Yoshiya Chirū was a Ryuka poet (1650?-1668?) who was born to a poor peasant in the Ryukyu Islands. She worked in Yoshiya, an Akasen or red-light district house, in the 17th century. She charmed many pechin by her literary ability and beautiful looks. A legend tells that she fell in love with a prince or Aji, but she committed suicide via starvation, on hearing her freedom was bought by a rich man called Kurogumo, at age 18.