Night Life in the Edo Period: A Glimpse at Yoshiwara through Ukiyo-e

Out of the numerous themes that Ukiyo-e artists and print-makers used in the production of their prints, the recurring theme of courtesan women and their escapades offers modern viewers a unique and contemporary perspective into the secretive world of the Yoshiwara, or pleasure quarter of Edo. During the Edo, or Tokugawa period (1615-1868) men of nearly every level of society, but especially the rising merchant class, sought enjoyment from the women of Yoshiwara (and other pleasure quarters across Japan); their patronage led to the vast popularity of print images with the oiran, or courtesan, theme. In this particular image, given the title Yoshiwara by Moonlight, two oiran are seen making their way out into the city in the early evening, passing through the gateway of the walled pleasure district to the harsh outside world. The artist credited with the creation of this print is Utagawa (Ando) Hiroshige, a print-artist famous for such series as “Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido;” Hiroshige produced thousands of print-art over the course of his life, and his hometown of Edo was a recurring theme of his (Hiroshige.org). Most of his print-making took place in the early-to-mid nineteenth century, near the end of an era and the beginning of a new; in this light, his tribute to the Yoshiwara depicted in his print can be seen as someone honoring the old traditions before they give way to the new (Hiroshige.org).

In my limited knowledge of Ukiyo-e, the Hiroshige print I’m describing seems to be unique in the sense that Hiroshige portrays a scene at night; which, given the district of Edo under discussion, seems quite appropriate. However, I’m not entirely sure whether or not this was seen as something unique (and possibly risqué) or if night-scene prints were a common occurrence; nevertheless, the dark moon-lit spring night sets the mood for scene. One of my favorite aspects of this print is just how many colors a person can find in the night - Yoshiwara by Moonlight is a colored print rich with cool, blue and green hues, accompanied by neutral brown and accented by light oranges, yellows, and pinks. Some of the color is provided from the convenient light source of the full moon (dead-center) and also the many lanterns of Yoshiwara. I find the piece’s use of complementary color adds a bit of emphasis to several of the figures: since a majority of the print is blue, the figure of the oiran in orange, directly in the center of the print, stands out and demands the immediate attention of the viewer. Additionally, I feel that the use of perspective in the print is rather well done; the middle of the print represents the turning-point in the progression of the action, as the main oiran rounds a street corner of Yoshiwara with her attendants, the building breaks off on the right side to the rest of Yoshiwara, and on the left side to the dark and quiet Edo streets. Hiroshige’s use of diagonal lines and diminishing figures successfully creates a credible one-point perspective, crafting the illusion of a bustling street corner.

Now comes the fun part: I want to briefly discuss the contents of this image and their social implications. The first thing that I want to address is the focus of the print – who or what is the best candidate for the subject of the print? I’m tempted to strongly declare that the two high-ranking oiran are the print’s main characters, regardless of the fact that the two women and their attendants almost blend in entirely with the other people walking on the street. Despite the natural beauty that the artist wants his audience to see – the young cherry blossoms, the full moon shining through the branches – the eye is continuously drawn to the people on the street, especially the oiran in orange. Located in the direct center of the print, she appears to me to be the principle topic, even though I cannot see her face. Instead, I see the face of her young attendant kamuro (apprentice oiran) looking up at her guardian with an expression that ranges from confusion to awe and admiration. Their mistress’s kimono is so voluminous that both kamuro are practically lost in the dress. Speaking of their outfits, the heavy decoration of the oiran leads me to assume that they are among the highest-ranking oiran, due to the quantity and quality of their kimonos, as well as the number of ornaments in their hair. As culturally conscious viewers, we can be at no loss as to where the oiran and their attendants are going, and how they will spend their evening; the question then becomes, why all of the innuendo? Why does Hiroshige only give his audience this little piece of Yoshiwara, whereas other Ukiyo-e artists have been known to create more explicit prints? Taking into account the image censors of the government, Hiroshige may have intentionally opted out for this more innocent view of Yoshiwara. My own personal belief is that the artist wanted his contemporary and future viewers to remember this place, this portion of time as it existed in that moment. This print feels almost like a photograph, due to the lack of arrangement in it subjects, one meant to retain the memory of Yoshiwara before it went past its prime.

The fact is, at this point in Yoshiwara’s history, the oiran were quickly becoming an outdated form of female entertainment; the age of the oiran was beginning to give way into the more favorable geisha. Not to say that prostitution would ever go out of style, but the isolated life of the oiran in Yoshiwara created several generations of women lacking knowledge of the world or the city that lay just outside the great gate of the pleasure quarters. For several centuries, Yoshiwara had been the location appointed by the ruling government for all officially sanctioned forms of prostitution to take place; as such, the women confined to the world of Yoshiwara fell into the pattern of following tradition, which meant performing the same (non-sexual) rituals decade after decade. Eventually, as the oiran’s way of life became more and more old-fashioned, the patronage of the Yoshiwara’s oiran declined in favor of the more secular geisha entertainers or illegal-prostitution houses. Although the actual area of Yoshiwara was not officially closed until 1958, the district was no longer the vibrant playground that it had once been.

- Megan