A Party in the Shinagawa Pleasure Quarters c. 1790

Torii Kiyonaga made this woodblock print, A Party in the Shinagawa Pleasure Quarters. Kiyonaga’s print offers us a glimpse into the licensed prostitution districts of Edo-period Japan. The Shinagawa district, located on the outskirts of Edo, now Tokyo, was known for its relaxed atmosphere and beautiful women. As we can see from this image, the women of the Shinagawa district are depicted in a moment of leisure, emphasizing their elegance and refinement. Woodblock prints like this one played a crucial role in shaping public perceptions of the pleasure quarters. The Tokugawa shogunate, which ruled Japan at this time, sought to regulate and control these districts, which they considered socially necessary but also potentially disruptive. Woodblock prints of beautiful women, or "bijin-ga," helped to promote a positive image of the pleasure quarters as places of culture and entertainment, thus reinforcing the social order. Understanding the complex social and institutional histories of Edo-period Japan allows us to appreciate how art like this print functioned within its society. Resources such as government records, diaries, and literary works can shed light on the complex relationships between art, power, and social control in this fascinating period of Japanese history.