Yoshiwara was an infamous red-light district of Edo (today’s Tokyo) that flourished between the 17th and 19th-centuries, extending for around 16 acres during its heyday. A place of extreme extravagance and decadence, the samurai of the Edo period frequented this area seeking romance that was, to quote a contemporaneous expression, “fleeting as a bubble.” Historically, neighborhoods like Yoshiwara were known as yūkaku, the word signifying a government-sanctioned red-light district surrounded by either a fence or moat. Whereas wealthy sex workers of a higher rank—known as oiran—enjoyed their luxuries and comfort, many other sex…
