Who Are the Osugi and Otama, the Ainoyama Musicians (Osugi Otama)?
Two famed women performers on an Ise slope
Osugi and Otama of Ainoyama
Osugi and Otama are two women performers said to have played the shamisen, a three-stringed instrument, at Ainoyama, the slope between the Outer and Inner Shrines of Ise. They were known as a famous attraction among travelers on pilgrimage to Ise.
They are said to have been renowned for their skill at nimbly dodging the coins travelers threw at them. In Episode 11 of the manga, Kitahachi throws coins trying to hit them, but not a single one lands, and only his purse gets lighter. It is a lively comic scene before worship, after the two men have finally reached Ise at the end of their long journey.
In the Edo period, a pilgrimage to Ise was the great dream trip of ordinary people, and visitors came from all over the country. Along the road were not only inns and shops but also performers like these, making the route to the shrine one of the pleasures of the journey itself.
