Shimabara, Kyoto

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Shimabara (嶋原) was a courtesan's district in Kyoto. It was established in 1640, and was closed in 1958, when prostitution was outlawed in Japan. Today, it is mostly a tourist attraction and historical site; two teahouses remain, conserved as Cultural Assets: the Wachigaya, established in the Genroku period (1688-1704), and the Sumiya, established at some point in the 19th century^[1].

Throughout the Edo period (1603-1868), there was widespread male and female prostitution throughout the cities of Kyoto, Edo, and Osaka. The Tokugawa shogunate attempted to control this by restricting prostitution to designated city districts. These districts were Shimabara in Kyoto (est. 1640^[2]), Shinmachi in Ōsaka (est. 1624–1644^[2]) and Yoshiwara in Edo (est. 1617^[2]). These restrictions and controls did not derive from a moral opposition to prostitution, but out of a desire to compartmentalize certain types of activity within the cities. Kabuki and jōruri theatres, and other related entertainment establishments were similarly controlled.

[edit] References

1. ^ Röpke, Ian Martin (1999). Historical Dictionary of Osaka and Kyoto. London: Scarecrow Press, Ltd.
2. ^ ^{a b c} Anne Louise Avery, Flowers of the Floating World: Geisha and Courtesans in Japanese Prints and Photographs, 1772–1926 (Sanders of Oxford Exhibition Catalogue, March 2006)