Akasen
Akasen (赤線) was the
Etymology
The term 'akasen' literally translates as "red-line". Though similar to another term previously used for red-light districts, "
Another term, 'aosen' (青線, lit. "blue-line"'), was used for "non-permitted" or "non-legal" sex industry districts. In Tokyo, the area directly across the Sumida river from Yoshiwara (Tamanoi, now called Higashi Mukōjima) was a well-known aosen district; it features in some of Kafū Nagai's short stories.
The term 'akasen' is often compared directly with the term "red-light district" in the west.[1] However, this does not explain why the counterpart "non-permitted districts" were known as aosen (blue-line) districts. In practice, "aosen" and "akasen" referred to the colors on municipal zoning maps that outlined brothel districts (akasen) and "normal" entertainment districts (aosen).
History
The precursor of akasen districts were yūkaku (遊廓), legal red-light districts in Japan where both
Despite the increased restrictions and the restructuring of the sex work industry, commercial brothels continued to operate within the law, with akasen 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, the akasen region of Tokyo.
However, following the partial disbanding of traditional red-light areas, formerly law-abiding akasen sex work businesses began operating within aosen areas, creating difficulties for the SCAP to identify brothels and continue its "Off Limits" policy.
In 1958, the
Despite the criminalisation of sex work, by the beginning of the 21st century, businesses such as
See also
- Prostitution in Japan
- Hanamachi
- Yūkaku
- Street of Shame ('akasen chitai') Kenji Mizoguchi's 1956 film
- Susukino, a well-known red-light district in Sapporo, Hokkaido
References
- ^ "Amsterdam Red Light District from Goldenseed". Archived from the original on 2008-04-27. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
- ^ [遊郭]『大百科事典. 第25巻』 (平凡社, 1939)
- ^ Hadfield, James (12 October 2012). "Japan: no dancing please". Time Out Tokyo. Archived from the original on 27 January 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2018.