There are three kinds of rakuseki. One is to leave the Yoshiwara at the expiry of the term of engagement (nenki aki); the second is to be redeemed by a guest before the term of service has expired (mi-uke); the third is to be redeemed by parents (also mi-uke). When a woman is discharged by her master, owing to the expiry of her term of engagement, she receives back from him her contract (shōmon) of service and goes away after bidding farewell to her friends and acquaintances. At the same time a check or pass (tegata), couched in the following terms, is given to the woman to serve as a token of her right to pass out of the great gate:—
Courtesan ____(name)____ belonging to the house of ____(name)____.
Her term of engagement having expired, she is to be handed over to her relatives outside the quarter, therefore please allow her to pass through the great gate without fail. (Date)
(Signed) Headman, (SEAL.)
To Shirobei, Esq.
Great gate.
But although a woman may be fortunate enough to escape the bitterness of this living death, and succeed in reaching the outside world again, yet she has violated the virtue of chastity, wasted the flower of her youth in vicious living, and as she is unaccustomed to attend to the proper duties of women her future prospects are anything but cheerful and reassuring.
Generally, the term of engagement is supposed to expire when a prostitute reaches the age of 25 years, but as a matter of fact the girls generally remain until they have reached the age of 27.
As for the mi-uke (redemption by a guest), it is a vastly different thing to the nenki-aki (expiry of term of engagement) as it not only relieves a woman from years of disgusting and painful servitude, but it may enable her to attain to a life of comparative ease and luxury. Under these circumstances, mi-uke is earnestly desired by many a prostitute, and although in vulgar novels certain girls are made to decline the offer of mi-uke by some rich guest, because they have lovers to whom they have pledged themselves to marry on the expiration of their term of engagement, such occurrences in real life are extremely rare. Far from dissuading a guest from purchasing her freedom, the average yūjo will positively importune him to take her out if he manifests his intention of doing so. When a guest wishes to redeem a woman for whom he has taken a fancy, and whose affection he desires to obtain, he mentions the matter to the brothel-keeper, who in turn communicates with the girl’s parents, and as, of course, the latter can raise no reasonable objection, the mi-uke is forthwith arranged. The redemption-money (mi-no-shiro-kin), and all the debts of the girl, are paid by the guest, and her contract of service (mi-uri shōmon = “document-of-the-sale-of-the-body”) is returned. In the proceedings that follow, the brothel-keeper plays the part of a parent to the girl. To her friends sekihan (red rice: rice boiled with red beans) and other food is distributed, while presents of seki-han and katsubushi (smoked bonito) are made to the tea-houses of the Naka-no-chō to celebrate the occasion. Farewell tips are also given to geisha (singing girls), hō an (jesters), and wakai-mono (men-servants), with whom the guest is acquainted, and a splendid banquet is held in the room where he has so often disported himself. On this occasion, the girl who has been redeemed, and her erstwhile fellow yūjo, assemble, and geisha and hōkan are invited to enliven the dinner. After the feast is over, the couple are escorted by a troop of men and women as far as the ō-mon (great gateway), where palanquins (kago) are waiting for them, and amidst a chorus of good-wishes and “sayonara” (good-bye!) enter these conveyances and ride away.
Further, there are two kinds of yūjo, known as “zegen-tsuki” and “zegen-nashi,” or those who were sold by parents direct, and those who are sold through the medium of procurers (zegen). Those who are sold direct by parents (zegen-nashi) are easier and less expensive to redeem, whereas the zegen-tsuki (sold through procurers) are not so, as the zegen often purposely try to increase the debts of such women, or to secretly prolong their term of engagement, thus throwing obstacles in the way of their redemption by a guest.
The Yoshiwara Ō-kagami (吉原大鑑) says that the going abroad of prostitutes was prohibited at the founding of the Yoshiwara, and only tayū were occasionally allowed to attend the Hyō-jō-sho (Supreme Court) to wait on officials.
In the case of a “jōro” being summoned before the “machibugyō” she was accompanied by two wakaimono, the master of the brothel, five wardsmen (“go-nin-gumi”) a representative of the “nanushi” and her “yarite.” The latter made a small present to the attendants of the “bugyō” that they might spread a mat for the “jōro” to sit on, and the “jōro” remained silent while the “yarite” answered the questions of the judge.
Once in every Spring, all the inmates of the brothels used to go out to either Ueno, Asukayama, or Mukōjima, to see the cherry-blossoms, and on these occasions they spent the day in drinking saké under the cherry-trees, and amusing themselves by dancing and other pastimes. The custom of the tayū appearing at the Hyō-jō-sho ceased about the era of Kwan-ei (1624–1643), and that of cherry-blossom viewing also dropped out of fashion after the Bunsei era (1818–1829). Even after this latter date, sick prostitutes requiring the treatment of a physician outside the Yoshiwara, or those who wished to go to their master’s villa (rō-shu no bessō) for the benefit of their health, were allowed to pass through the gate. If the parents of prostitutes who lived at Asakusa, and in its neighbourhood, were dangerously ill, they were allowed to visit them by the special permission of the rō-shu (brothel-keeper), but even in these cases the women were passed out under pretext of sickness, and a passport was given to them by the nanushi, as follows:—
Courtesan ____(name)____ employed by ____(name)____, who is under my management, being sick, is sent out of the great gateway (ō-mon) to visit Doctor ____(name)____ accompanied by her master. She is to be allowed to pass the gate without fail.
