Reproduction of daily life of the Japanese courtesans of the beginning of the 20th century based on diaries

The system of licensed prostitution was established during the Edo period of Japan (1603–1868). Since then the prostitution was only allowed in special areas of the city, which are called the pleasure quarters. In these enclosed quarters, a unique courtesan culture with distinctive daily life features and traditions was born. Most of the research on the Japanese pleasure quarter culture tend to focus on that of the “Golden Age” (XVII–XVIII centuries). However, it is unclear how these features and traditions had changed along with the time. In particular, there is little known about how the daily life of the courtesans of the beginning of the XX century was affected by the great changes brought upon the Japanese society at the time. The aim of the present study is to reconstruct the features of daily life of the Japanese courtesans of the Taisho period of Japan (1912–1926). After that the comparative analysis of the traditions existed in the “Golden Age” of the pleasure quarters and those as of the Taisho era will be carried out. This paper consists of 3 chapters and is referencing 30 sources. Keywords: the Taisho period of Japan, Yoshiwara, oiran, traditions, prostitution, pleasure quarters.