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THE
NIGHTLESS CITY

�夜城

OR THE “HISTORY OF
THE YOSHIWARA YŪKWAKU�

By J. E. DE BECKER

Twenty Years a Resident of Japan

“Virtuous men have said, both in poetry and classic works, that houses of debauch, for women of pleasure and for street-walkers, are the worm-eaten spots of cities and towns. But these are necessary evils, and if they be forcibly abolished, men of unrighteous principles will become like ravelled thread.�

73rd section of the “Legacy of Ieyasu,� (the first Tokugawa Sh�gun.)

With Numerous Illustrations

Third Edition Revised

Yokohama

Shanghai Bremen

MAX NÖSSLER & Co.

London

PROBSTHAIN & Co.

14 Bury Street, W.C.

Copyright,

BY THE AUTHOR.

All rights reserved.

PRINTED BY
THE BOX OF CURIOS PRINTING AND PUBLISHING CO.,
YOKOHAMA. JAPAN.

Contents

List of Illustrations.

Click on image to view larger sized
Map of the Yoshiwara in 1846.

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.

So long as the human race shall last, so long as human appetites demand illegitimate gratification, so long as human blood shall course hot in the veins, so long as men have passions, so long as women are frail, so long as illicit pleasure has attraction for bewildered wallowing humanity, and so long as lust—“the headstrong beast�—stalks through the earth, venery and dissipation will undoubtedly continue to claim thousands of unhappy victims.

“Vice, like disease, floats in the atmosphere,� and not-withstanding the strenuous efforts which have been made in all countries and ages to eradicate prostitution, it still exists rampant and invincible.

History demonstrates the sad truth that all human efforts have been—and probably will ever be—unequal to the task of stamping out the social evil from our midst, and we are therefore forced to recognize that the most we can hope to achieve in the direction of ameliorating its consequences is to regulate and control its worst features.

Many and earnest have been the vain attempts of European reformers to grapple with the evil, but their efforts have invariably ended in disappointment. The Church has thundered and anathematised, the secular authorities have enacted severe and even cruel laws, but the courtesan still survives and will doubtless survive and flourish until the waters of Time have engulfed the World.

Japan has not stood still among the nations in her endeavour to solve the problem of prostitution, and the present system of legal control is to all intents and purposes a development of that inaugurated well-nigh three centuries ago.

While admitting the existence of objectionable features in the Yoshiwara, it is evident that a system which has stood the test of three hundred years must possess some good points to account for its long lease of life, and it is also manifest that in the course of three centuries a great many curious customs—some good, some bad—must have crystallized around the institution.

Being no partizan or special pleader, I have simply confined myself to what I believe to be assured facts, and hope that the contents of the volume will be of interest and service to persons who are anxious to impartially investigate the customs of one of the most remarkable institutions in this country. I have compiled this book with the object of providing foreign students of sociology, medical men, and philanthropists, with some reliable data regarding the practical working of the system in the leading prostitute quarter of the Japanese Metropolis, and I leave my readers to form their own opinions as to the pros and cons of the success or otherwise achieved by the plan of strict segregation adopted in this country.

To Japanese who may think that the Yoshiwara is a disgrace to Japan I would remark that this Empire has by no means a monopoly of vice; and to foreigners who declaim against the “immorality of Japanese� I would say frankly—“Read the ‘History of Prostitution’ by Dr. W. W. Sanger of New York, also the ‘Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon’ which appeared in the Pall Mall Gazette fourteen years ago. You cannot afford to criticize this country too closely, for you certainly dare not lay the flattering unction to your souls that you, as a race, have any monopoly of virtue.�

The Author.

T�ky�, 1899.

PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION.

Subsequent to the anonymous publication of the first edition of “The Nightless City� in 1899, the author was severely remonstrated with by certain unctuous persons for writing a work which lays bare a phase of Japanese social phenomena before which all writers (with the notable exception of Mr. Henry Norman) have studiously drawn a veil. To this class of persons he neither owes, nor offers an apology; but, in order to obviate any misunderstanding of his motives, it may be well to explain the raison d’être of the book.

The voluminous data on which is based the science of Medical Jurisprudence, the records of all Courts, and the experience and common knowledge of mankind, prove the universal existence of the “social evil� to be, a present and undeniable fact.

History shows that from the earliest ages society was never free from the devastating influences of a vice which arises from an apparently inextinguishable natural impulse inherent alike in human beings and in the lower creation. Wrap ourselves up as we may in a mantle of prudery, refuse as we may to recognize the evil, it is still there, and like the poor, it will probably “be with us always.�

We can no more hope, to eradicate or suppress it than to control an earthquake or harness the winds and waves! Its existence being thus palpable, is it not far wiser to frankly recognize and investigate the phenomenon with a view to control, by judicious regulations, the current of the vice and direct it into channels where it may be, at least to a certain extent, grappled with and arrested, than to foolishly close our eyes and refuse to discuss the subject on the cowardly plea that we may possibly disturb the “conventionalities� by publicly and fully investigating the evils of prostitution?

The author utterly denies the proposition that there can be any impropriety in enquiring into the facts of a matter which virtually affects, either directly or indirectly, the whole community; on the other hand he affirms that much good may be done by collecting facts and statistics which may prove of value to the legislator, the philanthropist, and the clergy. Without adequate data, how can we ever hope to devise measures of a preventative or ameliorative nature, and how can such data be obtained if we are all to be deterred from necessary investigations by the mawkish sensibility of Mrs. Grundy?

Legislators of all nations, at different times, have apparently endeavoured to crush out or control prostitution, and by various high-handed methods sought to single out and distinguish, for the alleged protection of the public, women known to be guilty of leading a professedly abandoned life. Moses, the great Jewish law-giver, hurled cruel and oppressive edicts against improper unions among the children of Israel. Greece made the Disteriads wear a distinguishing costume, and, branding these women with infamy, made regulations by which they were subjected to the control of the municipal police, and were forbidden to offend the public by open indecency. Rome required the registration of its prostitutes, who, under the directions of the Ædile were forced to wear special garments and to dye their hair a certain colour. Mediæval Europe tried (among other gentle (!) measures) sumptuary laws, banishment, scourging, branding, the stake, the gibbet, the block, outlawry; while the spiritual powers launched against prostitution all the terrors of religious anathema, threatening physical torment and strict excommunication in this world, and in the world to come everlasting damnation!

Modern Europe, while outwardly wearing a spotless garment of professed self-righteousness, and turning up its goggling eyeballs in sanctimonious horror at the bare suggestion of anything being amiss with its morality, knows well enough that its various Governments are secretly struggling with the problem through their police, and that the latter have found no satisfactory solution of the matter notwithstanding many serious essays.

Thousands of miles away from Europe, and practically cut off from all intercourse with the rest of the world at large, the Japanese, found themselves confronted with the same problem and, after various attempts at control, they endeavoured to solve the question in a manner far more practical than that of the Europeans. They were astute enough to see that human passions could not be changed by human legislation, and instead of attempting impossibilities they started in to limit and control what they knew they had not the power to prevent; so, with the object of rendering the evil as inoffensive as possible, the authorities decided upon setting aside certain areas within which prostitutes were allowed to pursue their calling subject to various stringent laws. These quarters were fenced in and moated, their great gateways carefully guarded, and so successful did the system prove in many respects that it has been maintained (with certain modifications) up to the present day.

Human nature is fixed and immutable, is, always was, and ever will be the same; and while race environment and education may affect its outward form, the animal man is essentially the same throughout the entire globe. This being so, it is evident that the experience of one nation or country may often be of considerable value to other peoples if accepted and applied mutatis mutandis to the circumstances and needs of the latter; thus it is always well to investigate the results of institutions foreign to our own in a candid and receptive frame of mind before concluding that we possess a monopoly of wisdom in our own home lands. Moreover, human nature is so constituted that when a separate community is established in such a manner as to be practically unaffected by pressure from the outside, its units are sure to co-operate, however unconsciously, in moulding new customs and habits and even superstitions, which gradually crystallize into time-honoured precedents by immemorial usage. The Yoshiwara, during its three centuries of existence, proved no exception to the rule, and in the course of years its inhabitants became slaves to numberless precedents, with the result that some extraordinary customs were developed and even yet linger on in a modified form. A serious consideration of these facts induced the author to believe that it would be of value to students of sociology throughout Europe and America to be provided with all available data, as to the ins and outs and the working of this unique and purely native Japanese system of control—a system of which the Westerners have had no experience whatsoever. The result of his labours was “The Nightless City� this new edition of which he now publishes together with an appendix which brings the work up to date so far as is possible.

The author’s best thanks are due to Prof. Dr. T�ichir� Nakahama, Director of the “Kai-Sei-By�-in� and Member of the Central Board of Health, who kindly furnished certain medical statistics and data. He also desires to express a deep debt of gratitude to Mr. E. Beart for lightening his task by assisting in seeing the book through the press, and has pleasure in acknowledging the strenuous endeavours of the Box of Curios Printing & Publishing Company in producing in Japan, notwithstanding certain drawbacks and disadvantages, a handsome volume worthy of the great printing houses of London or New York.

The Author.

Kamakura, December, 1905.

Present Plan of the Yoshiwara.

Procession of Courtesans.

History of the Yoshiwara YÅ«kwaku.[1]

It was not until after the City of Yedo had become the seat of the Tokugawa government that regular houses of ill-fame were established, and up to the period of Keich� (1596–1614) there were no fixed places set apart for brothels and assignation houses. Under these circumstances, the brothels of Yedo were to be found scattered all over the city in groups of twos or threes, but among the many localities in which such stews were situated were three spots where the houses were to be found in larger numbers plying their shameful trade side by side.

• (1.)—In KÅ�jimachi, hat-chÅ�-me, there were fourteen or fifteen houses: these had been removed from Roku-jÅ� in KyÅ�to.
• (2.)—In Kamakura-gashi (Kanda district) the numbers of houses was the same as in KÅ�jimachi: these had been removed from Miroku-machi of FuchÅ« (now Shidzuoka?) in Suruga province.
• (3.)—In Uchi-Yanagi-machi, near ÅŒhashi (ÅŒhashi is now the Tokiwa-bashi gate, and Yanagi-machi is now DÅ�sangashi-dÅ�ri) there were twenty houses. This group was inhabited by Yedo women exclusively. It is stated by some writers that the name of this street “Yanagi-machiâ€� (Willow Street) was derived from the fact that at the entrance of the street stood two gigantic weeping-willows. Prior to this date, in the period of TenshÅ� (1573–1591), a person named Hara SaburÅ�zaemon had established a brothel quarter at Made-no-Koji, Yanagi-no-baba, in KyÅ�to, but although it is true that the name of Yanagi-machi was given to this place, the Yanagi-machi of Yedo did not derive its title from the one in the Western city.

In the 10th year of Keich� (1605) Yanagi-machi was selected by the Government in connection with the construction of the castle of Yedo, and consequently all the brothels were removed to a place in front of the Moto-Seigwanji (temple).

As Yedo prospered and her population increased, various enterprising individuals gradually arrived from Shumoku-machi in Fushimi, Kitsuji-machi in Nara, and other places near Ky�to, and established themselves in the brothel-keeping business.

But as Yedo still grew more and more prosperous and thriving, and her marts busier, various municipal improvements were projected, numerous new roads were opened, and bridges constructed, and, as gradually the work of organizing the urban districts progressed, many houses had to be pulled down; consequently large numbers of persons were forced to remove their residences. Under these circumstances, the brothel-keepers considered the moment to be an opportune one for the presentation to the powers that were of a petition requesting the Government to allow of the collection, into one special locality, of the Yedo demi-monde. They therefore petitioned the authorities to establish a regular Keisei-machi,[2] but their petition was unsuccessful and matters remained in statu quo.

In the 17th year of Keich� (1612) a certain Sh�ji Jinyemon (a native of Odawara in Sagami province) conceived the idea of collecting all the brothels and assignation houses of Yedo into one special quarter of the city, and after many consultations with his confrères (for this gentle “reformer� was in the “profession� himself) he made a representation to the Government to the effect that:—

“In Ky�to and in Suruga, and also in all other thickly populated and busy places (to the number of more than twenty) there have been established, in accordance with ancient custom and precedent, regular licensed Keisei-machi, whereas in Yedo, which is growing busier and more populous day by day, there is no fixed Yūjo-machi.[3] In consequence of this state of affairs houses of ill-fame abound in every part of the city, being scattered hither and thither in all directions. This, for numerous reasons, is detrimental to public morality and welfare, etc., etc.�

The petitioner further enumerated the advantages which would be gained by the system he advocated, and he submitted a memorandum of reasons and arguments divided into three headings, the substance of the same being:—

“(1.) As matters stand at present, when a person visits a brothel he may hire, and disport himself with, Yūjo (filles de joie) to his heart’s content, give himself up to pleasure and licentiousness to the extent of being unable to discriminate as to his position and means and the neglect of his occupation or business. He may frequent a brothel for days on end, giving himself up to lust and revel, but so long as his money holds out the keeper of the house will continue to entertain him as a guest. As a natural consequence, this leads to the neglect of duty towards masters, defalcations, theft, etc., and even then the keepers of the brothels will allow the guilty guests to remain in their houses as long as their money lasts. If brothels were all collected into one place a check would be put to these evils, as, by means of investigation and enquiry, a longer stay than twenty-four hours could be prohibited and such prohibition enforced.

“(2.) Although it is forbidden by law to kidnap children, yet, even in this city, the practice of kidnapping female children and enticing girls away from their homes under false pretences is being resorted to by certain vicious and unprincipled rascals. It is a positive fact that some evil-minded persons make it a regular profession to take in the daughters of poor people under the pretext of adopting them as their own children, but when the girls grow-up they are sent out to service as concubiness or prostitutes, and in this manner the individuals who have adopted them reap a golden harvest. Perhaps it is this class of abandoned rascals that even dare to kidnap other people’s children? It is said to be a fact that there are brothel-keepers who engage women knowing perfectly well that they are the adopted children of the parties who wish to sell the girls into prostitution. If the prostitute houses be all collected into one place, strict enquiries will be made as to the matter of kidnapping and as to the engagement of adopted children, and should any cases occur in which such reprehensible acts are attempted, information will be immediately given to the authorities.

“(3.) Although the condition of the country is peaceful, yet it is not long since the subjugation of Mino[4] province was accomplished, and consequently it may be that there are many r�nin[5] prowling about seeking for an opportunity to work mischief. These ruffians have, of course, no fixed place of abode and simply drift hither and thither, so it is impossible to ascertain their whereabouts in the absence of properly instituted enquiries even although they may be staying in houses of ill-fame for a considerable number of days. If the authorities grant this petition, and permit the concentration of the existing brothels in one regular place, the brothel-keepers will pay special attention to this matter and will cause searching enquiries to be made about persons who may be found loafing in the prostitute quarters: should they discover any suspicious characters they will not fail to report the same to the authorities forthwith.

