Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

The Nightless City: Geisha and Courtesan Life in Old Tokyo
The Nightless City: Geisha and Courtesan Life in Old Tokyo
The Nightless City: Geisha and Courtesan Life in Old Tokyo
Ebook548 pages7 hours

The Nightless City: Geisha and Courtesan Life in Old Tokyo

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

()

Read preview

About this ebook

When The Nightless City was first published in 1899, it was deemed taboo in polite circles. It is now considered a valuable historical document—albeit still provocative—as a pioneering sociological study of the Yoshiwara Yukwaku: Tokyo's infamous red-light district where the giving of pleasure became both a tradition and a business. A consequence of old Japan's polygamous family system (where men had multiple wives who bore them many children), the Yoshiwara quarter offered a rough road to survival for the surplus daughters, many of whom were sold into prostitution by families who could not afford to keep them. It was thus regarded as a "necessary evil" that thrived from the late nineteenth century well into the 1950s. Despite its dark underbelly of slavery and abuse, the area was celebrated for its veneer of gaiety and the refinement of pleasure. In fact, the Yoshiwara district held such an honored place in Japanese tradition (and sexual tourism) that its demise in 1957 was lamented all over the world. Rich in detail pertaining to the many aspects of Yoshiwara life—folklore, ceremony, costume, erotic practices, and the like—The Nightless City is a compelling examination of life behind the teahouse doors. Two maps and over 40 plates of illustrations are included from the original edition.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateNov 22, 2012
ISBN9780486122816
The Nightless City: Geisha and Courtesan Life in Old Tokyo

Related to The Nightless City

Related ebooks

Asian History For You

View More

Related articles

Related categories

Reviews for The Nightless City

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

6 ratings1 review

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    An amazing book if only for the facts about the brothel district of old Edo. Personally, I liked the translations of poetry and the class hierarchies.

