was the

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

slang A slang is a vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in everyday conversation but avoided in formal writing and speech. It also often refers to the language exclusively used by the members of pa ...

term for districts historically engaged in the sex work industry in Japan, specifically within the time period of January 1946 through to March 1958.

Etymology

The term literally translates as "red-line". Though similar to another term previously used for red-light districts, , was used as a collective term for red-light districts only between 1946 and 1958, following an issue ordered by GHQ (SCAPIN 642) nationwide to abolish Japan's legalised system of sex work. Another term, , was used for "non-permitted" or "non-legal" sex industry districts. In Tokyo, the area directly across the

Sumida river The is a river that flows through central Tokyo, Japan. It branches from the Arakawa River at Iwabuchi (in Kita-ku) and flows into Tokyo Bay. Its tributaries include the Kanda and Shakujii rivers. It passes through the Kita, Adachi, Arak ...

from Yoshiwara (Tamanoi, now called Higashi Mukōjima) was a well-known district; it features in some of

Kafū Nagai was a Japanese writer, editor and translator. His works like '' Geisha in Rivalry'' and ''A Strange Tale from East of the River'' are noted for their depictions of life of the demimonde in early 20th-century Tokyo. Biography Nagai was born Sō ...

's short stories. The term is often compared directly with the term "

red-light district A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex industry, sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light district ...

" in the west. However, this does not explain why the counterpart "non-permitted districts" were known as (blue-line) districts. In practice, and referred to the colors on municipal zoning maps that outlined brothel districts () and "normal" entertainment districts ().

History

The precursor of districts were , legal red-light districts in Japan where both

brothel A brothel, strumpet house, bordello, bawdy house, ranch, house of ill repute, house of ill fame, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in Human sexual activity, sexual activity with prostitutes. For legal or cultural reasons, establis ...

s and sex workers (known collectively as , the higher ranks of which were known as ) recognised by the Japanese government operated. ��郭��大百科事典. 第25巻』 (平凡社, 1939) In January 1946, GHQ issued an order (SCAPIN 642) nationwide to abolish this licensed sex work system. This had a number of impacts on areas, the largest of which was the being renamed as districts. Brothels had to rename themselves as either or , sex workers were no longer bound by state-guaranteed contracts, and all known houses of sex work were declared to have "Off Limits" status by SCAP GHQ. The order also had the effect of disbanding the short-lived

Recreation and Amusement Association The or RAA, was the largest of the organizations established by Japanese authorities to provide organized prostitution to prevent rapes and sexual violence by Allied occupation troops on the general population,Schrijvers, Peter (2002). The GI ...

, which had, for a period of one year, worked to ensure that sex workers were not abused and exploited by stationed American soldiers, amongst other things. Despite the increased restrictions and the restructuring of the sex work industry, commercial brothels continued to operate within the law, with districts remaining the designated regions for state-regulated sex work. Due to GHQ orders, brothels - often numbering in their hundreds - began to front non-adult faces of their businesses (such as coffee shops, cafés and beer halls), but would offer sexual services to customers, creating new avenues for the sex industry to continue, especially in popular districts such as

Yoshiwara was a famous ( red-light district) in Edo, present-day Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1617, Yoshiwara was one of three licensed and well-known red-light districts created during the early 17th century by the Tokugawa shogunate, alongside Shim ...

, the region of

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. However, following the partial disbanding of traditional red-light areas, formerly law-abiding sex work businesses began operating within areas, creating difficulties for the SCAP to identify brothels and continue its "Off Limits" policy. In 1958, the was enforced, thus officially abolishing legalised sex work, the red-light districts and their label of . Despite the criminalisation of sex work, by the beginning of the 21st century, businesses such as and massage parlours had come into existence, regulated under the , also known as or . These businesses, which avoid criminalisation through offering only non-coital sex acts, are required to file a license application for permission to abide by the to remain in operation.

References

{{Prostitution in Japan Red-light districts in Japan Sexuality in Japan Prostitution in Japan Society of Japan Culture of Japan Japanese words and phrases

Etymology

History

See also

References