Geishas of Edo: The Origins of Modern Actresses (Shueisha Shinsho) Harushige Akasaka From Okuni of Izumo to Meiji Actresses! The Establishment and Rise and Fall of the Unknown Female Performing Arts ◆Content Introduction◆ Most modern Japanese people believe that there were no female performers in the Edo period. However, this is incorrect; there were female performers in the Edo period. For example, Okuni of Izumo, the courtesan kabuki that imitated her kabuki dance, odori-ko (female dancers), and geishas as their successors. The lineage of female performers in Edo continued without interruption and was passed on to the actresses of the Meiji era. The misunderstanding that "there were no female performers" seems to be due to the still-prevalent trend of male chauvinism. Despite the existence of a world rich in shadows, it is rare to find history textbooks that touch upon it. This book describes the establishment and the rise and fall of female performing arts in the Edo period. ◆Table of Contents◆ Prologue: Female Performers of the Edo Period Chapter I: The Birth of the Odori-ko Chapter II: The Popularization of Kabuki Dance and Music Chapter III: From Odori-ko to Geisha Chapter IV: Courtesan Geisha of Yoshiwara Chapter V: The Rise and Fall of Geisha Epilogue: International Actresses of the Early Meiji Era