Book preview

The Nightless City - J.E. De Becker

jg2^book_preview_excerpt.html}˒Gݯ`!V@<5cJt> Bq5hṳi%~?2_s="#F ͽ6ʌo|uI/yG>^ggϞd?{z=ׯx.y+jukoˍEQ7{֝G'kYK͵];N{_m?6Xo7ׅobʹ+uuh_\sYuYf\nn2+]ϲWn}.=γ,1g O틦׋ir{ne ɯ*_gw᳭:r٪uE9*EmKl{̐cVM-(s<ķX&WSm372-~3jylEHPfC7ây\꾨M,]Q&w]֬p)e. LLXYVOתl\ jSq2wEu<5+H 7mFb!wN~`ݷ.&`ڦ XE;ںEQ/E㼞ra~=˳z 2U08X oa,{ 0{םSҐHD'6E k*|fUPe)_ SɖP.ܷf]z,%in)0\y߉`8e0tHcCIs8T)]i+z¨4/] =X qW^bt`ŧ귰jAk\؊v"Xc=[4Eâ 7v3r\nة(Xp[3%fдFk;~qU,W-8NqHP.Nn㢸0#-}ׅ+zɭv;+*YQp- ?-31$e j$kqb/b/}'O |gݾ:oW"+JcbBvhMGQ/|lNsQa=4쁯|YB_!Y\9g.oƖr5D4-|Yn{)&k27U ?O 81RS{p).F/:|_trЭPWT@ Ǚ 0%K\{?8p7IaпkOw^;=/^:-T\cؗɭ3pmX$ayz~@#2nN1v L Bd_*WB#p0):= tQTV%NKj^QL;]c=:IfjͿm?kQ>뷣2~|Yv{ ?N~5?YkW7ƨJ } Q85q+>U@ַo5pOaPVgωA lk-)LTDSJVb|Eh` {:%P]ޔ{?L } zk+8HW[DE4`r1).l$D_E¿z.s$]r wF!``fqQhG 9 UMO,ЊANf\9$O/dQy!5Wd,D!}Xݲh-'mW1j5IJ|Kэ#i}4yrs,B#pBΕSPj~8Љ(d1@LppݦٙҸ@(f|MPkI`Wj`s5 ^R fLO!:|,?SJ^Gz@:##1C(?b!& LF!n,W$ulᘽSIb&dN5lW2)|$,k ,s`܏d!Tldߺ2D MU%#\X:`'!7V 8\펷I?PrFl/v-aݟ@Dir՘qx C .AزD6FLnZB:a q3@KF&(pmcU"M!PnBKw`QzɌzɛs᮳@#L%$_%j87:ׅ{M]pDgӑgc6ft^E0rHdZ *Qi\+AY #05b>8-vA2VrkZq ea(ZÒnޘ`"ip'`J[TJKv, VAo&uw,ʜY5i5[ əl1:7eԞ R:/j8GYDSTfTuACiܪi4ze5L*|WN&rND{[eQ)lS+#$5s6}q0vLjUFX c$e=S"NҡIC!@li0Zc\ utX^@RT q8'o{s)Z"8Iꏾe76Xm> *P0.AIa`@HYά<_]xX Wk#guROOzs܁*sZ[bc8"gbH L,t4oUV`K}%e&6RdC6LV;%#@?Mt~^$xkH}(+$rN7AgG^џ#9X-0LڨhWc+ 5Vn\C#{ b{Q6Kd0 wE,Uy-=gԠtH6M9')}EdZ}&D%h-f 0r!fh02;4'H*u,CC).[PlwZxm4u`V9=fGtfchebԶu^hc9Xdi }$9d7VXb;SSv)ڙ4lz"c\Sƶ6umzh~!T4T$9~)%1PpP- r8,' k *ewI*6+ .,$cY,}BEkyjU]Ĕ~2-|['nխ8ٰ FD0- R)FH~jsBjt"_.&:)r Zy#5? sRc|ʧeQŐM@ސګslY)V.Lm\Ъ'eȝjʹ8&i;f Y݇fW-eڦZ  O #,LA1l!ku,uS,D8tQP!*)|fo/E~nb'BY[+a>LObCXc˂0Oi~Ef #aU L <6x ;F_)܍,3Q*]WG}ig{טm>#W?/L4u 7>,0gЬFE)F"@``s1B3=3[.^fṆdğS]ApOVk ˴xj],601Q0͖I[V q$Ѕa)$ ؂KoE*:%ϵyDK+*D XA6.szx='[\׿Q[>Wǐ뒿As"UڳOyE;w;ɂXipO͋%zi#oKd7w%Yfb$n0+$,o ϼsu ~T F~ZIC)װh${LN]xR6IӸfҸDY@8@EH;33^Q2T >ǯ^}O7o:{i\Oo_|/|n{]ʝTY \`D]\~?ǚF/80ӴfƦq M0RcC$OH*u>УIMe7]/xcueLz(BS3oC] 7>жڴ?aڎpPN, ~x Ƀ/?ߛNGϮ>s/OZq)ij(e/>oė!d5]?f{gFRca@ 6YOaOTRTH$6kgݸ}?oܹq؊ rxX)"_ h GKŪ N#@N 4/Dk(ZXÖjFcXSHJS6K+d1ޑ%_F"Q(ff&KcM`h mС{ {ep9K1":{Qt44 c0U6bZ#.B!-tjˎ@q7kˎ^`j&'JkBq9'3QD.qɕXO1na5.ctha ]P  j.&Ț,?]6B>_ ަjw 7-<[[LP$Ke Tl@_hyr QЊήKbfY[$! Cq&CzѻEv*8HDZduIσ=hwMF ׶ĴVF>s~'Ӫr3tK:n3iL/Ϟퟺ|cPLb"f6=V?,F7wQ<h o'@TiT6Y25-*Xs:w5~w:'sAv'<ƙ1.m7%Dätuhp*ش)9Ab ʥ/Cc w~ls{'Y?T~q+p!