The Marui Restaurant at Reiganjima 1878

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi created this print, "The Marui Restaurant at Reiganjima," during a time of significant social change in Japan. As the country opened to the West, artists grappled with tradition and modernity. Yoshitoshi's print gives us a glimpse into the lives of women in the pleasure districts. These were sites of entertainment and also complex social spaces. Here, the women are not simply objects of beauty but active participants in the culture and economy of the city. There's a palpable sense of interiority to them; the woman seated seems almost lost in thought. The artist doesn't shy away from showing us the details of their lives, from their elaborate clothing to the food and drink laid out before them. Yoshitoshi invites us to consider the humanity of these women. This artwork provides an intimate view of a world that was often both celebrated and stigmatized.