The Blade of the Courtesans
| Author | Keiichiro Ryu | 
|---|---|
| Original title | Permit for Yoshiwara (吉原ごめんじょ, Yoshiwara Gomenjo) | 
| Translator | James M. Vardaman | 
| Language | Japanese | 
| Publisher | Vertical Inc (US) | 
Publication date  | 1986 | 
| Publication place | Japan | 
Published in English  | 2008 | 
| Media type | Print (Hardback) | 
| Pages | 304 | 
| ISBN | 978-1-934287-01-9 | 
The Blade of the Courtesans is a historical fiction novel by Japanese author Keiichiro Ryu originally published in 1986. It was published in English by Vertical Inc in 2008. Ryu's debut novel, it was nominated for a Naoki Award and "instantly made him a doyen of historical fiction."