The Flower and Logic of the Three Cities: A Review of Youri in the Second Half of the Eighteenth Century

The Flower and Logic of the Three Cities: A Review of Youri in the Second Half of the Eighteenth Century

In the latter half of the 18th century, Japan's three major yugakui competing with each other in their own unique culture and aesthetic sensibilities. Shimabara in Kyoto was known for the elegance of its ancient capital and its courtly culture, and had beautiful-looking prostitutes, but it was also regarded as a place where people could easily indulge their love of money and goods. Osaka's Shinmachi was a bustling commercial center, and although not as beautiful, its prostitutes were affectionate, charming, and skilled in the art of shortening the distance between themselves and their customers. And in Edo and Yoshiwara, while respectful of rank and propriety and proudly vain and vain, they were also noted for their somewhat logical natures. These reputations were frequently noted in the successor works of Ihara Saikaku and in the brothel guides known as Hosomi, and were widely known as a fashionable comparison.

In the mid- to late-Edo period, urban culture matured with the rise of the merchant class, and pleasure quarters became more than just a place for pleasure, but also a stage for artistic and social activities. Literary figures, wealthy merchants, and even warriors traveled back and forth between the three capitals to enjoy the atmosphere of the different brothels. In Shimabara, courtly courtly elegance was performed, in Shinmachi, the chic hospitality of the merchants was developed, and in Yoshiwara, intellectual exchanges and formal games were sought after.

A related event during this period was the rise of merchant culture in Edo from the Meiwa to Tenmei periods, when haikai, joruri and kabuki became increasingly linked to the yurai-style culture. In Osaka, the economic prosperity centering on warehouses supported amusement, and in Kyoto, pleasure quarters linked to cultural salons became social gathering places for intellectuals and cultured people. Against this backdrop, reviews of prostitutes in the three capitals were not mere gossip, but also comparisons that symbolized the cultural identity of each city.