Asazuma Boat

Shirabyo_shi were female song-and-dance entertainers at temple and court festivals during the 12th and 13th centuries. They typically donned male courtly attire, including white robes and lacquered hats, and performed to the beat of small hand drums. Their unconventional occupation as entertainers caused people to suspect shirabyo_shi of prostitution. Asazuma-bune were small boats that provided transport for travelers on Lake Biwa from the port of Asazuma. Since prostitutes worked in the towns surrounding the lake, and on the boats, Asazuma-bune became synonymous with prostitution. The conflation of these two traditions by representing a shirabyo_shi in a boat occurred in the early 18th century and became a standard subject among ukiyo-e artists. Here, Kunisada represents a woman dressed as a shirabyo_shi by moonlight, further suggesting the true nature of her profession.