Yoshiwara: The Glittering World of the Japanese Courtesan

by Cecilia Segawa Seigle

Drawing on both historical and literary sources, examines life in the pleasure houses of Japan during the Edo period from the early 1600s to 1868. Among the topics are the origins, illegal competitors, the cost of a visit, the treatment of the courtesans, traditions and protocols, and Yoshiwara arts.

Genres: Japan, History, Nonfiction, Japanese History, Asia, Research, Womens

336 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1993

About the author

Cecilia Segawa Seigle (瀬川淑子)

Reviews

[Petra X · Rating 2 out of 5]

First dnf of the year. Given the cover and title I was really looking forward to this book. The world of educated, beautiful, high class prostitutes of the pleasure quarter of Edo, now Tokyo. But it was dry, a text book of politics and laws, history with all the juice wrung out. What I did learn was that at various times in history the courtesans were prisoners in the quarter and not allowed to leave without good reason and a pass (they did though). Women of 20 were considered 'old', young teens were what the Japanese male liked to pay to have sex with. Not a lot glittering about that.

In most eras, prostitution and brothels were legal, but eventually they were driven underground when General McArthur insisted on the closure of them in 1952. They were eventually made illegal in 1956. By 1958 Yoshiwara, after three hundred years of enslaving girls and young women with "indentured" contracts that only ended when either a rich patron bought married them or they were too old to be of use as either as prostitutes or their helpers.

I don't think any country at any time has ever succeeded in stopping prostitution. Or pimps, which is much worse.

[Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the most comprehensive anthology of Yoshiwara I've ever read... also the only anthology of Yoshiwara I've ever read.

[Issendai · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful, delightful book. Seigle discusses the Yoshiwara, the licensed pleasure quarter of Edo, in a way that succeeds in being both entertaining and scholarly. She illustrates her data with plenty of stories and anecdotes from the period, bringing across the rebellious, edgy style of the era. Even if you don't like reading scholarly works, you won't find this one the least bit dry.

[Matty-Swytla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I expected more descriptions of everyday lives than the chronological look into the Edo courtesans. It's probably a good start for the curious, but the full impact of the women on the culture is not fully explored here. Probably it's best to look at the paintings and plays to get a little more of the cultural side; the book does try though. It's a very hard topic to fully explore, and requires some knowledge of Japanese literature and history that the average westerner simply doesn't have. So, this book is for people like me, even though I've learned a lot through my curiosity about the geisha and traditional Japanese dance and music. I also wanted to learn more about the diseases rampant in such environments - I know there was a serious epidemic of consumption and other venereal diseases, and the book only briefly deals with this topic I'd consider rather important for the general population.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems rather telling that an oft-read review of this book is one in which the reviewer expresses disappointment that the coverage of courtesans in this book is not 'juicier'. It is for its deep historical accuracy that I have loved this book, and in fact I have been surprised at times by its colorful anecdotes--but these often constitute the extent of a historian's understanding of a particular corner of life.

[Ale · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extensive guide on Yoshiwara, showing how it worked, how courtesans were trained, their often terrible ending, all throughout the history of the small city.

[Wendy McBain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A scholarly book on the history of the pleasure quarters in Japan from it's beginnings until it's demise as the key "hotspot" for all things decadent. Very detailed revealing patrons habits, as known to us now, the monies spent on any one particular courtesan, how the young bloods of the day responded to these quarters and used them to their advantage. How the courtesans were treated and the various ranks of these female entertainers.

[Natalie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books of all time. The authorotative guide to courtesans and the Yoshiwara as well as the history and rise of the geisha. Have already read it twice.

[Li Ya 🪷 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slayed