Oiran, Handicrafts Crowded Behind the Lamps: The Scale of Dingo-ya and the Omise (Edo Period)

Oiran, Handicrafts Crowded Behind the Lamps: The Scale of Dingo-ya and the Omise (Edo Period)

In Yoshiwara in the late Edo period, the Omise was not merely a place of entertainment, but a huge entity that supported the city's economy. Chokoya, which had its store in Edomachi 2-chome, is a typical example of such a business, and is known as one of the largest brothels with four oiran, or courtesans, and a total of over 60 prostitutes. This number of people, including not only the prostitutes who served customers but also the maidens, bantousmen, cooks, and menial laborers who worked behind the scenes, means that this was a labor group that could outnumber small factories and merchant houses.

At the time, Edo had a population of one million, and the culture of eating out and the demand for banquets was rapidly expanding. In order to capture this demand, the Omise in Yoshiwara was operated in such a way that cooking and serving customers were integrated rather than divided into separate operations. The scene of fish processing depicted in the illustration of Choko-ya is symbolic and shows that the kitchen was not merely a backstage area, but an important process that determined the quality of the entertainment. The content of the banquet directly influenced the popularity of the prostitutes and the prestige of the restaurant, and the quality of the food influenced customer satisfaction and the rate of return visits.

In addition, while the glamorous culture of oiran (courtesans) was on display at the Omise, an enormous amount of practical work was handled on a daily basis, such as time management, room rotation, food procurement, and maintenance of costumes and furnishings. Roles and lines of movement were defined for each prostitute in the hierarchy, and backstage tasks were strictly assigned, showing the rationality that is common to modern organizational management. The Omise was able to maintain its high profitability and reputation over the long term because it was able to function as a group, rather than relying on the talent and beauty of individual prostitutes.

The scale of the Omise, symbolized by the chokoiya, shows that Yoshiwara was not only an emotional playground, but also a gigantic work site where professional skills were concentrated. Behind the glamour of the oiran (courtesans), daily labor supported by the division of labor and control was layered and practically operated in the urban space called Yoshiwara.