Studies of folklore and discussions of folk religion often contend that the licensed quarters 'had the meaning of a barrier' and since their political stability meant they were easy to control, they were said to identify an area, although they were considered to have some extraterritorial rights, not in the common 'rules.'
遊郭は一説に因れば「結界の意味を持つ」とする民俗学や民間信仰論もあり、政治的な治安維持としての役割と管理のし易さから、地域を特定したともいわれるが、一般の「定」から外れた部分を持つ治外法権でもあった。