Issendai.comOiran and Tayû: Primary Documents
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Yoshiwara-Related Primary Documents
Not all Yoshiwara saiken were conveniently named Yoshiwara Saiken. For the titles of saiken by year, see Table 2 on pp. 7-8 of "A Study of the 'Yoshiwara-Saiken' (吉原細見)." Use NengoCalc to convert the era names to years.
I have assumed that most novels concerned the Yoshiwara unless told otherwise. This may not be correct.
| Year | Courtesan Listings | Documents | Literature and Images |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Unknown] | Yoshiwara Saiken, 18th century Yoshiwara Saiken, also 18th century |
Keisei Katagi / 傾城真之心 Keisei Kijinden / 傾城畸人 Yoshiwara genji gojushikun / 吉原源氏五十四君 Tsuketari joro nayose hokku: Yoshiwara komazarai / 吉原こまざらい : 付り上郎名寄発句 |
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| 1642 | Azuma Monogatari / あづま物語 The first yûjo hyôbanki (遊女評判記) to give a listing of the top courtesans of the Yoshiwara. |
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| 1658 | A Guidebook to Yoshiwara Genealogies / 芳原細見圖 A map of the Yoshiwara marked with what looks like chronological lists of the owners of each brothel. |
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| 1660 | Mirror of the Yoshiwara / Yoshiwara Kagami / 吉原鑑 (saiken) | Tales of Grumbling Otokodate / Takabyôbu kuda monogatari Contains information about the Yoshiwara, including an account of Takao II's death. |
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| 1665 | 吉原大全新鑑 (saiken) | ||
| 1678 | A Guide to Love in the Yoshiwara / Yoshiwara Koi no Michibiki / 吉原恋の道引 Version 2 The Appearance of the Yoshiwara / Yoshiwara no tei Picture Scroll of Edo Fashion / Edo fûzoku emaki The Great Mirror of the Way of Love / Shikidô Ôkagami / 色道大鏡 Version 2 |
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| 1680 | Yoshiwara Hyôban / 吉原ひやうばん | ||
| 1681 | Yoshiwara Sancha something something / 吉原三茶三幅一対 (saiken?) | ||
| 1684 | Ukiyo tsuzuki / 浮世続 By Hishikawa Moronobu. |
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| 1687 | Edo Tie-Dye / Edo-ganoko Contains information about the Yoshiwara, including Takao II. |
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| 1713 | |||
| 1720 | 吉原丸鑑 (saiken?) | ||
| 1724 | Guidance for the Pleasure Quarter/廓手引案内 (saiken) | ||
| 1731 | A Close Look at the Yoshiwara / Yoshiwara Saiken no Zu / 吉原細見の図 | ||
| 1734 | 1734 Shin-Yoshiwara Saiken [listing] | ||
| 1735 | 山紅鳥 (saiken) Hana no nishiki / 花の錦 (saiken) [listing] |
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| 1738 | 三改大夫 (spring saiken) | ||
| 1739 | 1739 Yoshiwara Saiken | ||
| 1740 | |||
| 1745 | 1745 Yoshiwara Saiken | ||
| 1747 | 1747 Yoshiwara Saiken [listing] | ||
| 1749 | 1749 Yoshiwara Saiken [listing] | ||
| 1751 | 細見吉原絵合 (spring saiken) | ||
| 1755 | 吉原評判都登里 (saiken?) | ||
| 1756 | 1756 Yoshiwara Saiken [listing] | ||
| 1757 | A Complete Look at a Thousand Houses / 一目千軒 (saiken) | ||
| 1762 | 吉原細見道中巣子陸 (saiken) | ||
| 1768 | Guide to the River of Beautiful Names / 細見美名の川 (spring saiken) | ||
| 1770 | The Beautiful Women of the Yoshiwara / Yoshiwara Bijin Awase / 吉原美人合 |
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| 1775 | Guide to the Source of the Flowers / 細見花の源 (spring saiken) |
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| 1776 | 名華選 (saiken) | ||
| 1779 | 1779 Yoshiwara Saiken | ||
| 1780 | 1780 Yoshiwara Saiken [listing] 1780 Yoshiwara Saiken 2 [listing] |
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| 1783 | The Five-Leafed Pine Tree / 五葉の松 (spring saiken) The Five-Leafed Pine Tree / 五葉の松 (fall saiken) |
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| 1784 | [1784 or 1787] Newly Rebuilt: Elegant Rooms of the Quarter / Shintaku Fusei: Sato no Wakamuro Descriptions of the elegantly appointed quarters of many of the top courtesans, rebuilt after one of the fires that regularly razed the Yoshiwara. |
