Ageya - Ageya

A shop in a brothel that invites prostitutes for entertainment. Ageya appeared in the early modern period as a shop that only provided a place for entertainment, separate from brothels. Although the cost was higher than entertainment at a brothel, it met the demand for elegant treatment. Therefore, ageya were only used by customers of high-class prostitutes such as tayu and koshi, and shops that invited middle-class or lower-class prostitutes were called chaya, and similar shops in private prostitution districts were called yobiya. Even in brothels with ageya, lower-ranking prostitutes invited customers to the brothels. When prostitutes went to and from an ageya, they would travel in a procession accompanied by attendants, which was called a dochu. This was the prototype of the oiran dochu. In the Shin-Yoshiwara district of Edo, ageya disappeared around 1760 (the 10th year of the Horeki era), and instead the unique system of hikite chaya was born.

[Yoichi Harashima]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

遊廓(ゆうかく)で遊女を招いて遊興させる店。遊女屋とは別に、遊興の場所のみを提供する店として揚屋が登場するのは近世初期である。遊女屋での遊興に比べて費用は高くても、優雅な待遇を求める需要に応じたものである。したがって、揚屋を利用するのは太夫(たゆう)、格子(こうし)などの高級遊女の客に限られ、中以下の遊女を招く店は茶屋、私娼(ししょう)街での類似店は呼屋(よびや)といって区別した。揚屋のある遊廓でも下級妓(ぎ)は遊女屋に客を揚げた。遊女が揚屋へ往復するときは従者を連れて行列し、これを道中と称した。花魁(おいらん)道中の原型である。江戸の新吉原では、1760年（宝暦10）ごろに揚屋が消滅し、かわりに独特な引手(ひきて)茶屋の制度が生まれた。

［原島陽一］

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