A red-light district is a neighborhood where Prostitution is a common part of everyday life. The term was first recorded in the United States and derives from the practice of placing a red light in the window to indicate to customers the nature of the business.
There are several explanations as to why red lights gained this particular meaning. According to one theory, it is based on the Biblical story of Rahab , a Prostitute in Jericho who aided the spies of Joshua and identified her house with a scarlet rope. Others claim that it comes from the red lanterns carried by Railroad workers, which were left outside brothels when the workers entered.
One of the many terms used for a red-light district in Japanese is ''akasen'' (赤線), literally meaning "red-line", apparently of independent origins from the English term.
