A 27-year-old Norwegian national has become the first Western female ever to be chosen to play a leading role at a cherry blossom festival in the city of Tsubame, Niigata Prefecture, which features women dressed as high-class Edo Period (1603-1868) courtesans.
Anette Hansen, who lives in Tokyo, was picked by organizers of the Bunsui Sakura Matsuri Oiran Dochu festival to play the role of one of three oiran, or courtesans, who will parade through the streets of the city on April 17.
It is the first time in the 74-year history of the event that a non-Japanese has applied and been selected to perform a key part in the festivities, according to an official with the Tsubame tourism board.