noun
brothel disguised as a legitimate business
Historical term for an establishment that operated as a brothel while pretending to be a tea house, inn, restaurant, or similar business. Used in discussions of Edo-period or pre-modern Japanese social history.
江戸時代には、表向きは茶屋や料理屋を装った曖昧宿が存在した。
In the Edo period, there were brothels that fronted as tea houses or restaurants.
Compound of 曖昧 (aimai, 'ambiguous, vague') and 宿 (yado, 'inn, lodging'), literally 'ambiguous inn'. The term reflects the deceptive nature of such establishments.