Shimabara, Kyoto

Shimabara (嶋原) was a courtesan's district in Kyoto. It was established in 1640 for a brothel owned by Hara Saburoemon, and was closed in 1958, when prostitution was outlawed in Japan. The name Shimabara mostly likely refers to the large gate ("Ōmon") that resembled the gate of Shimabara castle in Bizen. In the Tokugawa period, it was also called "the licensed quarter" ("go-men no ocho") or simply "the quarter" to distinguish the higher-class residents within from the unlicensed women who operated throughout the cities. 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 [Röpke, Ian Martin (1999). Historical Dictionary of Osaka and Kyoto. London: Scarecrow Press, Ltd.] .

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. 1640Anne Louise Avery, "Flowers of the Floating World: Geisha and Courtesans in Japanese Prints and Photographs, 1772–1926" (Sanders of Oxford Exhibition Catalogue, March 2006)] ), Shinmachi in Ōsaka (est. 1624–1644) and Yoshiwara in Edo (est. 1617). 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.

References