“It will be deemed a great favour if the august authorities will grant this petition in the fulness of their magnanimous mercy.�

In the following spring (1613) Sh�ji Jinyemon was summoned to the Magistrate’s Court and examined on various points by Honda Lord of Sado, after which he was informed that the result of the petition would be made known at a later date. He was then dismissed.

In the spring of the 3rd year of Genna (1617) Jinyemon was again summoned to the Court and, in the presence of several other judicial officials, Honda Lord of Sado notified him that the petition was granted. He was also informed that two square ch� of land would be devoted to the purpose of founding a prostitute quarter, and that the site had been selected at Fukiya-machi. In return for this privilege, Jinyemon promised that no prostitutes should be allowed in the city of Yedo and neighbourhood except in the licensed quarter, and further covenanted that in case of any of the women being found elsewhere the matter should be communicated to the authorities, as in duty bound, either by himself or by the other brothel-keepers. At the same time, Sh�ji Jinyemon was appointed Keisei-machi Nanushi (director of the prostitute quarter) and was instructed by the Bugy� (Governor possessed of administrative, military, and judicial functions) to observe the following regulations:—

“(1.) The profession of brothel-keeping shall not be carried on in any place other than the regular prostitute quarter, and in future no request for the attendance of a courtesan at a place outside the limits of the enclosure shall be complied with.

“(2.) No guest shall remain in a brothel for more than twenty-four hours.

“(3.) Prostitutes are forbidden to wear clothes with gold and silver embroidery on them; they are to wear ordinary dyed stuffs.

“(4.) Brothels are not to be built of imposing appearance, and the inhabitants of prostitute quarters shall discharge the same duties (as firemen, etc.,) as ordinary residents in other parts of Yedo city.

“(5.) Proper enquiries shall be instituted into the person of any visitor to a brothel, no matter whether he be gentleman or commoner, and in case any suspicious individual appears information shall be given to the Bugy�-sho (office of the city Governor).

“The above instructions are to be strictly observed.

“(Date ___________) The Bugy�.�

On the low land of Fukiya-ch�, which was thus granted by the authorities, now stand Idzumi-ch�, Takasago-cho, Sumiyoshi-ch�, and Naniwa-ch�, and the ko-hori (or small ditch) at Hettsui-gashi which was once the outer moat of the prostitute quarters. The present Ō-mon-d�ri (Great Gate Street) was formerly the street leading to the Ō-mon (Great Gate). At the time about which I am writing the place was one vast swamp overrun with weeds and rushes, so Sh�ji Jinyemon set about clearing the Fukiya-machi, reclaiming and filling in the ground, and building an enclosure thereon. Owing to the number of rushes which had grown thereabout the place was re-named Yoshiwara (葭原 = Rush-moor) but this was afterwards changed to Yoshi-wara (�原 = Moor of Good luck) in order to give the locality an auspicious name.

The work of filling in and levelling the ground, and the construction of houses, was commenced in the 3rd year of Genna (1617) and by November of the following year “business� commenced. The work of laying out the streets and completing the quarters was not however finished until the 9th day of the 10th month of the 3rd year of Kwan-ei (28th November 1626).

The following were the names of the wards of the Yoshiwara:—

Yedo-ch�, It-ch�-me: This was the pioneer prostitute quarter established in the city after the Tokugawa government had made Yedo the seat of their administration; and in the hope and expectation of sharing in the prosperity of the city itself the felicitous name of Yedo-ch� (Yedo ward) was chosen as appropriate for the new ward. All the houses at Yanagi-ch� removed to this Yedo-ch�, and among them was the “Nishida-ya� (House of the Western Ricefield) which was kept by Sh�ji Jinyemon himself.

Yedo-ch�, Ni-ch�-me: To this ward (Second ward of Yedo-ch�) were transferred all the houses formerly kept at Moto-Kamakura-gashi.

Ky�machi, It-ch�-me: To this ward were transferred the houses at K�jimachi. The majority of these establishments having had their origin in Roku-j�, Ky�to, the ward was named Ky�-machi, thus using the first character 京 (Ky�) of Ky�to and preserving the old association with the capital.

Ky�machi, Ni-ch�-me: The brothelkeepers of Hisagomachi in Ōsaka, Kitsuji in Nara, and other localities, having heard of the opening of the Yoshiwara, many of them immigrated to this place. The buildings in this ward were completed two years later than those in the other streets, and accordingly this ward was commonly called Shim-machi (新町 New Street).

Sumi-ch�: The brothels at Sumi-ch�, Ky�bashi, having been removed to this ward, the name of the original place was copied when “christening� the new street.

After many vicissitudes, the brothel-keepers believed that they had now found an abiding place, and that no further changes would be made, but they were doomed to disappointment. On the 19th day of the 10th month of the 2nd year of Meireki (4th December 1656) Ishigaya Sh�gen, the Bugy�, summoned the elders (toshi-yoridomo) of the Yoshiwara and informed them that the existing site of the prostitute quarter being required by the authorities for building purposes, the houses must be removed elsewhere. Ishigaya added that, in lieu of the Yoshiwara, the authorities were prepared to grant either a plot of land in the vicinity of the Nihon-dsutsumi (Dike of Japan) behind the Asakusa temple, or one in the neighbourhood of Honj�.

The representatives of the Yoshiwara people were filled with consternation at the action of the government, and they submitted a petition of grievances to the effect that the brothels had been in existence for 44 years and that the keepers would be put to great inconvenience and caused serious loss if they were suddenly forced to remove to a remote district. After reciting the above facts, and pointing out the injury which would be done to “vested interests,� the petition wound up with a prayer that the authorities would be pleased to permit the brothels to continue to ply their profession in the same place as hitherto. This petition, however, was rejected, and after mature deliberation the elders now applied for a grant of land at the Nihon-dsutsumi: they also petitioned that a sum of money might be given them from the public funds to assist their removal.

In response to the last petition, the authorities provided a suitable site near Nilion-dsutsumi, and in consideration of the removal of the houses to such a distant and out-of-the-way locality, Ishigaya Sh�gen, and Kamio, Lord of Bizen, agreed to the following conditions in connection with the new Yoshiwara:—

“(1.) Hitherto the ground to be occupied has been limited to 2 square ch�: in the new place these limits will be increased by 50 per cent., and extended to 3 ch� by 2 ch� (3x2).

“(2.) Whereas hitherto the profession has been allowed to be carried on in the day-time only, in consideration of the quarter being moved to such a distant place, it is in future permitted both day and night alike.

“(3.) More than 200 Furo-ya (風呂屋 = Bath-houses)[6] now existing in the city shall be abolished.

“(4.) In consideration of the Yoshiwara being removed to a distant place, its people shall hereafter be exempted from the duties of acting as guards against fire on the occasion of the festivals at Sann� and at Kanda, or as firemen in time of conflagrations, etc.

“(5.) The sum of 10,500 ry� will be granted to assist the expenses of removal, at the rate of 14 ry� per small room.�[7]

It is very curious to note that Japan was not the only country where shady “bath-houses� were to be found. In a German book by Wilhelm Rudeck, entitled “Geschichte der Oeffentlichen Sittlichkeit In Deutschland,� it is stated that “bath-honses� were plentiful. Early in the morning a horn announced that everything was ready, and men, women and maids undressed at home and went nearly naked to the bath-houses, where the attendants were mostly girls who had a very liberal idea of their duties. The tubs in many cases were large enough for two, and a board was laid across, upon which food and drink was served to the bathers, who were not compelled to produce a marriage certificate. In the castles of the knights, the ladies often attended on the male guests in the bath and vice versa, and in bathing resorts, such at Wiesbaden, for instance, Frau Venus seems to have reigned supreme. A very free illustration, reproduced from an old volume, shows a row of tubs with a long board laid across them, upon which food and drink is served, and there are other illustrations, reproduced from old cuts, of some more than merely suggestive scenes, which we must presume were nothing out of the common in bath-houses.

On the 27th day of the 11th month of the same year (January 11th, 1657) the elders and monthly managers (月行� = tsuki-gy�-ji) of the Yoshiwara repaired to the Treasury office at Asakusa and received the sum granted by the authorities to defray the expenses of removal: at the same time they applied to the officials to be allowed to remain in the Yoshiwara during the next three or four months, promising to complete the removal by the following April.

The request being a reasonable one, it was granted, and the removal was postponed until the fourth month, but on the 2nd March 1657 (Meireki 3 nen, Sh�gwatsu, 18 nichi) Hi-no-to-tori (cycle of the Water Fowl) that disastrous fire known as the “Furisode kwaji� (fire of the long-sleeved garment) broke out in the Hom-my�ji (temple) at Maru-yama in Hong� and raged through the city of Yedo during three days and three nights burning everything before it.[8] The fire swept away a large portion of the city and gutted the Yoshiwara completely, so there was no further excuse left for not moving forthwith. The head-man of the Yoshiwara was again summoned to the Bugy�’s office and ordered to take advantage of the fire to carry out the removal without further delay.

In May 1657 Ishigaya Sh�gen, Kamio Lord of Bizen, and Sone Genzaemon proceeded to Nihon-dsutsumi to inspect the site of the new quarter, and while the houses were being built and prepared temporary shanties called “Koya-gake� (�屋掛 = a temporarily built shed or house) were erected in the neighbourhood of Sanya and Imado, and in these (and also in private houses which were hired for the purpose) the loathsome trade was carried on as usual.

In September 1657, the new brothels were completed and the “profession� crowded into the “Shin-Yoshiwara.�

The “Shin-Yoshiwara� (new Yoshiwara) was so named in contra-distinction to “Moto-Yoshiwara� (former Yoshiwara). It is situated at a place formerly known as Senzoku-mura and is only a few ch� distant from the Asakusa-ji (temple).

There is a hill (or rather slope) leading down from the Nihon-dsutsumi on the way to the Shin-Yoshiwara which is called “Emon-zaka� or “Dress(ing) Hill,� because it is supposed that visitors to the gay quarter began to adjust their garments and smarten themselves up in passing along this road. Another account states that the name was taken from the Emon-zaka of Ky�to.

The road leading from Emon-zaka to the Yoshiwara is known as Gojikken-machi. Tradition says that there was a servant named Koheiji in the employ of Sh�ji Jinyemon (the founder of the quarter) and that he advised his master to construct the road in three curved lines as this was considered more tasteful than one constructed in a plain line. Another tradition says that the road was constructed in that way in accordance with the commands of Kamio Lord of Bizen, but, at any rate, it is certain that the plan of the road was conceived by some person gifted with a (from a Japanese point of view) poetical imagination. On either side of the curved section of roadway twenty-five tea-houses (cha-ya) were built, making a total of fifty houses (go-jik-ken), hence the popular name “Go-jik-ken-michi� (fifty house street) or “Go-jik-ken-machi� (fifty house town). At the end of the road stood a gateway which formed the entrance of the Yoshiwara, and the vicinity of this gateway was known as the Ōmon-guchi (entrance to the great gate). The gate itself was called the Ō-mon (great gateway). Having passed through the Ō-mon, the visitor would find himself within the precincts of the “Shin-Yoshiwara.�

The Shin-Yoshiwara was about half as large again as the old place (Moto-Yoshiwara), measuring about 3 ch� (1074 feet) from North to South, and 2 ch� (716 feet) from East to West, and therefore embracing nearly 18 acres of land. The enclosure was surrounded by a kind of moat, and the streets within were laid out something in the shape of the Chinese character 田 (ta = a ricefield). As will be seen from the plan of the Shin-Yoshiwara annexed, Nakano-ch� goes through the centre while Yedo-ch� (It-ch�-me and Ni-ch�-me), Sumi-ch�, and Ky�-machi (It-ch�-me and Ni-ch�-me) branch out to right and left on either side. As was the case with the Moto-Yoshiwara, another street was added for the convenience of “Age-ya,� and called “Ageya-machi.�[9] This street was situated opposite Sumi-ch�, to the right of the Naka-no-ch� when facing Suid�-jiri.

In the 8th year of Kwambun (1668) a raid was made on the “jigoku� (unlicensed prostitutes) and the captives were transported to the Yoshiwara, but as they numbered 512 souls it was difficult to find accommodation for them and apparently there was not enough room in the quarter to erect new brothels. Under these circumstances, a little plot of ground was requisitioned at the back of each brothel in Yedo-ch� Ni-ch�me, and some seventy-five small houses were built there for the reception of the new immigrants to this earthly paradise. As the majority of the these fresh arrivals were natives of Fushimi and Sakai, the streets where their houses stood were called Fushimi-ch� and Sakai-machi. Sakai-machi was destroyed by fire during the era of Meiwa (1764–1771) and has ceased to exist, but Fushimi-ch� is to be seen to this day.

At first the five streets of the Shin-Yoshiwara consisted wholly of brothels, Ageya-machi of “age-ya� and Naka-no-ch� of tradesmen’s stores, but as time rolled away the “age-ya� ceased to exist and in their place sprang up “cha-ya� (tea-houses). Gradually, also, the shopkeepers in Naka-no-ch� removed elsewhere and their stores were turned into tea-houses. Subsequently tea-houses began to increase in number at Ageya-machi, and nowadays there are even many brothels to be seen in this street.

The following extract from the “Tsuik� Yoshiwara Taizen� (追考�原大全 an old descriptive book on these matters) may be of interest to my readers:—

“The corner between Maka-no-ch� and Yedo-ch� It-ch�-me and Ni-ch�-me is called “Machi-ai no tsuji, or “Waiting lane� because the women used to sit down here before their houses waiting for guests. * * * * * The corner of Yedo-ch� Ni-ch�-me was called the Ao-mono Ichiba (Vegetable Market) and that of Sumi-ch� the “Sakana Ichiba� (Fish Market) because during the day-time green-grocers and fishmongers were in the habit of assembling in those places. In the summer evenings dealers in fire-flies (hotaru-uri) would also be found hanging around these streets. As to the origin of the Suido-jiri (“End of the Aqueduct�) it is said that formerly there were no wells in the Yoshiwara and that all the water used there had to be carried from the wells at Jariba and Tambo, but in the eras of Genroku (1688–1703) and H�yei (1704–1710) the famous Yedo merchant prince—Kinokuni-ya Bunzayemon—caused a well to be sunk in the compound of Owari-ya Seijūr� in Ageya-machi for the first time, with the result that a plentiful supply of water was provided. * * * * * As the pipes in which this water was conducted to the various portions of the Yoshiwara terminated at the end of Naka-no-ch�, the name “Suid�-jiri� (see above) was given to that spot.� The “Jisekig�k�� 事蹟�考 (another book) says:—“The name of Suid�-jiri did not originate in the Moto-Yoshiwara, but in the Shin-Yoshiwara. In the plans of the old Yoshiwara, however, it would seem that a place with a similar name did actually exist, and so it is mentioned here for the sake of reference. The street, along the creek at Ky�-machi It-ch�-me is called J�nen-gashi which name is said to have been derived from the name of a son of the Headman, Sh�ji Jinyemon, who formerly had his residence there.�

娼舗張付彩工圖
Artist Painting Mural Decorations in a Brothel.

