TAMAYA (Yamasaburo). & RYOKATEI (Tanekazu), preface.
Yoshiwara saiken [Detailed Guide to Yoshiwara].
A guide to Yoshiwara by a prominent brothel owner
An illustrated guide to the Yoshiwara red light district published by Tamaya Yamasaburo (dates unknown), proprietor of the famous brothel Kaen Tamaya which was located in the Edo-machi 1-chome. At the peak of his notoriety, Tamaya was sonashi Yoshiwara – this was a title given to the local leader (effectively a mayor), who was responsible for the governance of Yoshiwara and its businesses.
Detailed guides called Yoshiwara Saiken were published in many varied editions. Before Tamaya, it was Tsutaya Juzaburo (1750-1797) who dominated the publishing of guidebooks in Yoshiwara. As a bustling entertainment district, there was constant demand for the latest information for visitors. From around 1844-8 (Koka period), Tamaya published a number of popular guides to Yoshiwara, of which the present book is one such example.
The preface to this book was written by Ryokatei Tanegazu (1807-1858), a comic writer and poet. Alongside publishing amusing multi-volume stories such as Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari, he collaborated with leading ukiyo-e artists of the day to supply text for their prints. Following this brief text, the book contains a street-by-street map of Yoshiwara, its brothels and notable geisha.
Rare. No copies of this edition in OCLC, but there is one copy listed at Waseda.
