The nightless city, or, the "History of the Yoshiwara Yūkwaku" / [by J. E. De Becker].

  • Joseph Ernest De Becker
Date:
1899
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The nightless city, or, the "History of the Yoshiwara Yūkwaku" / [by J. E. De Becker]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    authorities to establish a regular Keisei- viachi^^ but their petition was unsuccessful and matters remained in statu quo. In the 17th year of Keicho (1612) a certain Shoji yinyemon (a native of Odawara in Sagami province) conceived the idea of collecting all the brothels and assignation houses of Yedo into one special quarter of the city, and after many consultations with his confreres (for this gentle reformer was in the profession himself) he made a representation to the Government to the effect that — In Kyoto and in Suj-uQn, and also in all other thickly poi:)ulated and busy places (to the number of more than twenty) there have been established, in accordance with ancient custom and precedent, regular licensed Kcisci-machi* whereas in i^edo, which is growini^ busier and more populous day by day, there is no fixed Yi'ijo-i}iacJii.\ In consequence of this state of affairs houses of ill-fame abound in every part of the city, being scattered hither and thither in all directions. This, for numerous reasons, is detrimental to public morality and welfare, etc., etc The petitioner further enumerated the advantages which would be gained by the * Ktisei-niachi:—A courtesan quarter. Keisei means a castli falling into ruins, the idea being that such women lead to the destruction and ruin of the State. t Yttjo-machi :—k courtesan quarter.
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