“The “Kiyū Sh�ran� 嬉�笑覽 (another book) says:—During the era of Kwanbun (1661–1672) the “san-cha� (a class of low and cheap prostitutes about whom an explanation is given elsewhere) came into existence, and at the same period, on the application of Genyemon, headman of Ky�-machi, new houses were built at Sakai-machi, Fushimi-ch�, and Minami-ch�. The first street was so named because it was situated on the border (sakai) of Sumi-ch� Ni-ch�-me, the second on account of the forefathers of the elders of the street[10] (Yamada-ya Yamazabur�, Yamaguchi-ya Shichiroemon, Adzuma-ya Jihei, and Okada-ya Kichizaemon) having come over to the Yoshiwara from Kotobuki-ch�, Bungo-bashi, etc., in Fushimi, at the time of the founding of the Yoshiwara. The street along the creek at Ky�-machi It-ch�-me is called the Nishi-gashi in remembrance of a younger brother of Sh�ji Jinyemon, (founder of the Yoshiwara) named Tachibana-ya Sainen, having lived there.[11] The street along the creek at Ky�-machi Ni-ch�-me, known as Rash�mon-gashi—or more commonly as “Waru-gashi� (the wicked creek-side)—was so-called owing to the fact that there was a small brothel there—named “Ibaraki-ya�—the inmates of which used to accost passers-by and clutch tenaciously at their sleeves, somewhat after the fashion of the warrior Watanabe no Tsuna who seized the arm of an ogre and cut it off in the course of his well-known adventures at the Rash�-mon, near Ky�to.[12] The Tenjin-gashi. was situated at Suid�-jiri, and here there were some 25 low brothels established. This creek-side was called “Tenjin-gashi� after Sugawara-no-Michizane, a great scholar who had been deified and whose festival fell on the 25th of each month.�[13]

Nihon-dsutsumi.
(The Dyke of Japan.)

It is mentioned in the “D�b� Goyen� 洞房語園 that there was an hereditary farmer at Minowa named Shibazaki Yohei, and according to his story he had heard from his grandfather that the Nihon-dsutsumi was constructed about a hundred years ago in the year of the “large monkey.� Now countrymen often call the year of K�shin the “year of the large monkey,� so the year referred to by Yohei’s grandfather may be the 7th year of Genna (1621). It is also mentioned, in a supplement to the book, that the characters formerly used in writing the name were 二本 (ni hon = 2 lines) and not 日本 (Nihon = Japan), because there were two roads one of which led from Sh�den-ch� to Sanya-bashi. As, however, Yedo increased in prosperity, hills were levelled and canals dug, after a while the road to Sanya-bashi disappeared as part of the changes made in the city; and accordingly the characters 二本 were altered to 日本 in describing the remaining road. At the time of the construction of the Nihon-dsutsumi, a large number of lacquer-trees (urushi-no-ki) were planted on both sides of the road, forming a veritable avenue,[14] and it was a common joke to warn an habitué of the Yoshiwara by saying significantly—“When you pass along the Sanya road, mind you don’t get poisoned by lacquer!� The bank commenced at Sh�den-ch� in the West and Yoshino-machi (Asakusa) in the East, and extended to Harajuku (Shitaya), the total length being 834 Ken (5004 feet), the width of the road 10 Ken (60 feet) and the horse-path 5 Ken on the average (30 feet).

Mi-kaeri Yanagi.
(Gazing back Willow-tree.)

This well-known willow-tree stands at the entrance of Go-jik-ken-machi, on the left, below the Nihon-dsutsumi. It has been so called because many a visitor to the Yoshiwara has looked regretfully back as he passed the willow tree, feeling reluctant to leave the pleasures of the quarter and to be separated from his fair, even though frail, inamorata.

狎客之㘴舖
A Familiar Guest. Period of Ki�wa (1801 to 1803).
(After the Picture by Kitagawa Utamaro.)

Yoshiwara Jinja.
(Yoshiwara Shrine.)

This is situated on the right hand side of the Go-jik-ken-michi. Formerly there was on this site a shrine called Yoshitoku Inari, but of late years the Enomoto Inari (at the corner of Yedo-ch� Ni-ch�-me) the Kai-un Inari (at the corner of Ky�-machi, It-ch�-me) the Kurosuke Inari (at the corner of Ky�-machi Ni-ch�-me) and the Akashi Inari (at the corner of Yedo-ch� Ni-ch�-me—Fushimi-ch�) were all amalgamated into one. The name of “Yoshiwara Jinja� was given to the new shrine and it has been made the guardian shrine of the “enclosure.� Every twelve days, on the day of the horse, the festival of this shrine is celebrated, crowds of people visit the neighbourhood including sundry itinerant dealers known as “ennichi akindo� (festival dealers) and the fête has become one of the popular features of the Yoshiwara. According to the Shimpen Yedo-shi,� (新編江戶志) the Kurosuke Inari was in the old Yoshiwara, having been founded in the 4th year of Wad�? (711?). Later on, a person named Chiba Kurosuke removed it to a space on the border of a paddy-field, and since the establishment of the Yoshiwara, in the era of Keich� (1596–1614), this Inari became the guardian deity of the prostitute quarter. Again, according to the “Kwagai Manroku� (花街漫錄) the shrine of the Kurosuke Inari was situated beneath Ky�-machi Ni-ch�-me since its removal from the old to the new Yoshiwara, and about the era of Tenna (1681–1683) it began to be called “Kurosuke� Inari because a man called Kurosuke lived in front of the building.

As to the origin of the “Byakko-seki� (white fox stone) of the Akashi-Inari—which was the presiding deity of Yedo-ch� Ni-ch�-me—its shrine formerly stood on the estates of a certain Mr. Nishimura, but at the request of the local inhabitants to consecrate it shrine of the guardian deity it was removed to the present site. While the shrine was in course of construction a curiously shaped object was unearthed, and on closer examination it was found to be a beautiful blackish coloured stone resembling the figure of a byakko (white fox) gambolling in the fields. The people, thinking this a good omen, consecrated the image under the name of Akashi Inari (明石 = aka-ishi “the bright stone,� or even, by forced rendering, “the bright and revealed stone�) and prayed to it as a god which would bring prosperity and good-luck to the town and protect the quarter from disastrous fires.

The “Aisome-zakura.�
(Cherry-tree of first meeting.)
AND
The “Koma-tsunagi-matsu.�
(Colt teathering pine-tree.)

The above trees stand close to the Yoshiwara shrine.

The “Ryo-jin no Ido.�
(Traveller’s Well.)

This well is situated about the centre of the Go-jik-ken-michi, on the right hand side.

Government Edict-board and Regulations at the ÅŒmon.

Up to the time of the Restoration—some 30 odd years ago—the following official regulations were posted up before the Ō-mon (great gateway) of the Yoshiwara:—

The “Ō-mon� or Entrance Gateway of the Yoshiwara.

“Persons other than doctors are forbidden to enter riding in Kago (palanquin) or norimono (sedan chair).

“Long weapons are forbidden.�[15] [This meant spears or long swords, and also other warlike weapons which formed part of the ordinary paraphernalia of a Daimy�’s (noble’s) train.]�

The Present ÅŒmon.

On the present Ō-mon (great gateway) are inscribed the following characters from the pen of Mr. Fukuchi Genichir� (a well-known playwright) better known under his nom de plume of “Ōchi Koji�:—

春夢正濃滿街櫻雲。 秋信先通兩行燈影

“Shum-mu masa ni komayaka nari, mangai no �-un. Shū-shin saki ni tsūzu ry�k� no t�-yei,� or freely translated into English:—

“A dream of Spring-tide when the streets are full of the cherry blossoms. Tidings of the autumn when the streets are lined on either side with lighted lanterns.�

This poem is a eulogy composed of four sentences each containing four Chinese characters, the style being an imitation of that of the blank verses which were in vogue in the Tsin dynasty. The depth of meaning conveyed by these sixteen ideographs is almost incredible to the uninitiated, and to explain the full sense of the composition in English is well-nigh impossible. The words which are rendered “A dream of Springtide when the streets are full of the cherry blossoms� refer to the custom of planting cherry-trees right down the centre of the Naka-no-ch� from the main gateway (Ō-mon) to Suid�-jiri. The cherry trees are in full bloom about the first week in the third month (according to the old calendar—now April) and when one then glances down the avenue at night, after the place is lighted up with thousands of brilliantly coloured lanterns and flashing electric lamps, the whole quarter appears as if smothered in flowers. The commingling blossoms, seemingly transmuted into dense masses of soft and fleecy cloud, braid the trees in a wealth of vernal beauty, and the gay dresses both of the unfortunate women, and those of the passers-by, ever kaleidoscopic in effect and vividly oriental in colour, all go to make up a scene at once strange, fascinating, and well-nigh dream-like in character. The women in the Yoshiwara are likened in a certain poem to “cherries of the night which blossom luxuriantly,� and their power of fascination is expressed by another poem which says “Cherry blossoms of the night at length become those of the morning and again those of the night�: and yet another poem runs—“Naka-no-ch�, where the night-cherries (courtesans) blossom luxuriantly.� There is a double entendre in the sentence, for the words not only refer to the intermingling cherry blossoms in the Naka-no-ch� but imply that joy and pleasure is to be found in “A dream of spring, in a town inhabited by beautiful and voluptuous women to whom their lovers cleave as the commingling blossoms of the cherries blend together.� The poem also implies an indirect allusion to an episode in the life of one of the Chinese Emperors, who was distinguished for his Solomon-like proclivities in his admiration for the fair sex, and the harem of ravishingly beautiful damsels he kept at Fuzan.[16] The words “Tidings of the autumn when the streets are lined on either side with lighted lanterns� refer to the custom of hanging out t�r� (lanterns) in front of every tea-house in the Naka-no-ch� during one month from the 1st day to the last day of the 7th month (old calendar.) These t�r� were first hung out as an offering to the soul of one Tamagiku, a popular courtesan in olden days. When one enters the great gate at the time of this festival it is a very pretty sight to see the rows of lanterns after they are lighted up. Some of these lanterns bear pictures by celebrated painters and are therefore quite works of art, and the effect of the display is heightened at times by artificial flowers being placed between them. It is said that the approach of Autumn is heralded by the cry of the wild geese, but that it is also foretold by the display of lanterns in the Naka-no-ch� during the festival of the dead. The sight of these lanterns moreover remind the sightseers of the words of an old poem which runs—“Alas! it is the night when the dead Tamagiku comes to visit the t�r�.�

Of the Reason Why Going to the Yoshiwara was Called “Ch� ye yuku.�

In the “Yoshiwara Ō-kagami,� (�原大鑑 “Great Mirror of the Yoshiwara�) it is mentioned that the origin of the common expression in former days of “Ch� ye yuku� (going to Ch�)—meaning “going to the Yoshiwara�—was as follows: Formerly the streets of the Yoshiwara were laid out in the shape of a cross, but afterwards one of the entrances was closed, changing the cross into a shape like that of the Chinese character “Ch�� (�), hence the saying. In later times this expression was changed, and nowadays people speak of going to the Yoshiwara as “naka ye yuku� (to go inside).

Classes of Brothels.

In ancient times the houses were classified according to the position and standing of their inmates. As we mention elsewhere, the courtesans were formerly classed as Tayū, K�shi-joro, Tsubone, Sancha-joro, Umecha-joro (also read “Baicha-joro�) and Kirimise-joro, and in a similar manner brothels were also divided as Tayū-mise, K�shi-mise, Tsubone-mise, Sancha-mise, Umecha-mise (or “Baicha-mise�) Kiri-mise, etc. Afterwards, the name of the Tayū-mise and K�shi-mise was changed to “Yobidashi,� and the “Umecha-mise� having disappeared the so-called “Zashiki-mochi� and “Heya-mochi� came into existence. After the era of Kwansei (1789–1800) the following classes of brothels sprang into existence:—1st class:—Ōmagaki; 2nd class:—Ham-magaki; 3rd class:—Dai-ch� ko-mise; 4th class:—Kog�shi; 5th class:—Kirimise, etc. Courtesans classed as Yobidashi, Hirusan, and Tsuke-mawashi belonged to the Ōmagaki, while the Zashiki-mochi and Heya-mochi were attached to the Dai-ch� ko-mise.

The style of architecture employed in the erection of the “Tsubone-mise� is elaborately described in the “D�b� Goyen,� (洞房語園) and the fact that the general features of the “Sancha-mise� were similar to those of the Furo-ya in the city is also mentioned in the same book. After the era of Kwansei (1789–1800) the classes of brothels, it appears, were determined according to the height of the bars of the cages. The highest magaki (籬) are said to have reached to the ceiling while the lowest were about 2 feet high. The wood used in the lattice window of an Ō-magaki (a first-class house with bars running up to the ceiling) was about 8 inches in width and was painted red. The houses themselves were generally as large as 13 ken by 22 ken (78 x 132 ft). The lattice bars of the lower class houses, on the contrary, were 3 inches in width and therefore these houses were called Ko-g�shi (small lattices). The lowest class houses had bars which ran horizontally instead of vertically. These distinctions were maintained up to the time of the general liberation of prostitutes in the 5th year of Meiji (1872) but since that time the brothels have been classified as either Ō-mise, Chū-mise, or Ko-mise (Large, medium, and small “shops.�)

At present there is no uniform style of architecture, but as the better class of houses are naturally visited by a superior class of guests, the leading establishments are fine buildings, and are noted as much for the luxurious character of their furniture and appointments as for the beauty of the women who inhabit them. The best houses do not exhibit the women in cages.

Street Scene in the “Naka-no-ch�,� Yoshiwara.

The following are the names of the 126 existing brothels of the Yoshiwara (1899).

Hikite-jaya.[17]
(“Introducing Tea-houses.�)

The business of hikite-jaya is to act as a guide to the various brothels, and to negotiate introductions between guests and courtesans. There are seven of these introducing houses within the enclosure (kuruwa) fifty in Naka-naga-ya, Suid�-jiri, and outside of the Ō-mon (great gate).

1. Entertainment given by a YÅ«jo who has been Redeemed from a Brothel.
2. Guests in a Tea-house Diverting themselves with Dancing Girls.
3. A Guest being conducted to a Brothel by the Servants of a Hikite-jaya.

Besides these there are many houses in Yedo-ch�, Sumi-ch�, Ky�-machi (It-ch�-me and Ni-ch�-me) Ageya-machi, etc. The first-mentioned seven houses are first-class, those in Naka-naga-ya second-class, while those at Suid�-jiri and G�-jik-ken are very inferior indeed. The reception of guests, and arranging affairs for them, is attended to by servant maids, three or four of whom are generally employed in each hikite-jaya. As, of course, the reputation of the house depends on these servant maids, their employers generally treat them very considerately, well knowing that if the girls attend to their duties satisfactorily the number of guests will continue to increase.

