Introduction

      Before the law was established (before the government officially allowed prostitution districts in Edo), people were too obsessed with entertainment by female performers like Kabukimono and Onna Kabuki, which brought awareness to the governments to set the law to regulate prostitution under the control of the government. [2]

      The castle town of Edo was originally built as a military city, and there were many single warriors and vassals that bakufu employed as a military power. Therefore, Bakufu deemed that the sexual management of men was a crucial element in keeping the town in order. They authorized yūkaku as a place where it was legal to have prostitution. Those places were called Yūjo -ya [遊女屋] and the prostitutes were called Yūjo [遊女].  The brothel owners would also approach the government to open their own yūjo-ya to gain a monopoly. On the other hand, those who were illegally running brothels were called baita-ya [売女屋] and the prostitutes were called baita [売女], and they were the subject of being exposed 摘発. These exposures sometimes got very violent, that in the 17th century, exposure of baita-ya started to be referred to as combat [発向]. [3]

       Another reason to look over yūkaku was to make the collection of license fees easier, but due to the control of who was able to go in and out of yūkaku, it made this place "otherworldly". [4]

       Edo bakufu permitted 3 yukakus, which were Edo Yoshiwara Yukaku, Osaka Shinmachi, and Kyoto Shimabara. However, there were other yūkakus or okabasho [岡場所] that existed.