Difference between revisions of "Yoki-hijo"

After breakfast, the yoki-hijo proceeds to the town's cold spring, which is reserved for the Chosen while she is in town,{{book ref|yumi|10}} or to the town's bath house if they do not have a spring.{{book ref|yumi|13}} On the way, the attendants use enormous frondsfans to block the villagers' view of the yoki-hijo.{{book ref|yumi|2}} The attendants undress the woman as well as themselves, then bathe their yoki-hijo using seven different soaps.{{book ref|yumi|2}} The soaps themselves are placed on a floating plate, and while some are for cleansing--such as a red, exfoliating powder--many of them are actually perfume creams and moisturizers.{{book ref|yumi|2}}{{book ref|yumi|22}} Each washing is followed by a rinse, following the pattern of the [[artist's sequence of progress]]: they begin with one wash and rinse with the first soap, and end with thirteen washes and rinses with the seventh.{{book ref|yumi|2}} After this, the yoki-hijo takes a final rinse, remaining 144 seconds underwater before resurfacing.{{book ref|yumi|2}}