Yoshiwara, the famous and walled-in pleasure quarter of Tokyo, flourished for centuries before modern prostitution laws closed it down in 1958. Men with money, whether noble or commoner, were welcomed and entertained by geisha (non-prostitute entertainers) and various levels of prostitutes in a rich, escapist fantasy world created through beautiful venues, extravagent parties, and the Yoshiwara denizens themselves.
While her autobiography is Japanese-only, Western audiences can still catch a glimpse of Minako's life in a Japanese TV clip from a few years ago, when the spry 88-year-old gave an interview to a morning TV show. A big thank you goes to Immortal Geisha member "menonaka", who provided a really quick and great English translation, and member "yukihoshi" for finding the clips!
The TV show segment, Part 1 and Part 2.
Menonaka's Translation (Scroll down a bit to start)
The Autobiography (Japanese-only, shown above): Hana Yori Hana - "(To Prefer) Simple Flowers Over Beautiful Blossoms", if I had to try translating the nuance of the kanji used.
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