Tayuu - Courtesan

A title or honorific for certain entertainers, Shinto priests, prostitutes, etc. Also written as tayu. Originally a type of official rank modeled after the Chinese official system, it was a title of the fifth rank. In ancient times, those of the fifth rank were in charge of ceremonies and the accompanying performing arts, so the title came to refer to priests and entertainers who served in the performing arts of Shinto rituals. Some people who used the title tayu included Shinto dance tayu, sarugaku tayu, narrators of Kowaka, Sekkyo, Gidayu-bushi, etc., narrators of Bungo Joruri such as Tokiwazu, Tomimoto, Kiyomoto, and Shinnai, and even female kabuki actors and street performers (such as manzai, monkey trainer, bird chaser, acrobat, and hokashi).

The term "tayu" for the leading female actors (tateoyama) in Kabuki is thought to have been adopted by the stars of early prostitute Kabuki from the earlier Kowakamai tayu and onna Sarugaku tayu, but the influence relationship between this and the use of the term "tayu" for prostitutes is unclear. Also, early zamoto (hon) were respected and called "tayumoto" because they played the role of managing the tayu actors, and their children were given the special title of "wakatayu."

[Yukio Hattori]

Tayu was used as the name of the highest rank of prostitutes in the red light districts of the early modern period. If the name originated from the title of female kabuki, it would date to the Keicho period (1596-1615), but the details, including the reason for using the official rank name of tayu, are unknown. It is also called jōshoku or matsu-no-kurai. Tayu were beautiful, and were cultivated in the arts, literature, games, and tea ceremony, and were groomed to be ideal women. The best were those who had trained as kamuro (traditional court ladies), but their quality declined over time. Tayu were only found in the large red light districts of Kyoto, Osaka, Edo, Nagasaki, etc., and it was a rule to use ageya (a traditional Japanese house) for entertainment. In addition, the name tayu died out in Edo and Shin Yoshiwara around the Horeki era (1751-1764).

[Yoichi Harashima]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ある種の芸能人、神職、遊女などの称号または敬称。大夫とも書く。元来は中国の官制に倣った官位の一種で、五位の称である。古代に、五位の者が儀式およびそれに伴う芸能をつかさどったことから、転じて、神事芸能を奉仕する神職や芸能人の称となった。神事舞太夫、猿楽(さるがく)の太夫、幸若(こうわか)・説経・義太夫節などの語り手、常磐津(ときわず)・富本(とみもと)・清元(きよもと)・新内(しんない)など豊後浄瑠璃(ぶんごじょうるり)の語り手、さらに歌舞伎(かぶき)の女方(おんながた)や大道芸人（万歳(まんざい)・猿回し・鳥追い・軽業(かるわざ)・放下(ほうか)師など）にも太夫の称を名のる者があった。

　歌舞伎の立女方(たておやま)を太夫というのは、初期の遊女歌舞伎のスターが、先行の幸若舞太夫や女猿楽の太夫から引き継いだ称と考えられるが、これと遊女を太夫とよぶこととの影響関係ははっきりしない。また、初期の座元（本）は俳優たる太夫たちをまとめる役だったことから太夫元とよばれて尊敬され、その子供は若太夫の名で特別に扱われた。

［服部幸雄］

　太夫は、近世の遊廓(ゆうかく)において遊女の最上の階級名として使われた。名のおこりは、女歌舞伎(かぶき)の称号を起源とすれば慶長(けいちょう)期（1596～1615）となるが、太夫の官位名を使った理由とともに詳細は不明。上職(じょうしょく)、松(まつ)の位(くらい)ともいう。太夫は容色に優れているほか、芸能、文学、遊戯、茶道などの教養を積み、理想的な女性として仕立てられた。禿(かむろ)の修業を経た「禿立(だ)ち」を最良としたが、時代とともに質は低下した。太夫は京、大坂、江戸、長崎などの大遊廓のみにおり、遊興には揚屋(あげや)を利用する規則であった。なお、江戸・新吉原では太夫の名は宝暦(ほうれき)（1751～64）ごろに絶えた。

［原島陽一］

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