When a visitor arrives before the entrance of a hikite-jaya, the mistress of the house and her maid-servants run to welcome him with cries of “irrasshai� (you are very welcome!), and on entering the room to which he is conducted (in case of his being a stranger) the attendant will ask him the name of the brothel to which he desires to go, as well as that of the particular lady he wishes to meet. If he has no “friend� with whom he is acquainted, photographs are produced for inspection and the guest chooses his oiran from them. Then the attendant will guide him to the brothel selected, act as a go-between in negotiating for the courtesan’s favours, and after all preliminaries have been settled will wait assiduously upon the guest throughout the banquet which inevitably follows, taking care to keep the saké bottles moving and the cups replenished. By and by, when the time comes for retiring, the attendant conducts the guest to his sleeping apartment, waits until the arrival of the “lady friend� and then discreetly slips away and leaves the brothel. When one of these servant maids takes charge of a visitor she becomes, for the time being, the actual personal servant of such guest and attends to everything he requires. To perform the services rendered by her is professionally spoken of as “mawasu� (廻 to turn round, to move round) because she goes bustling round in order to arrange a hundred and one matters for the guest upon whom she is in attendance. If the guest calls geisha (dancing and singing girls) the maid carries (supposing it to be night-time) the geisha’s samisen (guitar) and the guest’s night-dress in the left hand, and a “Kamban ch�chin�[18] and a white porcelain saké bottle (haku-ch�)[19] in the right—a performance which requires considerable experience to achieve successfully.

With the exception of the guests, no persons are allowed to wear z�ri (sandals) inside the brothels.

Of late it has become a rule that the office which manages all affairs in the Yoshiwara shall distribute to the various tea-houses registration books, of a uniform style, in which are to be minutely recorded the personal appearance of visitors, status and place of registration, profession, general figure and build, aspect, style of clothes, personal effects (i.e. rings, chains, watches, etc., etc.) The books are carefully ruled off in columned blanks headed:—“Nose, Ears, Mouth, Status, Place of registration,� etc., etc.; and the descriptions have to be written in under the respective headings. In short, these books (for which, by the way, a charge of 20 to 30 sen is made) are something like the usual Japanese hotel registers but more complex and detailed, and when the blanks are faithfully filled up an exceedingly good description of guests is secured. In all brothels similar books are kept, and the duty of comparing the entries in these with the entries in those of the hikite-jaya devolves on the staff of the Yoshiwara office. In addition to these duties there are a good many harassing and vexatious police regulations to be observed by the introducing houses. Should any hikite-jaka keeper or employé secretly introduce a guest who is in possession of explosives, a sword, or poison, he is severely punished and caused no end of trouble. The payment of the guest’s bill is made through the hikite-jaya on his return to the introducing house in the morning. The guest pays his total bill to the hikite-jaya and the latter squares up accounts with the brothel. The strict rule is for the hikite-jaya to settle up these accounts daily with the brothels, but it has become a custom with the majority to balance accounts only twice a month—viz:—on the 14th and 30th day of each month. In case of a frequent visitor being without money, and unable to pay his bill, the hikite-jaya will not, as a rule, refuse him credit in consideration of the patronage he has extended to the house and in anticipation of future visits. Sometimes, however, it happens that a regular customer becomes heavily indebted to a certain house, and turning his back on this establishment he seeks for new pastures and fresh credit; but here the extraordinary secret intelligence system upsets his calculations. Among these tea-houses exists a kind of “honor among thieves� esprit de corps, and besides, self-protection has forced the houses to give secret information to each other where their mutual interests are threatened; so when a party is in debt to one of the hikite-jaya he will be boycotted by the others. A smart hand may successfully pretend to be a new arrival in the Yoshiwara once or twice, but his trick is sure to be discovered ere long. Faithful service of employés is ensured in the Yoshiwara in a similar manner. In case of a servant-maid employed in one house being desirous to enter the service of another establishment, she must first obtain the consent of her employer, and the master of the house to which she wishes to go will certainly confer with the master of the establishment she wishes to leave. In ordering food from a dai-ya (a cook-house where food is cooked and sent out to order), or in making purchases from storekeepers in the Yoshiwara, a maid-servant belonging to any of the hikite-jaya requires no money with her because the dealers all place confidence in the house from which she has come, and this they know at once by the inscription on the lantern she carries. Immediately an order is given by a maid-servant the goods are handed over without the slightest hesitation, so under these circumstances an evil-minded woman might resort to fraud without any difficulty; but should she once be detected she would never again be able to get employment in the Yoshiwara.

The fifty tea-houses outside the Ō-mon (great gate) were in former times called “Kitte-jaya� (ticket tea-houses) or “Kitte-mise� (ticket shops); they were also colloquially termed in Yedo slang—“Yoshiwara no go-jū-mai kitte� (the fifty “tickets� of the Yoshiwara) because they had the monopoly of issuing tickets or passes for the Yoshiwara. In a book called the “Hy�kwa Manroku� (��漫錄) it is recorded that in the 3rd year of Keian (1650) one of the tea-houses named “Kikuya� (sign of the Chrysanthemum Flowers) issued tickets—or rather passes—for the passage of women through the great gate. On one of these old passes was written:—

I certify that these six ladies belong to the household of a gentleman who patronizes my establishment.

January 26th—.

  Ticket-shop,

To    (signed) Kikuya Hambei.

The keeper of the great gate.

It appears from this that every lady who wished to enter the precincts for the purpose of sightseeing, or for any other reason, had to obtain a pass from the tea-houses above-mentioned. Afterwards, the “Midzu-chaya� (rest-houses) began to be built on the Nihon-dsutsumi (Dyke of Japan) and as they gradually increased and prospered they at length encroached upon the Naka-no-ch� where the tradesmen of the quarter were living. This continued until the street came to be monopolized by Midzu-chaya, and from the latter the present hikite-jaya were finally evolved. It is recorded that since the era of Genroku (1688–1703) the keepers of funa-yado (a sort of tea-house where pleasure boats are kept and let out on hire for excursions and picnics) used to arrange for guests to go and come in their river-boats, “and among the sights of Yedo were the long lines of boats floating up and down the river with gaily-dressed courtesans and the jeunesse dorée of the city in them.� During the 8th year of Kwambun (1668) all the unlicensed prostitutes in Yedo city were pounced upon by the authorities and placed in the Yoshiwara, and about this time the inconvenient custom of being obliged to visit brothels through an ageya was abolished. The tea-houses which had their origin on the banks of the Nihon-dsutsumi, now acted as guides (tebiki) to intending visitors to brothels, the old custom of the place was broken, and the name of hikite-jaya come into existence. [The tea-houses belonging to the Ageya which were removed from the old Yoshiwara, and the “Amigasa-jaya� (see this [heading] further on) which sprang into existence while the brothels were temporarily situated at Sanya, after the Furisode-kwaji (fire) of the era of Meireki, are separate establishments.] In this way the newly evolved tea-houses prospered greatly, and their influence grew apace until the older houses in Ageya-machi began to lose their trade. No doubt but the decadence of the older institutions is attributable to the superior facilities afforded to guests by the new houses. In the old days the tea-houses in Ageya-machi were allowed to construct balconies on the second stories of their establishments for the convenience of those guests who desired to witness the processions of courtesans (Yūjo no d�-chū) that formed one of the most interesting features in the life of the Yoshiwara. Prior to the fire of the Meiwa era (1764–1771) the second stories of all the tea-houses in Naka-no-ch� were fitted with open lattice-work in front, but subsequent to that memorable conflagration this restriction was removed and the houses were built so as to render them convenient for sight-seeing from the upper floor. This freedom did not prove of much advantage to many of the houses, however, as it was decided that the processions should thenceforward be confined to the Naka-no-ch�. In the 10th year of H�reki (1760) the “Ageya� completely disappeared, and the receiving of and arranging matters for guests became the monopoly of the tea-houses. Taking advantage of the position attained, the tea-houses abused their prosperity and influence and allowed their establishments to be used by courtesans, geisha, taiko-mochi, and various guests, for the purpose of carrying on illicit intrigues and advancing amours between men and women of loose morals. Not only this, but the houses allowed their accounts with the brothels to fall into arrears, or made payment in an unpunctual and perfunctory manner, and for these reasons many were suspended from exercising their business. In the era of Temp� (1830–1843) all food served to the guests in hikite-jaya was prepared on the premises by professional cooks in the service of the houses.

At present, a first customer to a tea-house is called “sh�kwai� (first meeting): the second time he comes “ura� (behind the scenes) and the third time “najimi� (on intimate terms). According to prevalent custom, guests have to pay a certain sum of money as “footing� on their second and third visits, and persons who are anxious to pass as “in the swim� are often willing to pay both these fees (ura-najimi-kin and najimi-kin) down at once. Ordinarily the najimi-kin is fixed at from 2-1�2 yen or 3 yen, according to the brothels to which a visitor wishes to go, and the tea-houses do not guide visitors who do not patronize either a first (�mise) or second (naka-mise) class establishment. In addition to other small fees the visitor is expected to give a tip of 20 or 30 sen to the maid who acts as his guide, but if he does not hand it over voluntarily it is carefully included in his bill under the heading of “o-tomo� (your attendant). Jinrikisha fares advanced will also appear in the bill (tsuké = contraction of “kakitsuke� = an account, writing, or memo) under the title of “o-tomo� (your attendant). Experience of hikite-jaya will convince visitors that these establishments never fail to charge up every possible or impossible item in their accounts: when a man is returning home in the morning with a “swollen head� after a night’s debauch his ideas of checking a bill are generally somewhat mixed up.

The expenses of planting flowers in the streets in Spring, setting up street lanterns (t�r�) in Autumn, and maintaining street dancing (niwaka) are defrayed by the tea-houses.

The profits of hikite-jaya are chiefly derived from return commissions on the fees paid to courtesans and dancing girls, and percentages levied on the food and saké consumed by guests. (A large profit is made upon saké, as this is kept in stock by tea-houses themselves). Besides, they draw a handsome revenue from visitors in the shape of “chadai� (tea money) which rich prodigals bestow upon them in return for fulsome flattery and cringing servility. The guests will also often give a s�bana (present to all the inmates of the house) when they are well treated, and at special seasons of the year, festivals, and occasions of rejoicing, the liberality of visitors brings quite a shower of dollars, all nett profit, into the coffers of the chaya proprietor.

It is one of the many curious customs of the Yoshiwara that the expression “fukidasu� (to blow out) is disliked, as also is the blowing out of the ground cherry (hozuki).[20]

Outside of a Third-class Brothel at night.

I must not omit to state that there is a low class of tea-houses which resort to extortion and barefaced robbery in dealing with strangers to the Yoshiwara. These houses are known by the general term of “bori-jaya� and their modus operandi is to detail their rascally employés to prowl about outside the quarter and inveigle uninitiated visitors to the kuruwa. Under various pretexts, inexperienced persons are guided to bori-jaya by these touters, welcomed effusively, and pestered with the most fulsome flattery and attention. Saké and food is served to them, including a number of dishes never even ordered by the guest, and by and by geisha are called in to sing and dance, although the visitors have not requisitioned their services. Later on, when the guests are primed with liquor, they are urged to visit a brothel on the condition that the expenditure shall be kept as low as possible, but, once within the low stews to which they are taken, they are persuaded to squander money on geisha and other things. If meanwhile the visitor, fearing heavy expenses, should desire to settle his bill, the keeper of the house will put off the matter and invent various plausible excuses for delaying the making up of the account. Time flies and morning succeeds the night, but no bill is rendered, and every artifice and trick is employed to detain the guest, until the latter, overcome with saké and fatigue, rolls over on the floor in a drunken sleep. Meanwhile the pockets of the unfortunate victim are surveyed in order to discover the extent of his means, and as soon as it is evident that there is no more money left to be sucked he is allowed to depart. Sometimes, however, the visitors prove too smart to be successfully swindled, but in these cases the houses afford them a very cold reception indeed. Sometimes it happens that the bori-jaya proprietors overestimate the pecuniary resources of guests who have fallen a prey to their wiles, and find that their purses are not lined sufficiently well to meet the bills run up against them. In such a case the proprietors will allow the guest to depart under the escort of one of the employés of the house. This man exercises strict surveillance over the guest, and follows him like grim death wherever he goes until the bill is settled. He is known as a tsuki-uma (an attendant—or “following�—horse) and if payment is not made he will inflict the disgrace of his presence upon the luckless wight he follows, tracking the latter home to his very doorstep and there making a noisy demand for the money owing. It is only fair to add, however, that such low tea-houses are not to be found in the Naka-no-ch�.

Name of the Present “Hikite-jaya� (1899)

Those marked “w� are kept by women.

The JÅ«-hachi-ken-jaya.
(Eighteen Tea-houses.)

The “Yoshiwara Zatsuwa� �原雜話 states that there were in Ageya-machi, besides the “Ageya� themselves, eighteen tea-houses to which persons repaired for the purpose of watching the tayū entering the various “ageya.� According to the regulations of the Yoshiwara in ancient times, the construction of tsuki-age-do (shutters which slide up into a groove above the window, like shop-shutters) in the windows of the second stories of these houses was permitted, whereas it was prohibited in any other part of the kuruwa. In the tea-houses in Naka-no-ch�, lattice work doors were used in their upper floors. It is stated that originally only the central portion of the Yoshiwara leading from Ageya-machi was called Naka-no-ch�, the other portions being named Yedo-ch� division, Ky�-machi division, etc. According to an old resident of Ageya-machi, Naka-no-ch� was formerly amalgamated with Ageya-machi owing to the number of officials being small in the former street, and about that time there was a fireman’s ensign (matoi) in existence in Ageya-machi bearing the character 中 (“Naka�), clearly showing the connection between the wards. [Nowadays the whole central street is called Naka-no-ch�—middle street—because it passes right through the centre of the enclosure.]

The “Amigasa-jaya.�
(Braided hat tea-houses.)

AMIGASA.

It is mentioned in the “Yoshiwara Taizen� (�原大全) that there were tea-houses, standing on each side of the Go-jikken-michi outside the great gate, which were known as “Amigasa-jaya� because they lent to samurai, nobles, and people who wished to conceal their identity, “amigasa� which covered the entire head, face and all.[21] These hats were usually made of rush, and being very deep looked something like inverted baskets. The twenty tea-houses are still to be seen in Go-jikken-machi, but the rush hats formerly supplied are conspicuous by their absence. In passing, it may be noted that it was a custom for these houses to lie built without second-stories facing the street.

“The “Yoshiwara Kagami� �原鑑 says:—In ancient times there were amigasa-jaya outside the great gate and visitors used to enter the Yoshiwara wearing the deep rush hats supplied by those houses. Each hat cost 100 mon (10 sen), but if the purchaser returned it on the way home the keeper of the amigasa-jaya, would exchange it for 54 mon (about 6-1�2 sen).

