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Yuujo (遊女, lit. "women of pleasure"), were the prostitutes of feudal era Japan.
Yuujo are usually shown wearing a kimono loosely hanging open or off their shoulders in order to expose their chest. Their hair tends toward extremes: either carefully sculpted shapes with the bangs pulled back, or pinned up in an artful mess (both of which are achieved through the use of several hair sticks and kanzashi). Some form of makeup may be present, often eyeshadow or lipstick. Oftentimes, they are shown holding a kiseru, an oil-paper umbrella, or a rolled-up mat. Sometimes the obi will be tied in a bow on the front of their kimono, allegedly for "easy access".
The most common depictions of yuujo are indoors, lying on their side in a state of seductive, carefully-arranged disarray, or waiting for clients at night on a bridge that crosses over a stream or a river.
There is a certain sub-type of yuujo, the oiran, who despite also providing sexual services, were famed for being more cultured, educated, respectable, and skilled in providing classical entertainment and intelligent discourse.
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