Yoshiwara

Yoshiwara was Edo’s licensed pleasure quarter, established in the early 17th century by the Tokugawa shogunate. Located on the eastern bank of the Sumida River in what is now central Tokyo, it operated as a regulated red-light district with brothels, teahouses, and entertainment houses under government oversight. It grew into the largest and most famous red-light district in Japan, drawing patrons from across social strata and playing a central role in the era’s urban culture. Its gates, waterways, and network of courtyards gave the district a distinctive urban landscape.

Within Yoshiwara, licensed courtesans, including elite oiran, lived and worked in houses organized by tiered rank, supported by attendants, musicians, and dancers. The district was a hub for ukiyo-e art, theater, music, and fashion, helping popularize the ideals of the floating world. Visitors could arrange formal introductions, performances, and private rooms, reflecting a regulated system of entertainment tied to Edo-period social life.

In the Meiji period and later, Yoshiwara declined as Japan modernized and regulation of prostitution evolved. The Prostitution Prevention Law of the 1950s effectively ended licensed brothels, and the district was gradually redeveloped. Today the area survives mainly as a historical site within Tokyo and remains a well-known symbol in literature, art, and film of the Edo period’s urban culture.