“These hats are no longer used, but the old name still clings to the tea-houses.�

The “Kujaku Nagaya.�

In the “Yedo Sunagoâ€� (æ±Ÿæˆ¸ç ‚å­�) we find this passage:—

“The Kujaku-nagaya (a nagaya is a long building in which are several separate residences. The old nagaya were used as a species of barracks for the retainers of the feudal lords. Kujaku = peacock) are situated at the rear of the street at the end of the paddy-fields, and are so called because from this place the brilliant spectacle of the lighted Yoshiwara can be seen to great advantage. The spot has therefore been compared to the body of a peacock, and the dazzling splendour of the Yoshiwara to the magnificent tail of that vain bird.

“In the “Bokusui Sh�karoku� (墨水消�錄) it is written:—“A row of houses on the eminence along that part of the Nihon-dzutsumi which leads to Tamachi, is called the “Peacock nagaya.� The origin of this picturesque name is that about the era of Kwanbun (1661–1672) there lived in the extremity of the nagaya a lovely girl whose wonderous beauty was noised about the neighbourhood, and, owing to the dingy block of houses having such an enchanting damsel residing in the end building, some admirers of the fair nymph, by a quaint conceit, compared the block of houses to the body and the dainty maiden to the gorgeous tail of a peacock.�

The “Kembansho.�
(Office which manages the affairs of geisha and other professionals.)

“The “Yedo-Kwagai Enkaku-shi� (江戶花街沿�誌) says:—“In the 7th year of Anyei (1778) there were about 100 professional artists in the Yoshiwara including 20 otoko-geisha (male geisha) 50 female geisha, and 16 young dancing girls (geiko).�

These people had to obtain licenses from the headmen of their respective districts, but as no fixed taxes were imposed upon them, all their earnings, including tips (shūgi) and fees (gyokudai), went into their pockets intact. Under these circumstances, many persons began to consider the advisability of taxing the geinin (artists and artistes) and appropriating such taxes towards defraying the common public expenses of the Yoshiwara. At this time the morals of the geinin were at a very low ebb, and their conduct so lax that great trouble was experienced in the quarter. Female geisha began to compete with the regular courtesans and openly offered themselves as prostitutes, while the male professionals contracted intimacies with the women in the brothels and carried on liaisons with the latter. All these abuses clearly showed the absolute necessity of putting the geinin under proper control and of framing regulations for putting a check to their unrestrained intrigues, amours, and general gross misconduct. In the 8th year of Anyei (1779) a certain person named Sh�roku (who was the keeper of a brothel known as “Daikoku-ya�) agitated the question, and after consultation with his confrères established a Kemban-sho (registry office for geisha of both sexes). Abandoning his profession of brothel-keeping, Sh�roku became the director (tori-shimari-yaku) of this institution, and under his supervision a system was inaugurated by which all geinin, including men, women, and children, j�ruri-singers, samisen-players, etc., were brought under authoritative control. The business of the Kemban-sho was transacted by two bant� (head-clerks) and some ten assistant clerks (te-dai), the latter acting in the capacity of a modern hako-ya (attendant who carries a geisha’s musical instruments) and attending to female geisha when the latter went out to fill an engagement.

The male geisha, it appears, were all bound to do duty at the Kemban-sho in turn.

Classes of Prostitutes.

The custom of dividing courtesans into higher and lower classes had already sprung into existence while the Yoshiwara was situated at Yanagi-machi (close by the present Tokiwa-bashi). They were then classified as Tayū and Hashi-j�ro.[22] During the period of the Yoshiwara three classes were added, viz:—K�shi-j�ro, Tsubone-j�ro, and Kirimise-j�ro. After the opening of the new (Shin) Yoshiwara, Hashi-j�ro and Tsubone-j�ro ceased to exist, while at the same period (Genroku = 1688–1703) Sancha-j�ro and Umecha-j�ro came into existence. After the era of Kwansei (1789–1800) the classes in existence were:—Yobi-dashi, Chūsan, Tsuke-mawashi, Zashiki-mochi, Heya-mochi, and Kirimise-j�ro. Particulars of these changes are mentioned in various old books and can also be gathered from the lists of courtesans published in those times. As to the origin of the names Tayū, K�shi, Tsubone, etc., these terms appear to have been derived from a similar classification in vogue in Ky�to, and if my readers are curious to trace these derivations they will do well to refer to a book called the D�b�-Goyen (洞房語園) for further information.

Types of Modern Courtesans.

The Tayū was a courtesan of the highest class, excelling her unfortunate sisters both in respect to her beauty and accomplishments, and, as previously mentioned, this appellation had come into existence while the kuruwa was yet in Yanagi-ch�. In the 20th year of Kwan-ei (1642) there were 18 tayū, in the era of Manji (1658–1660) 19, and in the 2nd year of Ky�h� (1718) 14, but between the 21st year of Ky�h� (1736) and the 1st year of En-ky� (1744) the number of tayū decreased to 5. In the 4th year of Kwan-en (1751) we only find one tayū in the whole Yoshiwara, and by the end of the H�reki era (1751–1763) the class had entirely disappeared. The age-dai-kin (fee) of a tayū was at first fixed at 37 momme (about Yen 6.14), but by the era of Teiky� (1684–1687) it had been doubled. In the era of Kwamp� it appears to have been 97 momme of silver (about Yen 16.00). At that period the class of courtesans styled Hashi-j�ro was a very low one, and no reliable record is extant from which we can obtain particulars of their fees.

The K�shi-j�ro were similar to those known as Tenjin in Ky�to. These women had their rooms within the �-g�shi (great lattice doors or bars) and the D�b�-Goyen (洞房語園) states that these women had the prefix of K�shi placed before the word j�ro (courtesan) to distinguish them from Tsubone-j�ro. K�shi-j�ro were next in position to the Tayū, and their fee was at first 25 momme (Yen 4.15), but in the era of Kwamp� (1741–1743) it rose to 60 momme of silver (about Yen 10.00). It is mentioned in the Naniwa Seir�shi (浪花�樓誌) published in the 10th year of H�reki (1760) that the term Tenjin was in use not only in Ky�to but in Shim-machi, Ōsaka city. Next to the K�shi-j�ro came the Tsubone-j�ro,[23] and their fee was originally 20 momme silver (about Yen 3.32), but, after the appearance of the Sancha-j�ro, competition reduced it to 15 momme (about Yen 2.49).

An Ancient “Shiraby�shi.�

A “Yobidashi� of the Yoshiwara.

In the front of the houses where Tsubone-j�ro resided, wooden lattice work screens, cut in a “figure of eight� all over pattern, of six feet in height were erected, presenting a most curious spectacle. This class of courtesans were in their turn ousted from popularity by the Umecha-j�ro about the era of Genroku (1688–1703). It is true that after the era of Temmei (1781–1788) a class of prostitutes bearing a similar name came into existence, but these latter-day Tsubone-j�ro were the lowest of low women and are not to be confounded with their predecessors.

Kirimise-j�ro were the predecessors of the present Ko-mise-j�ro (“small-shop-courtesans�) to be found by the creek. These women lived in naga-ya (barrack-like tenement houses) and offered their services for the modest sum of 100 mon (10 sen): in consequence of this latter fact they were described as hyaku-z� (or freely rendered—“100 mon women�).

At the beginning of Kwambun (1661–1672) a still lower class of harlot, called Kendon, arose, and later on another lower grade of strumpets came into existence under the euphonious name of Tepp� (a gun). The Tepp� charged 2 shu (about Yen 1.25) for a day and night, but after 10 o’clock at night even this sum was reduced, on strictly business principles, to 400 mon (40 sen).

Sancha-j�ro was the name of a class of women which sprang up when a raid was made on the jigoku (“Hell women�) of Yedo and the furo-ya (bath-house) women were brought into the Yoshiwara in the 5th year of Kwambun (1665). The derivation of the word Sancha is very curious, and its explanation lies in a phonetically evolved pun. Sancha was the old time word for powdered tea, nowadays known as matcha or hikicha. In ancient times ordinary leaf tea was infused by placing it in a bag, and shaking this bag about in boiling water until the liquor was extracted. In the Japanese the verb “to shake� is furū, but this word is also used (especially by courtesans) to mean—“to repel� or “manifest dislike to� a guest. Ground tea (Sancha)—on the contrary—was not placed in a bag, but put right into the water, and therefore it required no shaking. The negative form of the word furū is furazu, and furazu has the sense not only of “not to shake� but “not to repel.� In the D�b�-Goyen it is stated that many of the better class courtesans were proud as peacocks, and in the zenith of their prosperity they would at times display marked antipathy to some of their guests, going so far as to repel (furū) the visitor altogether. The newly arrived courtesans who had been brought into the Yoshiwara from all parts of Yedo City were quite tractable and docile and did not attempt to rebuff (furazu) would-be guests and hence the name Sancha-j�ro (“Ground-tea harlots�). The fee of the Sancha-j�ro was at first 1 Bu (gold) (about Yen 2.50). This class of women became very popular in course of time, and by the era of An-yei (1772–1780) and Temmei (1781–1788) this popularity had become so marked that the number and value of Tayū and K�shi began to decrease. By the end of H�reki (1763) the last-named classes disappeared, and as soon as they ceased to exist the Sancha-j�ro succeeded in monopolizing the whole field. About that time, however, there arose a superior class called the Yobi-dashi, and these again were divided into two grades, distinguished in the Yoshiwara Saiken (list of prostitutes) of the period by the marks

and

respectively. Those marked

corresponded in all respects to the tayū. Their age-dai for 24 hours was 1 ry� 1 bu (about Yen 12.50) while those bearing the sign

were similar to the K�shi-j�ro, their age-dai for a day and a night being 1 ry� (about 10.00 Yen).

Type of Modern Courtesan in “State� Costume.

The Sancha were divided into Chūsan (or Hirusan) and Tsuke-mawashi, their charges being 3 bu (about Yen 7.50) and 2 bu (silver) (about Yen 5.00) respectively. Both the Yobi-dashi and Chūsan walked about the Naka-no-ch� on hachimonji geta (clogs) whereas the other women, with the exception of the Tsuke-mawashi, appeared in the hari-mise (or cage-like enclosure where the courtesans sat on exhibition). About the era of Genroku (1688–1703) a class of women named Baicha-j�ro came into existence and entered into competition with the San-cha, but failed to maintain their footing. The fee of these Bai-cha was originally 10 momme (silver) (about Yen 1.66) but it was raised to 15 momme (about Yen 2.50) afterwards. By the era of Kwamp� (1741–1743) the Baicha had well-nigh disappeared. The Zashiki-mochi and Heya-mochi who existed up to the time of the Restoration are said to have been the remnants of the Baicha-j�ro.

Since the Restoration (I-shin) the different classes of prostitutes have not been distinguished by any special names, but their age-dai varies according to the position of the brothels to which they belong. At present (1899) the fees charged run from 20 sen to 1 Yen 20 sen, and the women are divided into nine classes. The fees of the women in �-mise (large brothels) and naka-mise (medium brothels) are Yen 1.20 and 90 sen respectively. These large and medium-sized establishments must be visited through the agency of hikite-jaya, and the latter receive a commission of 10 per cent, on the business introduced by them.

In passing, it may be of interest to readers to peruse the following extracts from the “K�shoku-Shūgy�-Shokoku-Monogatari,� (好色修行諸國物語), written by the well-known novelist Ky�den (京傳) under the nom de plume of Sh�zan (笑山). In this work elaborate descriptions of Yobi-dashi, Zashiki-mochi, and Heya-mochi are given, and they portray a vivid picture of the lives and customs of those women between the era of Temmei (1781–1788) and Bunsei (1818–1829).

△ Yobidashi. (Fee from 1 Ry� 1 Bu to 1 Ry� 3 Bu: about Yen 12.50 to Yen 17.50). The gorgeousness of her wearing apparel almost defies description. Her dress consists of a long robe of richly embroidered silk brocade. Her head is ornamented by a dazzling glory of hair-pins (made of the finest tortoise-shell) which glitter around her head like the lambent aureole of a saint, while her ravishing beauty is such that the mere sight of her face will steal away one’s very soul. * * * * * From this description, the neatness of her apartments, the tasteful arrangement of her furniture, and the dainty elegance of her personal effects may well be imagined. Every oiran of the Yobidashi class goes out walking in the Naka-no-ch� as soon as it is dusk. She is attended by two kamuro (young female pages), two grown up female attendants (shinz�), a man bearing a box-lantern (hakoj�chin), a footman holding an open long-handled umbrella, and an old woman (yarite) who acts as her chaperone.

△ Zashiki-mochi. (Fee 1 Bu about Yen 2.50). These women belong to the ham-magaki brothels. Their “business hours� in the day-time are from 12 o’clock at noon to 4 o’clock in the afternoon; and in the evening from sunset until 12 o’clock (midnight). * * * * * Their garments are made chiefly of velvet, crêpe, satin, figured satin, or habutaye, and their girdles (obi) of gold brocade, velvet, damask, etc. A couple of rooms of eight mats each are generally placed at the disposal of each courtesan.

Their futon (a kind of soft mattress) are of velvet or damask (heavily wadded to a thickness of about nine inches) covered on the surface with a specially woven crêpe, and each woman possesses two such futon. The coverlets used at night are of black velvet lined with red crêpe.

â–³ Heyamochi. (Fee 2 shu: about Yen 1.25).

Although these belong to the smaller establishments, there are many fine looking women among them. * * * * * Velvets, crêpes, and other silken fabrics are employed in making their garments and bedding.

△ Tsubone-j�ro. (Fee 100 mon—about 10 sen—or 200 mon—about 20 sen for a day and night).

These are an exceedingly low class of women and their houses are frequented by the riff-raff and scum of the neighbourhood exclusively.

Type of Dress worn by a Courtesan.

In this neighbourhood there is some strange slang employed. A samurai—for example—is called “Yama San;� a priest “Gen San;� a merchant “Ch�nin San;� a young man “Musuko San;� and other queer nicknames are given to the various classes of people who visit the locality. These women used to lie in wait for passers-by, and pulling in any likely patron they could find would slam to the door. A few minutes afterwards the door would reopen and the guest depart, and this process would be repeated ad infinitum.

In a humorous work by Ikku called the “Sato Kanoko Shina Sadame� (里鹿��定) the tayū, k�shi, sancha, zashiki-mochi and heya-mochi are wittily compared to flowers, as follows:—Tayū being scarce nowadays may be compared to the cherry-blossom, for as no other flowers can equal the cherry in point of colour and fragrance, in like manner the beauty and loveliness of the tayū surpasses that of all courtesans. K�shi-j�ro, being mild and gentle, are like the single-petaled cherry-flower booming luxuriantly, for they impose no sense of restraint on anyone. The prosperity of the Sancha and Zashiki-mochi may be likened to the red plum blossom (k�bai) because its colour is so deep (by means of a double entendre this means that the amours of these women are very numerous).

The heya-mochi are like the white plum-blossom, pale in colour but very odoriferous. (!!!).

