prostitute in a clandestine brothel (Edo period)
Historical term for a prostitute working in an illegal, hidden brothel during the Edo period. Related to 暗屋 (clandestine brothel).
See also: 暗屋
During the Edo period, clandestine prostitutes operated secretly to avoid the shogunate's crackdowns.
Compound of 暗 (kura, 'dark, hidden') + 者 (mono, 'person') + 女 (onna, 'woman'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the term is associated with Edo-period clandestine prostitution.