furisode should spend a week parading down the central boulevard (p. 57). We save the parade for new oiran, to make their debut a grand spectacle. The big event for a new furisode is a performance and ozashiki with she and her elder sister as the focus. This allows patrons to see the new girl and offer their congratulations and gifts.

Of course, there is more to the debut of a new furisode than what has been presented here, but some things should be left quiet, ne?