“If the wind could be kept out by shutting the Ō-mon (great gateway) the expenditure of a thousand ry� would not be begrudged for the sake of the flowers.� (Magao).
“When one is intoxicated the same thing is repeated—‘the flowers are blooming in the Yoshiwara: in the Yoshiwara the flowers are blooming’.� (Shoku Sanjin).
“In the Yoshiwara a visitor’s life is prolonged by means of the bells of “hiké yotsu,� which is struck later by two hours than the bells of the outside world.� (Shoji Nariyuki).
“All the guests being tethered to the blossom-laden cherry-trees are led into the Yoshiwara as horses are put into harness together.� (Moto no Mokuami).
“It is the season of flowers and Yoshino will find itself outrivalled by the “oiran� blossoms of the Yoshiwara.� (Tegara Okamochi).
Yoshiwara Kwai-rok-ki.
(Chronology of fire disasters in the Yoshiwara.)
In the 12th month of the 7th year of Kwan-ei (January 1631) fire broke out at Hatch�bori and burnt out Negich�, Hasegawa-ch�, and Tomizawa-ch�.
On the 14th day of the 12th month of the second year of Sh�h� (30th January, 1646), after a lapse of 16 years, fire broke out at Owari-ch�, and the Yoshiwara was burnt. The progress of the flames was checked at Hasegawa-ch�, at Ōmon-dori. This fire was known as the “Sakueymon kwaji.�
In the 9th month of the 3rd year of Sho-� (October 1654), after the lapse of 19 years, fire broke out at Kirigashi and the Moto Yoshiwara was burnt.