Yoshiwara — Records of the Vanished Pleasure District Vol. 1: The “Night Town” Created in Edo
In 1617 (the 3rd year of Genna), Yoshiwara was established as a pleasure district officially recognized by the Edo Shogunate.
However, it was relocated to Nihonzutsumi in Asakusa (present-day Senzoku, Taito Ward) following the Great Fire of Meireki in 1657 (the 3rd year of Meireki).
From then on, it came to be known as “Shin-Yoshiwara” (New Yoshiwara). During the relocation, to protect the business of Shin-Yoshiwara, the Shogunate shut down 200 bathhouses in Edo that had been employing unlicensed prostitutes (yuna). This strengthened its monopolistic status as an officially recognized pleasure district.
Yoshiwara was not merely a pleasure district. Kabuki, ukiyo-e, and literature. It was also a center of Edo culture.
The reality of the courtesans behind the glamour
The “Oiran,” the highest-ranking courtesans of the Yoshiwara pleasure district in the Edo period, wore magnificent, elaborate costumes and were in the spotlight as fashion leaders for the common people.
However, behind that glamorous facade lay the harrowing reality of courtesans suffering from human trafficking, harsh labor, and economic exploitation.
The higher the rank of the courtesan, the more she had to pay out of her own pocket for her luxurious accessories, cosmetics, and even the living expenses and upbringing costs of her younger protégées (kamuro and shinzo). Special events (monbi) such as New Year's and seasonal festivals were sites of severe exploitation for the courtesans. Furthermore, if they failed to attract a customer,
the system required the courtesan herself to pay the service fee to the establishment, creating a mechanism where debt increased with every event.
