Synopses & Reviews
andlt;bandgt;"Lust will not keepandhellip;Something must be done about it."andlt;/bandgt;and#8212;andlt;iandgt;inscription at the entrance to Yoshiwaraandlt;/iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;For over a hundred years the Western world has heard whispers of the pleasure city, Yoshiwara, set behind its walls in the city of Edo itself, which is today called Tokyo. Here was an eastern red light district, the place for the hedonists, the womanand#8211;seekers, the sensual plasureand#8211;hunters of old Japan. There, behind moated walls, an erotic Japanese world unmatched by the West was created by beautiful courtesans, geishas, dancers, actors, and artists. To this "floating world" came the hedonists and the sensual pleasure hunters of old Japan. Many myths and legends encircled the secrets of the Yoshiwara, and still do. In time other Japanese cities tried to copy the original, sometimes even calling their district for geishas and courtesans and pretty waitress girls a Yoshiwara.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Stephen and Ethel Longstreet use prints and fascinating original sources to trace the rise and fall of this city within a city, a sanctioned preserve of teahouses and brothels that was not abolished until 1958, sketching a vivid, noand#8211;holdsand#8211;bared portrait of social and sexual more in Japan's capital.
Synopsis
For centuries, Yoshiwara was the famed pleasure center of Tokyo. An erotic world unmatched by the West was created by beautiful courtesans, geishas, dancers, actors and artists. To this "floating world" came the hedonists and the sensual pleasure hunters of old Japan. A hotbed of art and creativity, it also saw the enslavement of countless women, sold or driven into the sex trade.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;iandgt;Yoshiwaraandlt;/iandgt; traces the rise and fall of this city within a city, a sanctioned preserve of teahouses and brothels that was not abolished until 1958, sketching a vivid portrait of social and sexual mores in Japan's capital.
Synopsis
"Lust will not keep Something must be done about it." inscription at the entrance to Yoshiwara
For over a hundred years the Western world has heard whispers of the pleasure city, Yoshiwara, set behind its walls in the city of Edo itself, which is today called Tokyo. Here was an eastern red light district, the place for the hedonists, the woman seekers, the sensual plasure hunters of old Japan. There, behind moated walls, an erotic Japanese world unmatched by the West was created by beautiful courtesans, geishas, dancers, actors, and artists. To this "floating world" came the hedonists and the sensual pleasure hunters of old Japan. Many myths and legends encircled the secrets of the Yoshiwara, and still do. In time other Japanese cities tried to copy the original, sometimes even calling their district for geishas and courtesans and pretty waitress girls a Yoshiwara.
Stephen and Ethel Longstreet use prints and fascinating original sources to trace the rise and fall of this city within a city, a sanctioned preserve of teahouses and brothels that was not abolished until 1958, sketching a vivid, no holds bared portrait of social and sexual more in Japan's capital."
Synopsis
A vivid portrait of social and sexual mores in JapanÆs capital
Synopsis
For centuries, Yoshiwara was the famed pleasure center of Tokyo. An erotic world unmatched by the West was created by beautiful courtesans, geishas, dancers, actors and artists. To this "floating world" came the hedonists and the sensual pleasure hunters of old Japan. A hotbed of art and creativity, it also saw the enslavement of countless women, sold or driven into the sex trade.
Yoshiwara traces the rise and fall of this city within a city, a sanctioned preserve of teahouses and brothels that was not abolished until 1958, sketching a vivid portrait of social and sexual mores in Japan's capital.
About the Author
andlt;bandgt;Stephen Longstreetandlt;/bandgt; was a prolific novelist, screenwriter, cartoonist and artist. He published over 100 books in his lifetime.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;bandgt;Ethel Longstreetandlt;/bandgt; was an avid collector of rare Japanese prints and drawings, a pursuit that drew her and Stephen to research and write this book.