在與殖民統治一併移植至臺灣的公娼制度下，日治時期臺灣共成立16 所遊廓－即合法性買賣專區。由於在殖民地臺灣的法律體系中，公娼制度並非殖民中央政府－總督府所管轄的府令級法規，而是交給地方警察實行的行政業務，因此公娼制度的實際運作過程，以遊廓為其實施範圍，主要取決於地方官廳與地方社會之間的具體互動。如此一來，公娼制度在殖民地臺灣社會中具體落實的情形及程度，將按照地方社會的不同歷史脈絡，呈現不同樣貌，進而導致1920 年代以降各地遊廓的不同盛衰過程。本文著眼於上述臺灣公娼制度做為地方法規的特質，將討論層次從制度史層面回歸實際運作情況，也將討論範圍從臺灣全島進一步瞄準到一個具體的遊廓－即花蓮港遊廓，從中嘗試了解透過殖民權力移植而來的娼妓業，為因應統治權力與地方社會之間的具體互動，不斷採取不同謀生策略的過程，並藉此勾勒出公娼制度在殖民地臺灣的實際運作內涵。

Under the Japanese colonial rule of Taiwan, sixteen entertainment districts were established. Generally known as "yūkaku," these were red-light districts where state-regulated prostitution operated. While authorized by the colonial regime, their routine operations were supervised and regulated by local authorities. For this reason, it is difficult to assess the role of state regulation on legalized prostitution in colonial Taiwan. However, it is certain that the lack of state-wide regulation inevitably facilitated the creation heterogeneity among the yūkaku, allowing them to flourish in different ways.This article investigates the reasons why the brothel business, which was transplanted via the colonia1 power, used different methods to meet different needs, and how the interactions between local powers and regional society influenced the formation and survival of the various yūkaku, using the yūkaku of Hualian as a pnmary example. This study furthers our knowledge of state-regulated prostitution in the colonial Taiwan.