Leiden University Student Repository

Šakić, Antonija (2025)

Sakuran (2007): Depicting Yoshiwara Courtesans through a female gaze

Bachelor thesis | Japanstudies (BA)

This thesis examines the portrayal of Yoshiwara courtesans in contemporary Japanese cinema, focusing on Mika Ninagawa's film Sakuran (2007). The study addresses how Edo Popular culture, characterized by a male gaze, has shaped perceptions of the Oiran, the high-ranking courtesans, and contrasts this with the female perspective presented in the film. It argues that Ninagawa's work empowers these women by asserting a female gaze, offering a critical view of both historical and modern representations. The thesis is structured into three chapters: the first contextualizes the idealized image of courtesans within Edo print culture; the second explores the significance of Ninagawa's background and the increased female participation in male-dominated fields at the time of her debut; and the final chapter analyses the film drawing conclusions from the previous chapters.

Author

Šakić, Antonija

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Supervisors

Müller, D.

ECTS Credits

10

Language

en