80201-0026 - Magane-cho Brothels

Rickshaws pass by brothels in the prostitution district of Magane-cho (真金町) in Yokohama. Signs advertise alcohol and tobacco.

In 1908 (Meiji 41), Magane-cho counted 33 brothels, while nearby Eiraku-cho (永楽町) had 34. A total of 1,400 prostitutes worked here. By the late 1910s, the number of brothels had risen to over 80, employing more than 1,800 women.

The English on the postcard says “Yoshiwara Yokohama” as foreigners called Japanese prostitution districts “Yoshiwara,” after the famous red light district in Tokyo.