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Yoshiwara (吉原) was a famous
red-light district in
Edo,
Japan.
History
In the early 17th Century, Shogun Hideyoshi and Tokugawa authorities in
Kyoto,
Edo, and
Osaka passed rules confining
prostitution to single sections of these cities.
Kyoto's quarter was called the Shimabara. Osaka's quarter was the
Shimmachi, and Edo's quarter was called the Yoshiwara. The Yoshiwara at
one time had 3,000 Japanese women as prostitutes.
Ronin, masterless samurai, were not allowed in and neither were the
prostitutes let out, except once a year to see the
sakura cherry blossoms and to visit dying relatives.
The Yoshiwara maintained an aura of mystery and refinement. The
prostitutes could be anywhere from extremely poor to extremely rich.
Modern Yoshiwara
Edo is now known as the city of
Tokyo, Japan and prostitution is illegal. The area known as Yoshiwara,
near Minowa station on the
Hibiya Line, is now known as Senzoku 4-chome and still
retains a large number of
soaplands and other facades for sexual services.
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