Brothel - Okiya

A house that employs prostitutes and geisha (geigi). In contrast to ageya, where prostitutes are entertained, brothels came to be known as okiya, meaning a house where prostitutes are kept. Thus, although it is illegal to bring customers to an okiya, this rule was not strictly followed. In contrast to houses that only provided a place for entertainment without housing women, houses that housed women in some form were called okiya. In the brothel system after the Meiji Restoration, brothels were officially called rented houses, but okiya was also commonly used as a nickname. However, what were previously called geisha houses and children's houses were renamed geisha okiya, so okiya is often used as an abbreviation for these terms. In the Kansai region, geisha residences were commonly called yakata, but in some areas they are confused with okiya.

[Yoichi Harashima]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

遊女や芸妓(げいぎ)を抱えている家。遊女と遊興する揚屋(あげや)に対して、遊女を置いておく家という意味で、遊女屋を置家と別称するようになった。したがって、置屋へ客をあげることは違法であるが、厳密に守られたわけではない。女性を置かずに遊興の場所を提供するだけの家に対し、なんらかの形式で女性を置く家を置屋とよんでいた。明治維新後の遊廓(ゆうかく)制度では遊女屋を貸座敷と公称したが、俗称としては置屋も使われていた。しかし、芸者屋、子供屋とよばれていたものを芸妓置屋と改めたので、置屋はその略称として使用されることが多い。関西では芸妓の住居を家形(やかた)と俗称したが、土地によっては置屋と混同している。

［原島陽一］

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