Imperial Japan Tazawa Stamp and Tayū of Shimabara

IMPERIAL JAPAN postage stamp from the Tazawa series, issued between 1913 and 1925. This one has a denomination of 1½ sen. The Tazawa series was known for its intricate designs and was printed on granite paper. 

This is a postcard from 21 March 1917, addressed to The China Strawbraid Export Company, Mr. Fernand Leconte in Tianjin, China, was posted by  Kursu Yanagimoto in Nagasaki, Japan.

The message reads, according:

"Dear Mr. Leconte:

"This is to tell you that I arrived quite safely.

"I am sending you the promised postcards under separate cover.

"My best compliments to Mrs. Leconte. Thanking you for the past courtesies.

Kursu Yanagimoto"

Tayū (太夫) of Shimabara was a highly respected courtesan and entertainer, the highest-ranking woman in Kyoto's Shimabara district, a licensed pleasure quarter during Japan's Edo period.

They underwent rigorous training in numerous traditional Japanese arts, including the tea ceremony, kōdō (incense ceremony), ikebana (flower arrangement), calligraphy, poetry, dance, singing, and playing instruments like the koto. 

This extensive training and cultural knowledge allowed them to command high prices and, notably, to refuse clients. 

Today, the "Tayū" title is sometimes associated with the highest rank of geisha, and Shimabara remains a historic hanamachi (geisha district), though with a very small number of practitioners today.