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| 1787 | Private Words on the Matsubaya / Shôro Shigo Former shinzô Miozaki's account of life as a shinzô in the Matsubaya brothel, as told to her husband, poet Ôta Nanpo. Collected in Ôta Nanpo-shû, Yû Hôdô Bunko, 1926. |
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| 1788 | Prying on Courtesans / Keiseikei / 傾城[ケイ] By Santô Kyôden. A yûjo hyôbanki that lists top courtesans, with their crests and other personal details. |
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| 1789 | An Illustrated Dictionary for Shinzôs / Shinzô Zui / 新造図彙 A satirical illustrated dictionary of the Yoshiwara, presented as a textbook for young shinzôs. |
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| 1790 | Forty-Eight Ways of Buying Courtesans / Keiseikai shijuhatte / 傾城買四十八手 A sharebon by Santô Kyôden. |
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| 1791 | The Daytime World of the Brothel: The Other Side of the Brocade / Seirô hiru no sekai - Nishiki no ura / 青楼昼之世界錦之裏 A sharebon by Santô Kyôden, and one of the first books to be censored under the sumptuary laws of the Kansei Reforms. |
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| 1792 | 1792 Yoshiwara Saiken | ||
| 1795 | Twelve Hours in the Yoshiwara / Yoshiwara Junitoki / 吉原十二時 An illustrated account of a full day (12 hours by the traditional Japanese clock) in a courtesan's life in the Yoshiwara. |
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| 1796 | Shin Yoshiwara yujomachi kitei shomon / 新吉原遊女町規定証文 Laws pertaining to prostitution in the Yoshiwara |
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| 1797 | 1797 Shin-Yoshiwara Saiken / 新吉原細見 1797 Shin-Yoshiwara Saiken |
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| 1802 | Two Kamuro / Futari Kamuro / 婦足禿 Sharebon |
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| 1804 | Yoshiwara seiro nenchu gyoji / 吉原青楼年中行事 Utamaro's depiction of a year in the Yoshiwara. |
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| 1805 | 1805 Gi Shin-Yoshiwara Saiken Kyokashu / 擬新吉原細見狂歌集 | ||
| 1820 | 1820 Yoshiwara Saiken | Keisei-Customer Dialogue / keisei kyaku mondo / 傾城客問答 Illustrated novel in the form of a dialogue between a tayû and her customer. |
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| Kakitsunagu Kamurofude / 書繋禿筆 Novel? |
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| 1825 | 1825 Yoshiwara Saiken | ||
| 1826 | Collection of Yoshiwara Saiken Prefaces, 1773-1826 / Yoshiwara Saiken Jobunshu / 吉原細見序文集 Ikiji kurabe keisei ga take / 情競傾城嵩 |
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| 1832 | Keisei joshi daikaku / 傾城情史大客 Sharebon |
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| 1834 | 1834 Yoshiwara Saiken | ||
| 1836 | 1836 Yoshiwara Saiken | Shibai Saiken Sanbaso / 芝居細見三葉艸 A novel written by Utei Enba and illustrated by Utagawa Kunisada. |
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| 1837 | 1837 Yoshiwara Saiken | ||
| 1842 | 1842 Yoshiwara Saiken | ||
| 1845 | 1845 Yoshiwara Saiken | ||
| 1847 | 1847 Yoshiwara Saiken | ||
| 1849 | 1849 Yoshiwara Saiken | ||
| 1851 | 1851 Yoshiwara Saiken | Tales of the Yoshiwara, Ancient and Modern / Kokon Yoshiwara Kidan | |
| 1852 | 1852 Yoshiwara Saiken / 吉原細見 | ||
| 1853 | 1853 Shin-Yoshiwara Saiken | ||
| 1854 | 1854 Shin-Yoshiwara Saikenki | ||
| 1855 | 1855 Yoshiwara Saiken | ||
| 1856 | 1856 Yoshiwara Saiken | ||
| 1858 | 1858 Shin-Yoshiwara Saikenki | ||
| 1859 | |||
| 1860 | 1860 Shin-Yoshiwara Saikenki | ||
| 1863 | 1863 Yoshiwara Saiken | ||
| 1868 | 1868 Shin-Yoshiwara Saiken | ||
