Erotica; Compendium Guide to the Brothels of Osaka (Keiryaku ōzassho gyokumon taisei) 閨暦大雑書玉門大成

Brothels are a space for sex workers to sell their services and live. They are typically organized into cells connected by hallways. Sex workers use their individual rooms for privacy with their clients, but all are subject to surveillance in the common areas. The Compendium Guide to Brothels of Osaka mimics the layout of brothels, separating sex acts into the individual cells of a grid. Each sex act is simultaneously exposed and described to the viewer, publicizing private acts. Osaka, Japan, is home to several pleasure districts, including Tobita Shinchi. The pleasure houses in these districts are some of the oldest examples of 20th-century architecture in the modernized city.