A Study of Prostitution in the Middle-early modern transition period : From STIs in medical books and diaries

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K22034
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0103:History, archaeology, museology, and related fields
• Research Institution: National Institute of Japanese Literature
• Principal Investigator: Takagi Madoka 国文学研究資料館, 研究部, 特定研究員 (50882833)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-09-11 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 買売春 / 性感染症

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study focused on STIs (sexually transmitted infections) from the Middle Modern Period to the Meiji Period, and analyzes medical books and diaries written about them, aiming to elucidate the view of STIs and the reality of prostitution and its historical transition.　Until now, research on STIs from the Edo period to the early Meiji period has been mostly limited to syphilis. However, this study revealed that STIs other than syphilis were probably included in the term “syphilis” at that time, and that the distinction between syphilis and other STIs remained ambiguous among the general public even after tests for syphilis began in the Meiji period and STIs were differentiated.

Free Research Field

日本近世史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

梅毒以外の零細なSTIはジェンダー・セクシャリティ研究の重要な対象であり、特に西洋諸国では、その疾病史や、それらが買売春に与えた影響等が明らかにされてきた。一方で日本の人文学研究においては梅毒やHIVについての研究が蓄積されてきたが、梅毒以外のSTIの存在が充分に留意されないまま議論がおこなわれてきた。しかし当時における梅毒の把握は現代からみればあやふやであり、歴史的に梅毒とそれ以外のSTIが混同されてきたことを指摘したのが、本研究の主たる意義といえる。