The following is a chronological table of the various changes of class and nomenclature of the joro:—

Kamuro.
(Young Female Pages.)

It is mentioned in the “Yoshiwara Daizen� (�原大全) that Kaburo (or Kamuro) was the name of young females in the Imperial Court who had the greater part of their head shaven and only a long kind of scalp-lock left hanging. The little girls who attended to the courtesans in ancient times were dressed in imitation of the child attendants formerly attached to the Court, and were styled Kiri-Kamuro. Their portraits are often seen in pictures of the Tosa and Hishikawa ukiy�-e (realistic pictures) schools. The clothes of the Kamuro were cha-j�ro named Miyakoji, belonging to the Naka-Ōmiya in chiefly made of white bleached linen, on which was dyed a pinetree pattern (waka-matsu no some-moy�), or of dyed calico.

The Tayū and K�shi-j�ro were entitled to two and three Kamuro attending upon them respectively while the Sancha-j�ro had only one; this system of limiting the number of the Kamuro of a courtesan was instituted to distinguish the class to which she belonged. The wearing of a kind of clothes, made of material called �giya-zome, by the Kamuro was considered fashionable. In the era of H�yei (1704–1710) a San-Sim-machi, was attended by two Kamuro when she walked through the quarter, and this excited a good deal of comment, the elders of the place claiming that it was contrary to established custom. The matter, however, was settled when Miyakoji explained that one of the little maids who had accompanied her was the servant of a sister courtesan. This precedent once established, it became a custom for Sancha-j�ro to sometimes walk out attended by two Kamuro under the pretext that one of these girls was not her own servant. It is said that this Miyakoji was a very popular woman, and that in the house of Naka Ōmiya, to which she belonged, her memory was preserved for several generations by means of calling her successors by a similar name. Since then Wakashu-Kamuro and B�zu-Kamuro came into fashion, and of later years it became the custom for Kamuro to wear the same kind of beautiful clothes as the courtesan on whom she was in attendance. Even at the present day it is the custom for the Kamuro to wear cotton clothes, dyed with a pine-tree pattern, during the first week in January, a period which is known by the Japanese as matsu no uchi.

Modern Courtesan and Her Attendants.

The “Yedo Kwagai-Enkwaku-Shi� (江戶花街沿�誌) says:—When a young girl was brought to a brothel as a Kamuro, it was usual for the keeper of the house to see and name her. In the selection of these names high-flown cognomens such as were bestowed on courtesans were carefully avoided, and pretty innocent names were chosen. These names rarely exceeded three syllables, and never four in any case. In the event of two Kamuro being attached to one courtesan, names were given them to match: e.g. one being called “Namiji� (waves) the other would be named “Chidori� (plover), or if one was called Kureha (�織 was one of the weavers who came from Go—a kingdom of China—in ancient times) the other would receive the name of Ayaha (a weaver from another kingdom in China.) The courtesan to whom the Kamuro belonged was called her “ane-j�ro� and this ane-j�ro found the Kamuro in clothes and paid all other expenses in connection with the child. The keeper of the brothel watched the behaviour and disposition of all the Kamuro in his houses, and if any promised to become famous courtesans he had them instructed in every branch of deportment, and taught the banjo (samisen), harp (koto), floral arrangement (ikebana), incense-burning (senk� 燃香), tea ceremonial (cha-no-yu), and other accomplishments which were considered necessary in aspirants for the “profession.� The behaviour of Kamuro towards their ane-j�ro was generally gentle and submissive, and they waited on her most assiduously. They attended to all her wants, waited on her at meals, lit her pipe when she desired to smoke, accompanied her when she promenaded in the Naka-no-ch�, and ran all her errands in the neighbourhood. The Kamuro would also perform trifling services for the guests of her ane-j�ro such as bringing water for washing their hands, etc. It was the custom originally that no Kamuro should assist at a wine party, as she was expected to remain sitting by the side of her mistress in the same manner as the page of a feudal lord sat behind his master, but later on this custom was changed and now the Kamuro wait on guests and pour out the saké. When there was no available ane-j�ro the Kamuro used to wait on the master of the house, and if the latter found her smart, beautiful, and likely to become a popular courtesan, he took her himself as a sort of adopted daughter, and had her educated at his own expense so as to fit her for the calling. On the other hand, girls who gave no promise of turning out well in the business were left without any education whatever, became household drudges pure and simple, and ended their days in dismal ignorance: under the most favourable circumstances, this latter class of Kamuro would not be able to attain to reading characters other than hiragana (an easy form of native script) and to a slight smattering of samisen playing. When a Kamuro attached to a courtesan was sick, her place was taken by one of the girls attending on the master, and it was also a custom for one brothel to make a loan of Kamuro to a neighbouring house whose keeper was short of these children. There were no particular rooms assigned to the Kamuro but they generally slept in a room next to that of their ane-j�ro. They took their meals in the kitchen together with Shinz� (see [chapter] headed thus) and Wakaimono (see that [heading]) and in the day-time were allowed to romp about the galleries of the brothels and play together.

Modern Courtesan, Attendant, and Kamuro.

The term Kamuro has only been employed in the Yoshiwara, and in the Okabasho (which includes the prostitute quarters at Shinagawa, Shinjuku, Senju, etc.) young servant maids were either called mame-don or ko-shoku. Even in the Yoshiwara there was a rule limiting the number of kamuro to attend to a courtesan of a particular grade.

Shinz�.

In the “Yoshimura Daizen� (�原大全) it is mentioned that the name of Shinz� (newly constructed) has been borrowed owing to the fact that a newly launched ship is so called. When kamuro (these girls generally entered service between the ages of five to seven years) had grown up to thirteen or fourteen they were made Shinz�, according to the discretion of the ane-j�ro. About ten days prior to this event the girls obtained some ohaguro[24] (collected from seven different friends of their ane-j�ro) and blackened their teeth for the first time. On the actual day of the ceremony soba (buckwheat macaroni) was made and partaken of by all the inmates of the house, and presents of the same food were sent to every j�ro-ya, tea-house, hikite-jaya, and funa-yado with which the brothel was acquainted and on friendly terms. Sometimes sekihan (rice boiled with red beans) was distributed instead of buckwheat macaroni. It was also the custom on these occasions to put out a large number of seir� (vessels for steaming food) ranged in a row in front of the brothel, and to place them on a long table of unpainted board measuring from 9 to 18 feet in length. On a table (also of unpainted wood) inside the brothel, in the room of the ane-j�ro, were exhibited rolls of dress materials, tobacco-pouches, fans, towels, etc., which were to be given as congratulatory presents to friends of the house as souvenirs of the ceremony. In front of the tea-house or funa-yado, where the guest who was supposed to finance the ceremony was wont to come, a number of seir� were piled up, and to all the tea-houses and funa-yado presents of mushi-gwashi (steamed cakes) were distributed. On this day the interior decorations of the brothel were so magnificent and splendid that according to ancient writers the spectacle defies the power of language to adequately portray them. The shinz�, or im�to-j�ro did not at once appear in the “mise�. For a week or more from the day of her initiation she promenaded the Naka-no-ch� (clad each day in different garments) under the guidance of her ane-j�ro, and in case of the latter having any im�to-j�ro she would bring her along. When the week of introduction was past, the fellow-courtesans of the girl would “shimai-tsu-kawasu� her to their ranks by engaging her and paying her agedai every day in turn, and she would receive congratulatory presents from her friends. Sometimes two or more shinz� were initiated in one house at the same time. When a girl who had not been brought up in the Yoshiwara was made a shinz� she was technically termed a “tsuki-dashi� (one who is pushed out to the front) and as, in this case, there would be no ane-j�ro to look after her interests, the kutsuwa (explained further on) provided her with the necessary bedding, wearing apparel, and furniture suited to a heya-mochi, chūsan (hirusan?), or tsuke-mawashi as the circumstances required. The amount of money spent greatly depended on the personal attractions and beauty of the girl. As in the case of a regularly trained fille de joie, she promenaded the Naka-no-ch�, accompanied by another shinz�, for the space of a week from the day when she made her début, and, as a necessary accessory to this ceremony, a present of sakazuki (small saké cups), each bearing the name and crest of the debutante, was made to all the various tea-houses and funa-yado.

æ–°é€ å‡ºã�—ã�®åœ–
First début of a “shinz�� in the Ki�wa period (1801 to 1803).
(After the Picture by Kitagawa Utamaro.)

There was another class of prostitutes in the Yoshiwara called yakko which originally, it seems, was generally recruited from the ranks of samurai women. Every now and again a female of gentle birth would be guilty of a lapse from virtue, and, in order that the stern code of samurai honour might be vindicated, she would be sent to the public stews for a term of three, or even five, years as an exemplary punishment for her immoral behaviour. In later times all public women who were sold into the Yoshiwara from other quarters were similarly termed yakko.

In the “Yedo-Kwagai Enkakushi� (江戶花街沿�誌) it is stated that the shinz� were divided into two classes, viz—the furi-sode-shinz� and tome-sode-shinz�. For the sake of brevity, the former was sometimes called “Furi-sode� or “Furi-shin,� and the girls themselves were either recruited from among the kamuro who had attained the age of 13 or 14 years, or by outsiders specially engaged for the purpose. When the furi-shin had reached an age when furi-sode (long sleeves) were no longer suitable to them, they were attired in the same manner as their seniors. With the change of their garments came the change of the general name by which they were known, and they were now called “tome-shinz�� (short-sleeves shinz�) or more simply “tome-sode� (short-sleeves) or else “tome-shin.� When a kamuro was about to become a “furi-shin,� her master would first of all summon her parents and surety (sh�nin) and hand over to them a baishū-sh�mon (certificate of sale) in exchange for the ordinary h�k�nin sh�sho (certificate of hire) which had been given them when the young kamuro was first engaged. The master would also hand over a certain sum of money to the parents, under the expressive name of mi-no-shiro-kin (money for the body), the amount of which depended on the beauty and accomplishments of the unfortunate girl. It would, however, sometimes happen that the astute parents of the girl had been in communication with a zegen (a professional procurer) prior to this event, and when they were summoned by the brothel-keeper they insisted on removing their daughter as the term of her engagement as a kamuro had expired: they then sold the girl, at a greatly advanced price, to another brothel through the agency of the zegen. This action of the girl’s parents meant some loss to the original master, as he had to go to the trouble and expense of training another courtesan in all the tricks of the profession, whereas, if he had secured the kamuro, he would have had a girl who knew every little point regarding the business routine, and who was already trained and ready to commence her new duties. As the original contract was to employ the girl as a kamuro, the master was powerless to resist the wishes of the parents when the term of apprenticeship was up, so, as a precautionary measure against either future disappointment or dunning, the brothel-keeper, in many instances, purchased the child outright, and demanded a certificate of sale when he first engaged her as a kamuro.

Yarite.
(Female Managers.)

The duties of a yarite consist in watching everything which happens in a brothel, and includes the management of the courtesans and the due espionage of both the inmates of the house and their guests. Nowadays these women are called “obasan� (“auntie!�) The yarite’s room is generally situated in front of the stairs so as to be more convenient as a position from which the general affairs of the house can be observed. No person can fill this important post satisfactorily unless she be thoroughly well versed in the ins and outs of every matter pertaining to the Yoshiwara, and unless she possesses a fund of actual practical experience on which she can draw in an emergency. The yarite, therefore, are for the most part picked from the old veterans who have themselves served their time as courtesans. In the Ō-mise (first class house) the yarite are ensconced in their rooms, employing shinz� who play the role of aide-de-camps, while in the komise (small houses) they are accustomed to receive visitors themselves and recommend suitable courtesans. The komise yarite is indeed kept very busy, for she has not only to receive guests, arrange meetings, etc., but she has to watch the reception given to visitors by her girls, form an opinion of the visitors themselves, and attend to a hundred and one other things also. The komise yarite may be described as “cute,� and there are mighty few things that escape the notice of these lynx-eyed old beauties! The yarite originated in the furo-ya (a sort of brothel) and their original title was “kwasha� (�車 = a fire wheel). In the “Kiyū Sh�ran� (嬉�笑覽) is a note to the effect that the meaning of kwasha was “to grasp� (tsukamu) which in former times was used in the sense of “buying� prostitutes: it also had the meaning of “making oneself familiarly selfish; and as the yarite made rules which her women were bound to obey, she often showed herself heartlessly selfish towards the courtesans, and hence the name of kwasha. The regular wages received by yarite were insignificant, but their real sources of income were tips received from guests and (by previous arrangement with their employer) commissions on the sums spent by guests. They invariably wore maki-obi (a girdle simply wound round the waist without being crossed at right angles at the back). In ancient times they wore a hood or cap over the mae-gami (a coil of hair above the forehead) and wore maki-obi of black satin. They received wages twice a year, viz:—about the middle of August (chūgen = 15th day of the 7th month; the last day of the Feast of Lanterns) 2 Bu (Yen 5.00), and the end of December (seibo) 3 Bu (Yen 7.50).

Besides, they charged a commission on the food and other things brought to the guests.

(In those days the rate of commission allowed to the yarite was 200 mon (20 sen) on every Bu spent on food by guests, and she levied 200 mom (20 sen) per guest on the tea-house concerned). Even to this day the “obasan� receives a certain percentage of commission, so she is fairly well off if she is employed in a popular and largely frequented house. In smaller house the visitors give the “auntie� a tip of 20 sen or 30 sen, and those who omit to propitiate the lady in this manner find that things are not made pleasant for them. In certain houses, however, a notice is posted to the effect that no gratuities are expected by the servants, that the proprietor is anxious not to burden guests with extra expenses such as tips, etc., and that patrons will be treated with all possible consideration irrespective of such presents. Sometimes a “complaint-box� is provided and hung up, and beside it is a notice, written in bold characters, setting forth the laudable intentions of the proprietor and requesting guests to make immediate complaint if they have been improperly treated, or if they detect any objectionable practices being carried on in the establishment. Practically, however, the prevailing customs of the Yoshiwara are so ingrained and hard to fight against that there is scarcely any visitor who has courage enough to lodge a complaint.

In ancient times it was the obnoxious custom for the yarite to administer corporal punishment to prostitutes who were accused of neglect of duty, and, taking advantage of their power, they often subjected the miserable object of their displeasure to very cruel and inhuman treatment. Happily, such practices have almost ceased since the principle has been recognized of according courtesans a reasonably full measure of liberty; but even in these enlightened days sinister stories are told regarding the harsh treatment of women in some of the lower class houses. No doubt the obasan, greatly abuse their power at times, and this arises from giving them too much liberty and discretion in dealing with the inmates of brothels: they find themselves in a position to domineer over a number of other women (all of whom are practically dependent on the good-will of these female overseers) and, unless they happen to be exceptional persons, they are naturally apt to give way to their tempers and to show unfair partiality towards their subordinates, treating some kindly enough and others most cruelly. What with tips, squeezes, and lending money to the girls at usurious rates of interest, the obasan enjoy a fairly lucrative position.