| 1870 | 1870 Shin-Yoshiwara Saikenki | Yujo geisha hanadai ni tsuki kotatsu / 遊女・芸者花代ニ付口達 A price listing(?) for yujo and geisha |
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| 1880 | 全盛廓の賑ひ : 吉原根津品川千住娼妓芸妓細見 (saiken for the Yoshiwara, Nezu, Shinagawa, and Senju districts) | ||
| 1884 | 全盛古郷便覧 : 一名・新吉原細見記 (spring saiken) | ||
| 1885 | 東京流行細見記 (saiken) 1885 Yoshiwara Saiken Version 2(poor copy) |
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| 1886 | 1886 Shin-Yoshiwara Saikenki (poor copy) | ||
| 1887 | 1887 Yoshiwara Saiken (poor copy) 吉原細見仇競北里の燈 (saiken?) (poor copy) |
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| 1888 | 1888 Shin-Yoshiwara Saiken (June) (poor copy) 吉原根津娼妓細見 : 遊客独案内 (fall saiken) (poor copy) |
1888 Yoshiwara Saiken Supplemental / 遊廓穴さがし : 附・吉原細見 | |
| 1889 | 1889 Shin-Yoshiwara Saiken (poor copy) | ||
| 1890 | 1890 Yoshiwara Saikenki: Correction / 吉原細見記 : 改正 (poor copy) | ||
| 1894 | 1894 Yoshiwara Saikenki (poor copy) | ||
| 1895 | 1895 Yoshiwara Saikenki / 吉原細見記 (poor copy) | ||
| 1900 | The Takao Annals / Takao nendaiki / 高尾年代記 The history of the women who held the famed tayû myôseki of Takao |
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| 1906 | The Twelve Hours of the Yoshiwara Odake Kokkan's take on this popular theme, with English-language commentary. |
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| [Late Edo] | Genkin hikitenashi: yujo oyasuri / 遊女大安売 : 現金引手なし Yujo oyasuri : genkin shofudatsuki / 遊女大安売 : 現金正札附 Yujo oyasuri : genkin mawashinashi / 遊女大安売 : 現金まはしなし |
Primary Documents from Outside the Yoshiwara
| Year | Courtesan Listings | Documents | Literature |
|---|---|---|---|
| c. 1625 | Tsuyudono Monogatari / 露殿物言吾 or つゆ殿物語 Contains descriptions of 32 of the leading ladies of the Misuji-machi pleasure quarter in Kyoto. |
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| 1655 | A Collection of Peaches / Tôgenshû / 桃源集 A yûjo hyôbanki describing the courtesans of Shimabara. |
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| 1701 | Keisei Iro Shamisen / けいせい色三味線 A 1701 work listing the women working in the pleasure quarters of 11 cities. |
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| 1798 | 澪標 (Osaka Shinmachi saiken) | ||
| 1818 | 1818 Kyoka Yomibito Nayose Saikenki / 狂歌よみ人名寄細見記 A "saiken" of kyôka poets. |
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| 1845 | 1845 Osaka Shinmachi Yujomeifu Tsumajirushi / 大坂新町遊女名譜つましるし A differently formatted saiken of the Osaka pleasure quarters. |
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| 1865 | 1865 Miyozaki Saikenki / みよざきさいけんき A saiken of the Miyozaki pleasure quarter. |
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| 1869 | 1869 Yokohama Saiken A saiken of the Yokohama pleasure quarters with the courtesans' names written in English. |
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| 1870 | 遊女解放ニ付歎願書 Pamphlet involving a prostitute's release |
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| 1879 | Hana no uruoi kuruwa zensei/華の滋ひ廓全盛 (list of prostitutes and geisha in Nayoro, Osaka) | ||
| 1880 | 長野遊廓細見 (saiken) (poor copy) 全盛廓の賑ひ : 吉原根津品川千住娼妓芸妓細見 (saiken for the Yoshiwara, Nezu, Shinagawa, and Senju districts) |
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| 1883 | 長野遊廓細見記 : 改正 (saiken) (poor copy) | ||
| 1885 | Nezu Shinagawa Shinjuku Saiken 根津品川新宿細見 (saiken) (poor copy) | ||
| 1888 | 新地細見記 (fall saiken of "Shinchi") | ||
| 1889 | 浪華花街細見 (saiken, possibly for geisha) | ||
| 1892 | 三浦の芳妓 : 花柳細見 (saiken) (poor copy) | ||
| 1894 | 長野遊廓細見記 : 附・町芸妓 (saiken) (poor copy) | ||
| 1895 | 豊橋廓芸娼妓品評細見 (saiken for Toyohashi) | ||
| [Unknown] | Joroshu Nedanzuke Musume Saiken / 女郎衆直段付娘さいけん Yujo raimei mitate sumo / 遊女雷名見立角力 |
Yujoya shinju jiken ni kansuru fubungaki / 遊女屋心中事件ニ関スル風聞書 |
Updated 11/28/2013