Sakuragi Tayu (桜木太夫)
Sakuragi Tayu (year of birth and death unknown) was a Shimabara tayu (a high ranking courtesan of the Shimabara district of Kyoto) towards the end of Edo period (also known as 'Yujo (Courtesan) Sakuragi' and 'Sakuragi').
She belonged to Wachigaiya and was called 'Ishin no meika' (Beautiful Flower of the Meiji Restoration) and 'Bakumatsu no meigi' (famous geisha at the end of Edo period) that are 'retired professional names' even now in Wachigaiya.
She studied waka (a traditional Japanese poem of 31 syllables) under Haruomi NOSE, a kajin (waka poet) in Kyoto.
Tayu was a waka friend of Rengetsu OTAGAKI and Rengetsu considered Tayu to be 'a talented person though a courtesan.'
In the beginning, Tayu had close interactions with Takayoshi KIDO, but she later became Hirofumi ITO's favorite concubine. After Ito was assassinated at a station in Ha'erbin City, Tayu became a nun and went into seclusion around Nishigamo, Kita Ward, Kyoto City.