Yūkaku were enclosed districts in Japan where regulated prostitution could take place in licensed brothels. They were originally established to serve the wealthy military class and feudal lords, providing the ruling Shogunate with a means to influence and manage elites who might threaten the stability of their power. They were opened to commoners from the mid-17th century and were given the moniker, ‘the floating world,’ a place away from strict social hierarchy, where one could seek pleasurable entertainment without judgment.