The “Kutsuwa.�

In the “Yoshiwara-Daizen� (�原大全) it is stated that the custom of calling the proprietor of a brothel “kutsuwa� came into vogue when the prostitute quarter was situated at Yanagi-ch�. The place was laid out in the form of a Japanese bridle-bit (kutsuwa = a bit: shaped like a cross moline within a circle) and the houses were built in that shape, so it became the fashion for visitors to call the brothels kutsuwa.

It is stated in the “Ruishū-Sany�� (類�纂�) that brothels were named kutsuwa (which in Chinese characters reads 亡八 and means “forget eight�) because persons frequenting them were apt to forget the eight virtues, viz:—filial piety, brotherly kindness, loyalty, faithfulness, politeness, righteousness, integrity, and the sense of shame. In the Genna (1615–1623) and Meireki (1655–1657) eras the kutsuwa were called kimi-ga-tete (sovereign and parent: or “Prince of the Courtesans�) owing to the fact that at the time of the opening of time Yoshiwara the daimy� and other notables used to call the founder of the quarter—Sh�ji Jinyemon—by that name. One never hears this term nowadays.

In the “Yoshiwara-Enkakushi� (芳原沿�誌) it is mentioned that kutsuwa (a “bridle bit� 馬銜) is another name for a brothel. Some say that a certain Hara Sabur�yemon (who had formerly been a groom of the Taik�) having founded a brothel, the name of kutsuwa was given to it in commemoration of his old employment and the kutsuwa (bits) he had handled in bye gone days. Another account says that the prostitute quarter of Fushimi resembled the shape of a bridle-bit, and hence this name came into popular use. Still another version is given by the “Nobunaga-ki,� (信長記) according to which a retainer of Nobunaga’s, named Ōta Umanosuke, was once detected receiving bribes. This coming to his master’s ears, the latter, who was of a humorous turn of mind, composed the following poem and sent it to the guilty henchman:—“Zeni-gutsuwa hameraretaru ka Umanosuke? Hito-chikush� to kore wo iūran�—“Have you been bitted and bridled with a bit made of money Umanosuke? We must call you a man-beast.� (You have been gagged by a golden bit, you may therefore be described as a man-beast). In the Chinese characters, kutsuwa (亡八) meant “selfishness� or “covetousness.�

Wakaimono.
(Male Servants.)

The “Yoshiwara Shin-hanj�-ki� (�原新�昌記) says:—According to the custom of the Yoshiwara, all men-servants in brothels were called wakaimono (young fellows), and this term was applied, in a most inconsistent manner, even to middle-aged or old men in the employ of these houses. The word is practically equivalent to “boy� as used by foreign residents in the East. There are different duties assigned to the wakaimono. In the best houses they are divided into mise-no-hito (“shopmen�), naka-don (inside men), toko-ban (bed men), chūr� (overseers), nezuban (night watchmen—this duty is undertaken by all the men in turn), furo-ban (bathroom men), shita-ban (downstair men), etc. In the medium houses the chūr� are omitted, but in some of them another class of men termed oi-mawashi (overseers) are employed. In the case of most lower-class houses these grades are not known, or at least the division of labour is not so well arranged. In medium houses all the business is transacted by “shop-men,� “inside-men,� “downstair-men,� while in the lowest establishments, such as are to be found at Waru-gashi, Rash�-mon, and Fushimi-ch�, a couple of men meet all the requirements of the brothel. It is also needless to say that there is a considerable difference in the number of servants employed according to the number of prostitutes kept by the various houses. The wages of these people range from 75 sen to 1 Yen per month (in 1899) which of course, would not be enough to keep them in clothes and food were it not for their perquisites and pickings. A “shop-man� (mise-no-hito), for instance, receives a squeeze of one sen per dai (a dish containing food) and one sen per each bottle—holding 1 g�—of saké consumed by guests, and besides 5 rin (1�2 sen) for each pair of boots or clogs of which he takes charge. [This fee for taking charge of foot-gear is deducted from the agedai of the courtesans.] There is another source of income which is by no means despicable. It is derived from the extortion—for no milder term seems adequate to express the meaning—of a small, or sometimes large, balance of change which is due to guests when the latter settle their bills. In the event of a bill amounting to Yen 1.90, for instance, if a guest hands over 2 Yen in payment, the courtesan, who is ready for the occasion, urges—nay almost compels—him to give the change (tsuri) to the servant. It may happen that this goes against the grain of the victim, but he generally yields to the pressure of the girl’s persuasion for fear of being considered mean. This squeeze is called a ch�ch� (butterfly) and in some houses a collection of “butterflies� amounting to more than two or three Yen per night is netted by the astute wakaimono. It will be observed that these “butterflies� are caught by the courtesan, therefore if the wakaimono are not on friendly terms with the women they will not be successful in catching such nice fat ch�ch�.

According to the rules of each house accounts are kept either by the mise-no-hito (“shop men�), nakadon (inside men), or yarite. In every houses the proceeds arising from the sale of waste paper (kami kuzu) form part of the income of meshi-taki (the kitchen servants). Tips are naturally desired by all the servants of brothels, but the yarite, shinz�, and nakadon are the most frequent recipients of them, as their duties bring them into direct contract with guests. The �i-mawashi (overseers) and meshi-taki (kitchen maids) have no share in tips other than those given under the name of s�-bana by visitors.

The powers wielded by the bant� (head clerk) of first-class houses are similar to those exercised by the masters themselves, and the respect in which they are held by the other servants almost equals that which is accorded to the employer himself. For instance, a bant� generally comes down to his “office,� so to speak, every evening about 6 o’clock and remains until midnight (nakabike). On his arrival at, and departure from, the brothel, he is attended by the naka-bataraki (parlor-maids?) and other servants, all of whom treat him with the most profound respect. Any commission (i.e.—kasuri or “squeezes�) gathered in prior to the departure of the bant� (this is before 12 o’clock p.m.) goes to him, but after that hour the “profits� are divided among his subordinates. The monthly revenue of a bant� of one of the best houses from this source is, generally speaking, not less than 50 or 60 Yen, and even in a medium or lower-class house it ranges from 12 or 13 Yen upwards to 20 or 30 Yen.

The wakai-mono are technically known as gyū and the origin of this term is explained in the “D�b� Goyen-ho� (洞房語園補) as follows:—

In the era of Sh�-� (1652–1654) there was a brothel-keeper in Fukiya-ch� named Idzumiburo no Yohei. In this house was a man called Kyūsuke who had been long employed in the establishment and was consequently experienced in the reception of guests. The man, who was an inveterate smoker, made a peculiar pipe out of a thick piece of purplish coloured bamboo tube to which was attached a mouth-piece and bowl, and he was so fond of this contrivance that he carried it round with him everywhere, sticking it in his girdle when not in use. He was hump-backed and short in stature, and when he went about smoking his long pipe the good folk of the place said he looked like the Chinese character kyū (�). The name was gradually transferred from Kyū-suke, an individual, to the whole class of attendants. First people spoke of going to “Kyū’s� (�) place, and this nick-name afterwards became almost a general term for men-servants in brothels. The present word “gyū� is a corruption of “kyū.�

H�kan and Geisha.

ASHI-ODORI.

In the Yoshiwara, taiko-mochi (h�kan) are called otoko-geisha in contra-distinction to female geisha. More generally they are called tayū-shū. At first they were divided into several classes, among them being Uji (Uji’s school) Sugano (Sugano’s school) Ogiye (Ogiye’s school) and Sukura-gawa; their profession was to attend saké parties and sing or play to amuse the guests. Gradually, however, they were forced to look after various affairs of their customers in order to buy the good-will of the latter. At present they have completely degenerated. In spite of the fact that the Yoshiwara is the veritable birth-place of the h�kan, those belonging to the quarter are far inferior to their contemporaries of the City proper in many respects. When a h�kan of the present day is called to attend a party of guests in a brothel, he enters the room holding a folded fan in his hand, and after saluting the guest who has called him snaps the fan he carries with a sharp clicking sound and expresses his obligation to his patron’s companion in the stereotyped phrase—“oiran maido arigat�� (thank you madam for your constant favours). He then bows in turn to every person in the room, including other courtesans and geisha, his actual patron being disregarded for the time being. As soon as the party gets livened up from the effects of liquor, and the feasting has began to flag, the jesting and buffoonery of the h�kan waxes fast and furious and is accompanied by droll contortions and gesticulations, ashi-odori, suteteko, and even hadaka-odori.[25] These disgusting and highly suggestive antics of the h�kan, far from scandalizing guests, are received with great applause and appear to afford much amusement to all present. In the Yoshiwara, the most popular h�kan at present (1899) are Zenroku, Minchū, Hambei, Sh�k�, and Heiki. The usual costume of a h�kan consists of a haori of black cloth having five crests upon it, and a kimono of a different coloured crêpe. According to the narrative of an old man, there were in the era of Temp� (1830–1843) two classes of h�kan named zamochi and taiko-mochi. The former were well versed in every branch of polite accomplishments including k�-cha (incense-burning and tea-ceremonial) ikebana (floral arrangement) shikyoku (playing various kinds of musical instruments) etc., and were generally called to parties given by nobles, gentlemen, and wealthy merchants. In private life they were admitted to the friendship of poets and literary men, and even in ordinary times wore crested ceremonial clothes. When attending their customers they wore a small wooden sword called a “kami-ire-dome� (pocket-book holder) and carried about them a sum of at least 25 ry� (about Yen 250) for the purpose of making payments on behalf of patrons, as it was not the custom to receive money from the latter on the spot. The ordinary taiko-mochi, on the other hand, were those who had no special accomplishments, but even these were more accomplished than their modern representatives. They were also colloquially termed “no-daiko.�

Geisha Dancing the “Kapporé.�

Yostume no mon.

When a h�kan intends to enter the profession on his own account, he goes round to the various brothels and the tea-houses under the guidance of his teacher and fellow h�kan for the purpose of introducing himself and soliciting patronage. This proceeding is described as hirome wo nasu (to “advertise� oneself) and the larger the number of fellow h�kan who follow the debutante the greater the honour to the latter. On this day he requests the tea-houses or brothels with whom he is particularly friendly to recommend him to guests, and the latter are under a species of moral obligation to assist the beginner in this matter. In the “D�b� Go-yen� (洞房語園) it is stated that men who entertained parties of persons, under engagement by guests, were called taikomochi (大鼓� = a drum-holder). In the days of Ōta Nobunaga there lived in the city of Ky�to a man named Jige Yazaemon who was an expert player on the drum, and whenever he was called into the presence of notables to give a performance he used to beat the instrument while it was being held by one of his pupils, he himself being seated on a drum-shaped tub. Among his pupils was one named Idayū who was skilled in the act of holding the drum, and who was a great favorite of his master Yazaemon. * * * For this reason, parties wishing to engage Yazaemon used to request his performance through Idayū. This state of things gave umbrage to other pupils of Yazaemon, so they spoke of him contemptuously as “that taiko-mochi� (drum-bearer). From that time, persons who endeavoured to curry favour by flattery began to be spoken of as “taiko-mochi� until the word become almost equivalent to “sycophant.� Yazaemon was the founder of the “Kwanzé� school of drum-beating, and in consideration of his fame in this line he was allowed to sit even in the presence of high dignitaries. In the “I-hon K�-i� (異本考異) portion of the “D�b� Go-yen� (洞房語園) it is stated that the origin of the name taiko-mochi is as above related, and that to match this title prodigals (h�t�-mono = a dissolute person) were called dora-uchi (鉦打 = bell/gong strikers). Of late years, entertainers of guests without special accomplishments have been termed “no-daiko� (“field-drums� or “rustic drums�) and this name was apparently given them as a term of contempt. Nowadays, geisha of both sexes have come into existence and assist in the entertainment of guests and courtesans just like the taiko. In ancient times taiko-mochi were known as taiko-shu. The origin of the h�kan in the Yoshiwara may be traced to olden times. The “Kuruwa Ropp�� (廓六法) says:—“Taiko Naoyuki ga kuro no haori ni tate yotsume no mon-tsuki taru wo kite dote-bushi ut�te uwate-sase ageya no sashi-gami ikutsu mo mochi, un-un� (Taiko Naoyuki was walking along singing a song known as “dote-bushi.� He was wearing a black haori with a “yotsume� crest dyed upon it, and was carrying sashi-gami from ageya [to various courtesans]). This refers to the state of a taiko-mochi being sent round by ageya to call women from brothels. Again it says:—“Taiko-mochi Naoyuki wa Sh�ji no mon wo onore no mon to su * * * (Taiko-mochi Naoyuki appropriated to his own use the crest of Sh�ji (Jinyemon)) * * * mon dokoro made o-ashi ni nitari (even his crest resembled cash). These statements show that this particular taikomochi was greatly liked by the founder of the Yoshiwara—Sh�ji Jinyemon—but from the tone of the language employed we may infer that even in those days the profession was looked down upon as a mean one. About the era of Kwambun (1661–1672) taikomochi came into existence in the Moto-Yoshiwara, and Naoyuki was the most popular of h�kan at that period. In the era of Manji (1658–1660) Kutsuno Jiroyemon was the best known man, while in the era of Genroku (1688–1703) Higeno Mukyū, B�zu Kohei, and Nishuban Kichibei were favourites. The last two were really actors, but they occasionally entered the Yoshiwara in the capacity of taikomochi, and the fact that they were patronized by Kinokuni-ya Bunzaemon is mentioned in different books. About the Meiwa era (1764–1771) a taikomochi named Ippy� was very famous. (It was to the house of this Ippy� that Hiraga Kyūhei went for the purpose of meeting the courtesan Hinadzuru).

Sometimes the h�kan were called “kami� owing to the fact that among the regular attendants of Kinokuni-ya Bunzaemon was a man named Kamiyui Ch�shichi, a hairdresser by profession, who excelled in dancing the gaki-mai (hungry devils’ dance) to the accompaniment of tunes which he whistled, and who was a great favourite with the Yoshiwara women. This individual, being a barber, was called “kami� (contraction of kami-yui = a hair-dresser) which of course was written 髮 (“hair�) but after a time the word was corrupted into kami (神 = a god) and perhaps this was why the name of massha (末社 a “small shrine�) was applied to the attendants of wealthy men and now is used colloquially to mean a “jester� or “buffoon.� The h�kan of the Yoshiwara is considered as below the female geisha in rank. In former times they lived outside the kuruwa and seldom made buffoonery their sole profession, but in the era of Meiwa (1764–1771) and Anyei (1772–1780) they gradually moved into the enclosure, licenses being granted to them by Sh�ji Jinyemon in which they were described as “otoko-geisha� (male geisha). By the 7th year of An-yei (1778) their number had reached twenty and they were recognized as a regular class of professionals. Since the establishment of the kemban-sho in the 8th year of the same era (1779) the geisha of both sexes were brought under its management, but so far as the h�kan were concerned the Government only knew and registered them as dote-ninsoku (embankment coolies) or suibo-kata (coolies provided to guard against flood) so the social status of these men may well be imagined. [At Fukagawa they were officially known as amma (shampooers), at Shinagawa as tsuye-barai (tipstaffs), at Nait� Shinjuku as kera-bori (insect-diggers)].

