noun
rented tatami room
A tatami-mat room rented out for gatherings such as meetings, meals, or entertainment. Historical term associated with Edo-period pleasure quarters, but the basic meaning is a room for hire.
江戸時代、料亭は貸座敷として宴会に使われた。
In the Edo period, high-class restaurants were used as rented rooms for banquets.
noun
assignation house; brothel
Specifically refers to a room or establishment used for meetings with courtesans or prostitutes in the Edo period. Sense 2 (assignation place) and sense 3 (brothel) are closely related and often overlap in historical context.
吉原には多くの貸座敷が並んでいた。
In Yoshiwara, many brothels stood side by side.
座敷 is a tatami room in general, while 貸座敷 specifically refers to a room for rent, often with historical connotations of entertainment or assignation.
遊郭 is a licensed red-light district, whereas 貸座敷 can refer to an individual establishment within such a district or a room rented for assignations.
Compound of 貸し (kashi, 'lending') + 座敷 (zashiki, 'tatami room'). The term originated in the Edo period when such rooms were rented for various purposes, including entertainment and assignations.