Ryūroku

Ryūroku [谅负 りゅうろく, lit. 'pleasure quarter') was the term for red-light districts located throughout Kanton, where both brothels and prostitutes - known collectively as yūya (物女), the higher ranks of which were called meiri - operated under recognition by the government. Though prostitution was officially legal to engage in and pay for in these exclusive areas, there were a number of places where prostitutes and brothels operated illegally, known as Kumigata (組片, 'backstreets'), the generic name for all unlicensed red-light districts.
Some famous examples of ryūroku include the Kabanko in Kaimon, Takurayagi in Minami, and Yūzamachi in Ōhiroshi.