Old Photos of Japan rescues rare images of daily life in old Japan
Learn more about this project

70208-0016 - Brothel in Yoshiwara, Tokyo, 1890s

Tokyo 1890s
Yoshiwara Brothel

Artist	Unknown
Publisher	Unknown
Medium	Albumen Print
Period	Meiji
Location	Tokyo
Image No.	70208-0016
Purchase	Digital File
Author	Kjeld Duits

Women sit in the window of a Meiji period brothel in Yoshiwara, Tokyo’s well-known red light district.

For more in formation about Yoshiwara, read Tokyo 1900s • Yoshiwara Omon.

For other photos of prostitution in old Japan, see Prostitution.

see current map

The Google map shows where the entrance of Yoshiwara used to be located.

Published September 14, 2008
Updated December 4, 2021 7:36 AM

Reader Supported

Old Photos of Japan aims to be your personal museum for Japan's visual heritage and to bring the experiences of everyday life in old Japan to you.

To enhance our understanding of Japanese culture and society I track down, acquire, archive, and research images of everyday life, and give them context.

I share what I have found for free on this site, without ads or selling your data.

Your support helps me to continue doing so, and ensures that this exceptional visual heritage will not be lost and forgotten.

Thank you,
Kjeld Duits

support

Reference for Citations

Duits, Kjeld (December 4, 2021). Tokyo 1890s: Yoshiwara Brothel, OLD PHOTOS of JAPAN. Retrieved on June 2, 2026 (GMT) from https://www.oldphotosjapan.com/photos/404/yoshiwara-brothel

Explore More

Nagasaki 1890s
Maruyama Brothels

“Tea House” is the innocent and misleading title printed on this image. It is actually a view of the Nagasaki brothels Kinbaro (金波楼), the one with the lanterns, and Tamashimatei (玉島亭), the one next to Kinbaro on the far side.

Nagasaki 1900s
Buildings on the Bund

This postcard of around 1907 shows two important buildings on the Bund in Oura-Sagarimatsu. The large white building is the Nagasaki branch of the Hongkong Shanghai Bank, the brown building on the right is the Nagasaki Hotel.

Kobe 1910s
Kobe City Hall

Kobe City Hall was located next to the Local District Court, on the former grounds of Hachinomiya Jinja, a shinto shrine. It was Kobe’s second City Office and completed in 1909 (Meiji 42).

Add Comment

There are currently no comments on this article.

Tokyo 1890sYoshiwara Brothel