Isoda Taka (磯田多佳)
Taka ISODA (her real name was Taka, 1879 - 1945) was Geisha in Gion Kobu, and she was Okami (mistress) of "Daitomo," a tea shop which operated in Gion-Shinbashi, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City.
Taka became a disciple of Yachiyo INOUE at the age of six. Se honed her entertainment skill in Inoue's place, and became Geisha in her teens. She took over her mother's business at the age of 23, and interacted with many literature scholars including Soseki NATSUME, Junichiro TANIZAKI, Isamu YOSHII; which was why she came to be called the "Literature geisha." Both banks of Shira-kawa River were lined with tea shops including "Otomo," which was written in Isamu YOSHII's poem. As the war became worse, many tea shops were forced to be closed. Evacuation was carried out to minimize disasters caused by air attacks, and she grieved when her tea shop, that she had been protecting, was destroyed. She passed away in 1945.