Hikitejaya - Hikitejaya

A teahouse in a brothel that guides customers to the brothels. It developed especially in Edo Yoshiwara, where ageya (ageya) fell into decline in the mid-Edo period. Before escorting customers to the brothel, the hikite-chaya would invite geisha and provide them with food and drinks, thereby acting as a proxy for some of the entertainment provided by the ageya. A designated prostitute would then come to pick them up and accompany them to the brothel. As the use of hikite-chaya was limited to high-ranking prostitutes, it played a central role in brothel culture. In their heyday, they were lined on both sides of Nakanomachi, but they went into rapid decline from around the mid-Meiji period.

[Yoichi Harashima]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

遊廓(ゆうかく)で遊女屋へ客を案内する茶屋。江戸中期に揚屋(あげや)が衰滅した江戸吉原でとくに発達した。引手茶屋では、遊女屋へ案内する前に、芸者らを招いて酒食を供するなど揚屋遊興の一部を代行した形であった。そこへ指名の遊女が迎えにきて遊女屋へ同道した。引手茶屋の利用は上級妓(ぎ)の場合に限られたから、遊廓文化の中心的意義をもった。全盛期には仲ノ町の両側に並び尽くしたが、明治中期ごろから急速に衰退した。

［原島陽一］

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