*W-M:Fy?"@4K]&Vp a k5/o^I~+I2" 1Qӄg56Y~pB-TM&VA,Zc0%))U0xs l' Y6%ޛYQ۰(pR|*}!c*D(~ {hF |V43 ch%yO5Qqbi+쳑zKݫFy L>jݡmKzk6HUw$cݵ՚+dY>9T8 g]S$KTLj }F2( ЌXtf:l!}!'Ho5 -*. Nkᤥ^VKp&/yj/yqRN7)EשC?G.ig8[@XJ/ExJo^K^jCƥ;_݊^>(PV)ILEka@,ʛxhSiǗp,gkV_S]p =uk]{+>Ԉ'ײPeGfM*"'d쇳`o A=P΍{87dTBTБ?lS,qh֝ehЙ.<9Y9k.+r݈מHVDXTߜճIItV`n1d;!fռ).JV[LSKFr6M$ $N.y'?Sg\j"|َͲ*y T0+W.Fv˺FdC*XFKmړ&gHEd\hP&,6aqݸ^Z^c'<Mz;YK/q4LH3J7. ;ۧQfN3hCkc6R@>+D|<_ǾqE^m7p5e;Y+<$(+Lzu~/E[MFed9z;M{@eƠ># N./ջՉ_\ q9t?.X!rƴ2LD-]^oxۍۆWB%.$FuK{Է 5\)K8(.aYztJoWڻ fN[neI띥WnH]WH|D')^E?5gc3گ:\몛& 1ԉ Bg)h#E2' A=o{[օ`_z$`ȹH#6 Oeꩌi60({ Y8*SCٰIG1 uًZԊ؆LRjF&@ dzm"lfN: ٟ4/$\*Ql `Z "4̙fo_\qb_4XhSk5תI11.$ڲ.;[b̨b.Y}7D81˥EL+%֭mu۪g,N5JL$c MBH%Ȏ1)$ߴzkSB]J(.uqj,&8%[Lh:شHVcm;t[KrZ P)A1Ul\~C8?!X|xN ,F+=khs< k[05d"[]FpS#R=_g)S :hxl()M+*Iqj:r2v)Ʌ_5J#e0%eI$?otdGz@`fRJe_:{0[OCl7ܘøa<5;D!ł ,B=qfrǍ=~!nHN &6RA[e>roK$19Jh %-ʣr3B&5kGU[Y^Kϸ٘IsUBPjA\bqϳ6jy+tT%ڍJ,.H9$Cq h s8G #?+<8}L`nֈ.l&|WA$?;\:ؠ1Szo$1!&~1J%?p]֍yo=7A͜O33>7ޟj}#yV ];?|q+|k{o^62xr㺀PDeʤ8[!<:Y2T׭帇D (n[Ci_ 5r.%x/5ÌsJkR8J#L>nn̰bUXxt=xE#m6p+􋝫Ȏn~ nܹyx"q.1)~vzN3k, ]w[UpJt=cGU) n؄_1l2[GD䗣):/'F]w|mm3E~r2ǎ ZGBZrۤgI{"}!Bgie} v=ZM+rGSrѱ0a+U(R6zRjG*c=nJ揘"aß_?ݾ!ޜ:;p,Vi,^W'3-PG~x+~칷^82G76M9kPs9t?yL'0&!P4{+(dٴ' 73nԿ yc K4]'4+I4ۿ4&aIFiT\LIlU+wS$k;T ι7ÿ}qkv{'f&"cK)bJJMX.u KL#~7_u5;H2`&~*y;w9Fv16qds[[ᇰå\އmMat> 禽¿p4?a`肙df1_'$ni-*$ߊ֝jm)}z&Q$0 mY}Q:C7CJGtNcn0IOضzS_+ f5usv=/*Y70*X~O{W J>3MJr:Ipn:DGw3eiT]6|i;t5+}y7>:κ$7JDt7s჏lCj#gu]P ™4=[4ƗymWȏon^^,*7s5c)ӡD8救ִsR=T6H[W<2VKRBևaÐ&C Ķ}K%cŅSt.}ɮΚ/umYҭ9Gfuʍq}vԢ`{Wk+›sgZs[v'װwHEѥ7ҞN9t)m +׳XGҶ RVsSʉ w(l-|O%ݟzZ,7k"Gbs ?ρ9y}U;Dt)t*ᜥ/+9z"\>#-K†@B{&mɬ řj3Ht3k @۬F0hAJ5j;6]HlFO QbHxN뷒i a%eUʜl #t7; җk e@^Č{e9}+5y"B,5E6{_ 0Grݔ6?J/y\OE{Tj/uذۮ`qp+h[_turn Ɋ?)CLi`DPLɜ#6mazÞQ J1)לސ̸!WT5z8$nҙWWMW#J/Zg2 ) CG$jR>=΍gL._7J5AUoCK^=ʅ}z1V(2Ȧ,7vmmXN]F8>$(QB%wvÔ8}:;YtOJP|_oK%0xN Ԅ:'.hp2KBQrx~E8P%L5WGwC;`BS9r8 #aI[AYS܎YF>Z6ӗPS3y><|{UF#?RHWGObưY`-]c#"77zae72`IsxT=َiݣ [Q96s<*4Wu(t3IPM~@(-Zn3}G|#.W6 #6Hdr KɖVO P|A$}M_[K_-ExNr=]^r9 cg2 ayWۄhwGm}|S;Q ψfeNHb,mO*W{ ɱU>\ZV1%6警xPhgUIP u@sim"M X|Y1%)nS"pL0{rt(r}WhUzUfwݝ兄Xij5{җn[h7xM$neoܴ%ZK9_QK-xU.~'oI>pC08T)3|jc~.9t-hkdoE@qtA941O圊*b{X6.&;7zԕ F=v2)W2Shf^5==kPѴE ҈7 -Ξ#IW IkBY͎wpw8.c]O!t8D7#^(5q'|&| :m%N"w٭L aU|MDm_ʼ̧ m3DȰ&X,9'~QrF\@8βQUjiwFЍg7
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1