The Disintegration and Reorganization of Status Groups in the Middle Ages as Seen through Courtesans

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K00839
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 03020:Japanese history-related
• Research Institution: Ritsumeikan University (2023); Kawamura Gakuen Woman's University (2021-2022)
• Principal Investigator: TSUJI Hirokazu 立命館大学, 文学部, 教授 (70735513)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 遊女 / 遊廓 / 身分制 / 都市権力 / 都市史 / ジェンダー史

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The nature of courtesans underwent significant changes from the medieval to the early modern period. It is observed that the turning point lies in the disintegration of courtesan groups from the late 15th to the 16th century, although the specifics of these changes remain unclear. Therefore, this study focuses on Nara during the 15th and 16th centuries to analyze the transformation in the business structure of brothels and their social positioning. Through this analysis, the study aims to elucidate the process of transformation and reorganization within courtesan society, depicting the changes in the status system from the medieval to the early modern period not merely as policy-driven but as movements with a broad social foundation and spread. The study examines the exclusion of brothels and the formation of pleasure quarters from various perspectives, including the trends of brothels, competitors, clientele, urban authority, and urban residents.

Free Research Field

日本中世史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

(1)本研究は従来権力側の都市政策としてのみ論じられてきた遊廓形成を遊女および遊女屋の側からとらえ直すことにより、遊廓の形成を中世から連続的に理解することに成功した。(2)また遊女屋の排除と遊廓の形成が広く都市住民や女性に関わる問題であることを指摘し、遊廓形成の社会的な影響の大きさを明らかにした。(3)中世身分制論にジェンダー視点を導入した点でも学術的な意味を有する。(4)本研究が明らかにした奴隷的な遊女屋経営の構造は、近世・近代へと継承され、ホモソーシャルな社交や「慰安婦」問題など、性に関わる種々の深刻な社会問題の土壌をなしていく。本研究の社会的意義はその歴史的起点を明らかにした点に存する。