{{Short description|Urban cultural lifestyle of Edo Japan (1600–1867)}} {{More citations needed|date=January 2018}} [[File:Kiyonaga bathhouse women-2.jpg|thumb|{{transliteration|ja|Onnayu}}<ref>''The Compact Nelson, Japanese-English Character Dictionary'', Charles E. Tuttle Company, Tokyo 1999, {{ISBN|4-8053-0574-6}}</ref> (''Ladies' Bath''), a colored {{transliteration|ja|ukiyo-e}} print by Torii Kiyonaga (1752–1815) depicting a male {{transliteration|ja|sansuke}} (upper left corner) attending on women at a public bathhouse]]
{{nihongo3|'floating/fleeting/transient world'|浮世|'''Ukiyo'''}} is the Japanese term used to describe the urban lifestyle and culture of Edo period Japan (1600–1867), especially its pleasure-seeking aspects.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Lane |first=Richard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9h0OYAAACAAJ |title=Masters of the Japanese Print |publisher=Thames and Hudson |year=1962 |pages=10 |language=en}}</ref>
== Ukiyo culture == {{transliteration|ja|Ukiyo}} culture developed in Yoshiwara, the licensed red-light district of Edo (modern-day Tokyo), the site of many brothels frequented by Japan's growing middle class. A prominent author of the {{transliteration|ja|ukiyo}} genre was Ihara Saikaku, who wrote ''The Life of an Amorous Woman''. {{transliteration|ja|Ukiyo}} culture also arose in other cities, such as Osaka and Kyoto.
This middle class, newly rich merchants known as chōnin, were unable to move up the social ladder due to the segregated class system imposed by the Tokugawa shogunate during the Edo period. Chōnin were the lowest class of four, below warriors, farmers and artisans. Due to being economically powerful but socially confined, their assets were turned to conspicuous consumption, arts and culture. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Art of the Pleasure Quarters and the Ukiyo-e Style | url= https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/art-of-the-pleasure-quarters-and-the-ukiyo-e-style |website=metmuseum.org}}</ref>
The term {{transliteration|ja|"ukiyo"}} in medieval Japan was associated with Buddhism and meant "this transient, unreliable world".<ref name=":0" /> When written as 浮世 meaning "the floating world", is also an ironic, homophonous allusion to the earlier Buddhist term {{nihongo3|"sorrowful world"|憂き世|ukiyo}}, referring to the earthly plane of death and rebirth from which Buddhists sought release.<ref>{{Cite web |title=憂き世の意味 - 古文辞書 - Weblio古語辞典 |url=https://kobun.weblio.jp/content/%E6%86%82%E3%81%8D%E4%B8%96 |website=kobun.weblio.jp}}</ref>
In its modern usage, the term {{transliteration|ja|ukiyo}} is used to refer to a state of mind emphasising living in the moment, detached from the difficulties of life.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}
== In arts == The famous Japanese woodblock prints known as {{transliteration|ja|ukiyo-e}}, or "pictures of the floating world", had their origins in these districts, and often depicted scenes of the floating world itself such as geisha, kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers, samurai, merchants, and prostitutes.
==See also== * Demimonde * ''{{transliteration|ja|Iki}}''
==References== <references/>
Category:Japanese words and phrases Category:Cultural history of Japan Category:Ukiyo-e
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