Yoshiwara. Yoshiwara was a famous yukaku in Edo, present-day Tokyo, Japan.
In the early 17th century, there was widespread male and female prostitution throughout the cities of Kyoto, Edo, and Osaka. To counter this, an order of Tokugawa Hidetada of the Tokugawa shogunate restricted prostitution to designated city districts: Shimabara for Kyoto, Shinmachi for Ōsaka, and Yoshiwara for Edo.
A leading motive for establishing these districts was the Tokugawa shogunate trying to prevent the nouveau riche chonin from engaging in political intrigue. The Yoshiwara Yukaku was created in the city of Edo, near what is today known as Nihonbashi, near the start of the busy Tokaido that leads to western Kyoto in western Japan.
In 1656, due to the need for space as the city grew, the government decided to relocate Yoshiwara and plans were made to move the district to its present location north of Asakusa on the outskirts of the city. The old Yoshiwara district burned down in the Great fire of Meireki of 1657; it was rebuilt in the new location, when it was renamed Shin Yoshiwara, the old location being called Moto Yoshiwara; eventually the Shin was dropped, and the new district became known simply as Yoshiwara.
Yoshiwara was home to some 1,750 women in the 18th century, with records of some 3,000 women from all over Japan at one time. The area had over 9,000 women in 1893, many of whom suffered from sy
In the early 17th century, there was widespread male and female prostitution throughout the cities of Kyoto, Edo, and Osaka. To counter this, an order of Tokugawa Hidetada of the Tokugawa shogunate restricted prostitution to designated city districts: Shimabara for Kyoto, Shinmachi for Ōsaka, and Yoshiwara for Edo.
A leading motive for establishing these districts was the Tokugawa shogunate trying to prevent the nouveau riche chonin from engaging in political intrigue. The Yoshiwara Yukaku was created in the city of Edo, near what is today known as Nihonbashi, near the start of the busy Tokaido that leads to western Kyoto in western Japan.
In 1656, due to the need for space as the city grew, the government decided to relocate Yoshiwara and plans were made to move the district to its present location north of Asakusa on the outskirts of the city. The old Yoshiwara district burned down in the Great fire of Meireki of 1657; it was rebuilt in the new location, when it was renamed Shin Yoshiwara, the old location being called Moto Yoshiwara; eventually the Shin was dropped, and the new district became known simply as Yoshiwara.
Yoshiwara was home to some 1,750 women in the 18th century, with records of some 3,000 women from all over Japan at one time. The area had over 9,000 women in 1893, many of whom suffered from sy
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