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1 Introduction The sensibility of iki, for which I adopt the gloss ‘‘urbane, plucky stylishness’’ for this introduction, is somewhat similar to that of dandyism in the West. But while both sensibilities maintained tacit codes of dress and behavior, and flourished around the same time, the dandyism of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries was a trademark of indolent and socially irresponsible men who put on not onlyclothing that made a statement but an airof superiority , and iki shared little of this type of decadence. In contrast to dandies, who were often sexually inert men, the men and women who cultivated iki sensibility in its original form pursued romantic liaisons with the opposite sex.Unlike dandyism, which was not practiced widely in a particular locale or by a certain class of people, iki constituted one among the aggregate characteristics that made the inhabitants of Edo, today’s Tokyo, true Edokko (Edoites ). Not everyone could become an Edokko. Besides being born in the city— preferably reared in the city center—other essential traits were the ability to resign oneself quickly to inescapable destiny, an embodiment of iki, and a type of spiritual tension called hari. Some unflattering characteristics were essential as well, such as bravado, boastfulness, and spendthrift habits that could squandera fortune overnight.These traits, Edokko katagi,were proudly and mockingly put into use to draw a contrast between Edokko and those lacking this ‘‘sophistication’’—those not from the city, such as merchants from the Kyoto-Osaka area, house servants, and samurai from outlying provinces .The iki sensibility, first cited in literature in the Meiwa era (1764–1772), was sharpened in the pleasure quarters of Fukagawa, in a southeastern part of Edo. By the beginning of the nineteenth century, Fukagawa was one of the major not-officially-sanctioned brothel areas of the city that had become a trendy place for rich merchants and townsmen to spend an evening, while its competitor Yoshiwara had declined due in part to the Kansei Reform of 1787, which had instituted austerities. Fukagawa courtesans differed from 2 Introduction their Yoshiwara counterparts in that they prided themselves on being more masculine in disposition, even affecting male attire to attend their entertainment engagements. Presenting themselves as strictly geisha, women of Fukagawa took customers on the side only when they felt inclined to do so, while Yoshiwara women never pretended to be other than ladies of the night. Fukagawa courtesans were thus more selective about their bedmates, and the ideal customer displayed wit, pluck, and, most of all, iki. A man or woman in pursuit of iki would employ a certain cool, elegant, and flirtatious demeanor, backed by pluck, to win over the object of desire. Like a good Edokko, though, a successful pursuer was able to recognize a relationship destined to fail, and thus retreat quickly. This spiritual tenet became sublimated in the psyche of the common people of Edo, and by the beginning of the eighteenth century, the townspeople there identified themselves very closely with iki and strove to cultivate and embody this spirit. Iki became such a rarefied, creedlike code of behavior that it was said to be detectable in every facet of life, including patterns of speech, choices in food, furniture, and other household items, not to mention courting behavior and clothing colors and patterns. Iki is arguably the phenomenon of a specific time and place in Edo, but its roots derive from the Kyoto-Osaka sensibility of sui, which in fact describes very similar, perhaps identical, sensibilities in Kyoto-Osaka from the late eighteenth century onward.The origins of iki and sui can be found in such traditional Japanese aesthetic sensibilities as miyabi (elegance), wabi (rustic simplicity), sabi (elegant simplicity), and yūgen (mystery; profundity), which were primarily found in the centerof high culture, then the Kyoto-Osaka area. The exact combinations of sensibilities contributing to the various aspects of iki and sui are difficult to determine, but it is fairly certain that as the center of popularculture moved from the Kyoto-Osaka area to Edo, the once high-class aesthetic sensibilities gave birth to the sensibility of iki. We can still find in iki the simplicity, lightness, suggestiveness, sincerity, transience, and spontaneity , that comprise the basic components of traditional Japanese aesthetics .This discussion of iki through the vision of a philosopher not only reveals much on the lifestyle of late Edo’s townspeople but facilitates further understanding of Japanese aesthetics, long an integral...

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