A Visit to the Yoshiwara

A visit to the Yoshiwara - exactly what this image depicts. Here it shows the daily life of the visitors, the brothels, the courtesans and the workers of Yoshiwara. There are multiple different men and women walking along the streets of Yoshiwara, all fulfilling different tasks. In this perspective, there are multiple aspects that could be the center of attention, but I think that focal point resides on the courtesans and the advertisement layout that this image describes. The courtesans reside behind a cage or window as they play games and mingle with other courtesans. They are being showcased as if they are in a zoo or the visitors of Yoshiwara are "window shopping" to select which courtesan they wish to pay for services.

Alexandra Walters