登とう楼ろう

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb

climbing a tower; going up a tall building

Literary or formal word for ascending a tower or tall structure. In modern Japanese, 登る or 上る is more common.

• 彼かれは城しろの天てん守しゅに登とう楼ろうして、町まちを見み下おろした。

  He climbed the castle tower and looked down over the town.

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb

visiting a brothel

Euphemistic, old-fashioned term for going to a brothel. Rare in modern usage; the literal meaning is 'ascending a tower', referring to the upper floors where such establishments were often located.

• 江え戸ど時じ代だいの文ぶん献けんには、遊ゆう郭かくへ登とう楼ろうする様よう子すが描えがかれている。

  Documents from the Edo period depict scenes of visiting the pleasure quarters.