Geisha, H�kan, and Guest.—Period 1800.

Since the Bunkwa and Bunsei (1804–1839) eras the singers of Kat�-bushi and Itchū-bushi songs came to attend guests as h�kan. When called by notables or samurai they wore hakama, and, while entertaining the guests with various amusements, acted with civility, but in the presence of traders they discarded the hakama. Generally speaking these men were well versed in deportment and various accomplishments, and, as they were fit to move in the best society, they were often engaged by poetasters, dilettantes, lovers of art and letters, and wealthy people, more as friends and companions than as the mere mercenaries they are at present. Indeed they were such highly educated and accomplished men in so many respects that persons of higher social standing were in no wise ashamed to have them for intimate acquaintances. At present the h�kan are looked down upon as belonging to a mean profession because they practice it as their sole means of earning a livelihood, whereas, in former times, it was individual taste rather than necessity which attracted persons to engage in this vocation. In order to make both ends meet, the latter-day h�kan grovel before and toady to their guests, and thus they have forfeited all title to the respect of the public. The story of the visit made to the Yoshiwara by H�ichi may be read in the light of revelations by one who was thoroughly familiar with the quarter. In the Bunkwa (1804–1817) and Bunsei (1818–1829) eras the hair of the h�kan was dressed in a style known as “mame-honda� (豆本田) and in the era of Temp� (1830–1843) in the “ko-icho� (�銀�) style.

“Mame-Honda� style of dressing hair.

Gradually the h�kan have deteriorated, but the men themselves are not solely to blame, for had their guests been respectable people, and punctilious sticklers for etiquette, these entertainers would have been compelled to maintain a high standard as regarded accomplishments and to have conducted themselves in a decorous manner. The trouble first arose through permitting laxity in the manner of dress and allowing the men to appear without hakama in the presence of guests: as soon as an inch was granted an ell was claimed, and so matters drifted on until the h�kan had sunk down to the very low social status they occupy nowadays. In an Oriental country, at any rate, if you permit any impropriety or breach of etiquette in silence the result will always be far-reaching and disastrous! In the pre-Restoration days, the fee (gyokudai) of a h�kan was 1 ry� (about 10 Yen) for 4 hours (from 6 to 10 p.m.) and out of this 500 mon (50 sen) was deducted by the kemban (see that [heading]) as commission. In order to evade necessity of paying a commission to the kemban, h�kan were in the habit of promenading the quarter in the hope of catching sight of guests whom they might happen to know, and of thus being engaged without the intervention of the registry office. This was known as “oka-dzuri� (岡釣り = land-fishing), and although the practice was known to the kemban that office simply winked at it. The present price of the h�kan’s services is 10 sen per joss-stick, and generally he receives a gratuity of from 50 sen to 1 Yen (from these payments certain small squeezes are levied by the kemban and the tea-house). There are now two classes of h�kan, one called jimae and the other kakae: members of the former (jimae) carry on their profession independently, while those of the latter (kakae) live in the houses of their masters and in return for board, and the loan of professional clothes, divide their earnings with their padrones. In fact the system is identical with the women geisha system. Among themselves they use many slangy expressions such as “O Chaya San� (instead of “hikite-jaya�). “Nesan� (instead of geisha: this word is only used in reference to the older women, the rest being designated by their own proper names), doing to a party by engagement is called “o zashiki� (instead of kyaku no seki ye deru); a brothel keeper’s private room “Go nai-sho� (instead of r�-shu no kyo-shitsu); courtesans “oiran� (instead of sh�gi); etc.; etc. In the Yoshiwara the public women are supposed to occupy the first position as leaders of society, so they are never spoken of as j�ro or sh�gi by any professional men and women, but called by the more flowery and euphemistic name of oiran.[26] Any song in which the words “Yoshiwara j�ro-shū (or sh�gi)� occurs is sung; altered to “Yoshiwara oiran,� thus softening the expression and making the sound more agreeable and less offensive to the courtesans themselves. They also call a courtesan’s room “oiran no o zashiki� (the august room of the oiran instead of “sh�gi no zashiki (courtesan’s room)). Shinz�, tea—house maids, etc., are spoken of by their respective names, and generally speaking, the same is the case with female geisha.

As female geisha are also controlled by the kemban-sho, their samisen boxes are placed out in a row at the office, each box bearing a paper label on which its owner’s name is written in large letters. Only the Naka-no-ch� geisha are registered in this establishment, and it takes no cognizance of moguri geisha (a geisha who carries on her profession clandestinely) or private geisha kept in smaller houses. In summoning a geisha, tea-houses send a maid-servant and brothels a wakaimono (man servant) to the registry office, and this messenger calls out—“⸺ san ⸺ oiran no o zashiki desu� (or translated freely “Miss ⸺ is wanted by guests in Miss ⸺’s apartments�). So thoroughly do the clerks in the kemban-sho know their business that no further conversation takes place, and the geisha is sent out forthwith: in most cases the clerks do not even enquire from whence the messenger has come as they generally are quick to recognize his or her identity, and at night a glance at the lantern of the applicant (which always bears a name or device) shows them the house to which the geisha is to proceed. If the geisha thus called has already been engaged, or is unable to attend to the call on account of sickness or other cause, an answer is given to that effect. (In the latter case a toothpick is stuck in the samisen box to show that the geisha is not able to visit her guests). The servants of the kemban-sho (kemban no ko-mono) are employed in carrying the geisha’s samisen wherever she goes. When a geisha is about to make her début she goes the round of tea-houses and brothels, accompanied by her employer (kakae-nushi) and comrades, distributing to each house towels or saké-cups inscribed with her name. These calls are made by way of introduction and to solicit patronage (aiko wo tanomi) and (as is the case with a new h�kan) the larger the number of friends who are present on this occasion the greater the honour to the geisha. The “shin-gao� (new-face), as she is called, invariably wears on the day of her début garments made of silk crêpe (chirimen) dyed with three white crests on each of them. Her hair is dressed in the “shimada� style, her obi (girdle) tied in a bow called “taiko-musubi,� and when she walks she turns back the skirt of her dress a little so as to allow a glimpse of her exquisite crêpe petticoat (naga-jiban) beneath. In case of the debutante being an o shaku (a young girl training to become a regular geisha) the style of her dress is left to her own choice, and on the day of her introduction she is called by some guest in accordance with previous arrangements made through a tea-house or brothel. If the young geisha has no engagement on this first night of her professional life it is considered as a great disgrace to her employer. It is a custom for the Yoshiwara geisha not to wear clothes bearing crests, except during the time of the New Year’s festivities and other time-honoured holidays and festivals, but to dress themselves in plain striped stuffs. On the “crest days� (紋日 = mom-bi. These are the Go-sekku or five national holidays, tori-no-machi, etc.) geisha are generally engaged, by previous appointment, by tea-houses, brothels, or by the request of some guests, and they therefore stop, during the proper hours, in the houses where they have been engaged, even though there be no guests to attend to. [On these particular days they don their crested garments for the nonce.] Should the geisha fail to keep her appointment, or not remain at her post during the regular time in accordance with established rules, she will be scolded by not only kemban but by the tea-houses and brothels, and it will be said about her:—“Zuibun tare San wa zubora da ne!� or shitsurei wo shiranai� (“Miss So and So is very neglectful isn’t she?� or “She has no sense of propriety or courtesy�).

Shimada style of coiffure.

The fees payable to a geisha are calculated at the kemban-sho by the number of hours her samisen box is away from the office. The fee is 12-1�2 sen per hour (it was 2 shu—Yen 1.25—in the olden days) and the tip given (tent� or shūgi) generally 1 Yen: for younger geisha (o shaku) the fee is 10 sen per hour and the tip about 20 sen. At present there is a class of cheap geisha who charge the rate of a younger geisha (o shaku nami no gyoku-dai = a fee the same as that of an o shaku). A small percentage of the geisha’s earnings is taken as commission by the tea-houses arranging the engagement. Some features of the old style of geisha are still retained among the singing-girls of the Yoshiwara. For instance, they wear a large maru-obi (a broad sash made out of a single piece of stuff folded lengthways once and sewn together at the edges, loosely tied and hanging down quite low) and a dress so long that it touches, and almost trails upon, the ground. The ancient styles of the coiffure are fast disappearing, their place being usurped by the Ich�gaeshi (or inverted maidenhair-leaf which requires no false hair, but consists of two tresses parted at the crown, made into rings, and gathered in at the top) and even the sokuhatsu (European style) style. Formerly the shimada was en regle and any other style was considered as impolite vis-a-vis guests. [Nowadays the ordinary geisha in the cities violate ancient customs in a hundred and one ways]. They also considered it stylish and “the thing� to go about barefooted and never, even in the coldest weather, wore socks, whereas of late years the geisha all wear tabi.

Ich�gaeshi style of coiffure.

It is stated that geisha first came into existence at Ky�to and Ōsaka in the 1st year of H�reki (1751), but they were vastly different to those of the present day. Up to the eras of Sh�toku (1711–1715) and Ky�h� (1716–1735) nearly all the courtesans were skilled in the arts of singing, dancing, music, etc., and as they were equal to the task of enlivening parties with their performances there was no room nor necessity for geisha. Besides the fact that the courtesans were accomplished, it was the custom for the wives and daughters of brothel-keepers to play the samisen and dance for the amusement of guests: these were called tori-mochi (entertainers). Again, those shinz� who were versed in amusing arts such as dancing and music, were invited by guests to assist at parties, although no fixed arrangement was made with them. These things ceased at the end of the H�reki era (1751–1763).

COURTESAN DANCING FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT OF GUESTS.—KWAMBUN ERA (1661–1671).

Formerly there was a class of female professionals called odori-ko (dancers), who not only gave exhibitions of dancing but even offered themselves as substitutes for the ordinary courtesans in order to eke out their means of subsistence.

In the 4th year of H�reki (1754) regular geiko (kind of geisha) sprang into existence for the time, and the term geisha developed later on about the 11th year (1761). In the latter year, we read that in the “Daikoku-r�� (brothel), was a geiko named Toyotake Yasohachi, in the “Ōgiya� (brothel) a geisha named Kasen, in “Tama-ya� (brothel) two geisha called Ran and Toki respectively, while another geisha known as Mondo was engaged in the “Iseya� (brothel), etc. The geisha were experts in gidayū (musical drama), naga-uta (lyric poetry or song), and bungo-bushi (a style of song which originated in Bungo), etc., and, as their name implies, they were accomplished women. The proper sphere of the geisha, on the other hand, was to entertain parties by playing popular airs and singing popular “catchy� songs. When the geisha first came into existence—about the 10th or 11th year of H�reki (1760–1761) they were employed by the brothels and lent to guests of the houses, but, as their popularity and number increased, they came to be engaged by tea-houses and individuals, or to start independently, and so gradually formed a separate and distinct profession. The liberty of action which they had acquired since they had set up independently soon degenerated into license, and it often happened that geisha not only sold their accomplishments but their charms as well: this led to the establishment of the kemban-sho by Daikoku-ya Shūmin in the 8th year of Anyei (1779) and the placing of geisha under proper control. Prior to the establishment of this kemban-sho the geisha were at liberty to go out of the great gate with guests, but subsequently this was strictly forbidden except to two geisha each day. Only on New Year’s day and the 13th day of the 7th month (Bon no jū-san-nichi) were they free to pass out of the Yoshiwara irrespective of number, but even on those days their hours of liberty expired at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. We find it recorded that the rules were so stringently enforced that comparatively few geisha actually ventured outside the gateway even on the special days above mentioned. The kemban-sho further made strict sumptuary regulations prohibiting geisha from wearing unnecessarily fine clothes, believing that if these women were dressed too magnificently it might lead to their making easy conquests of the guests they met. The dress was limited to clothes of plain non-figured stuffs dyed with their crests, and collars of some white material (shiro-eri muji no mon-tsuki) while their coiffures had to be made in the “shimada� style ornamented with one k�gai (hair-pin), one comb, and one smaller hair-pin only. This style of dress is adopted even in these times on certain days called mom-bi (crest days). In order to make assurance doubly sure, geisha were generally recruited from among comparatively plain women so as not to set up a counter-attraction to the oiran or out-shine the latter, and in a party of guests they were not allowed to sit close beside the latter except in cases of sheer necessity. When a geisha was suspected of too much intimacy with a guest an enquiry was held by the kemban-sho people, and if they considered the suspicion to be well-grounded they would suspend the fair sinner from the exercise of her profession for the space of from one to three days and admonish her as to her future conduct. Nowadays, geisha have perfect freedom of action in the matter of going out of the Yoshiwara, the only stipulation being that they are required to notify the kemban-sho of their purpose. Formerly, geisha licenses were issued by the nanushi but are now given by the kemban. In the kemban hung a number of wooden tickets bearing the names of geisha registered there, and as soon as a woman was engaged her ticket was taken down and hung up again with its face to the wall: this enabled the kemban people to tell instantly whether a certain geisha was “in� or “out.� Three geisha made one “set� (kumi) and not less than three could be engaged: this was a precaution against allowing one girl to make herself unduly familiar with a guest, but now the “set� has been reduced to two geisha only. The hours of engagement were limited from noon to 10 p.m., and during that time 7 joss-sticks (senk� shichi hon) were supposed to have been consumed: the fee was fixed at 1 ry� 3 bu (Yen 17.50) and was divided between the kemban and the geisha, the latter receiving 2 bu 2 shu (Yen 6.25). The geisha also received a gratuity of from 2 shu to 1 bu (Yen 1.25 to Yen 2.50). In the Yoshiwara there were no hakoya (samisen-box carriers) the clerks of the kemban acting in that capacity: at night time these clerks carried lighted lanterns on which were painted the sign of the kemban.

On the 2nd day of the first month the ceremony of hikizome (first playing of the samisen in the new year) was observed. After about 4 o’clock in the afternoon the geisha and h�kan, in groups of fives or sevens, went round to the various tea-houses and brothels in their holiday dress wishing the proprietors and inmates a happy new year, playing tunes of a felicitous nature, and soliciting future patronage. The tea-houses and brothels entertained these callers with toso (spiced saké), ordinary saké, and food. This custom of celebrating the hikizome still prevails.

In closing this chapter it may be of some interest to readers to note that the Sakura-gawa school of h�kan is the most influential in the Yoshiwara, and consequently many persons have concluded that this style is indigenous to the quarter: such, however, is not the case, for it originated in Fukagawa. Of late, several classes of amusements and many new songs, said to be in the Sakura-gawa style, have been introduced, but they do not seem to be particularly noteworthy.

The Europeanization of the Yoshiwara and the Introduction of Loochooan Courtesans.