(Signed)__________
(Nanushi) (SEAL.)
To Shirobei Esq.,
Great Gateway.
A woman thus allowed out of the Yoshiwara would perhaps have looked out of her kago (palanquin) as she was borne along through the streets, and wondered at the novelty of her surroundings. Then she might have become impatient, owing to her anxiety after her parent’s health, and urged the kago-ya (bearers) to hurry forward. Arriving at her parents’ house she would perhaps have found her father, seriously ill, lying in squalid wretchedness, and have been met by her poor old mother who, taking her daughter’s hand in her own, might have been overcome with deep emotion and wept bitterly. Then came long consultations about the future, and the day of grace began to draw to a close, for it was a rule that courtesans out on leave had to return to the Yoshiwara before 5.30 p.m. By and by the sad and solemn tones of the temple bell at Asakusa would give her warning that her time had expired, and urged on by the yarite (an old brothel hag), whom she had perforce brought with her, she rose and bade farewell to her weeping parents, and re-entering her kago was carried back to her life of gilded misery well-nigh blinded by an agony of helpless tears.
Although the rules relating to the passage of the ō-mon (great gateway) were as above, there were some prostitutes who attempted to run away from the Yoshiwara, owing to an irresistible desire to see their lovers, or being heavily in debt. When such an event happened, the brothel-keeper concerned sent out men on all sides to trace the absconding woman, or applied to the police office (mem-ban-sho) for her capture, and as detectives were immediately set to work to ascertain her whereabouts, nearly all runaway women were caught and ignominiously brought back to their masters. When an absconder was brought back, she was censured for her ill-considered step by the master, yarite, and bantō, and all the expenses incurred in connection with her detection and capture were added to her debt: this had the effect of prolonging the term of her servitude in the brothel. Sometimes private punishment was meted out to her by the master if he thought she deserved it. When an elopement was attempted twice or thrice in succession, the woman in question was generally re-sold to one of the prostitute quarters outside the Yoshiwara through the agency of a zegen (procurer): this practice was called “Kuragae” (change of saddles). It is said to have been the custom that when the keeper of a brothel outside the Yoshiwara was in treaty for the purchase of a “kuragae” prostitute, he sent his bantō to the house to which she belonged as an ordinary guest. The bantō spent the night with her, and the mi-no-shiro-kin (price-of-the-body) was settled according to his report.
The Yoshiwara Ō-kagami, (吉原大鑑) says that as the life of a courtesan is generally spoken of as “the painful world” (Ku-gai 苦界) its really painful nature may be well imagined. Not only does a woman who has fallen into this unhappy position become a mere plaything to gratify the lusts of immoral men, but her freedom is so curtailed by circumstances that she cannot even sleep and eat independently, and therefore often has her constitution ruined owing to her irregular mode of eating and drinking. Others fall sick by reason of excessive anxiety over monetary affairs, and others fall a prey to loathsome and, perchance, virtually incurable diseases.
When a first-class prostitute (jōtō no yūjo) was sick, if the master of the brothel had been to much expense in procuring her, he would spare no pains to cure her illness, and if the matter was serious the woman would be removed to the master’s villa, (which was situated, perhaps, in the vicinity of Imado or Sanya), for treatment. Such an invalid would be closely attended by a kamuro (female page), and sometimes the master himself went to some temple to pray for her recovery. If, however, the yūjo happened to belong to a lower class, and was not particularly popular, the attitude of the brothel-keeper would be entirely different, and the treatment of the girl would be simply entrusted to some quack doctor, the poor creature being meanwhile thrust into an out-of-the-way gloomy room where she would pine away unseen by the other inmates of the house. When her condition was considered very precarious, the master, in order to avoid the trouble and expense involved at death, used to summon her parents and hand the sick woman over to them together with her shōmon (document of engagement). When a yūjo died in a brothel the matter was reported by the monthly manager (tsuki-gyōji) of the Yoshiwara to the nanushi, and the latter summoned her parents or surety to take delivery of her corpse. In the event of the home of her parents being far away, the remains of the yūjo were interred by the brothel-keeper in the Dōtetsu (general burial place) on the bank in the presence of her surety. This place was also known as the “nage-komi” (the “throwing-in-place”). There is an old poem illustrating the sad future which is in store for some unfortunate shōgi: it runs:—
“She is hurried to the grave in a pauper’s coffin, with but one solitary little maid to mourn her.”
Alas! this description was only too true in many cases.
Besides natural death, there were many yūjo who committed suicide, together with their sweethearts, owing to various reasons, among which the most powerful were either their inability to live together in conjugal felicity with each other, or their pecuniary embarrassments. Such double suicides had been known as shinjū (心中 “the inside of the heart or mind”), but about the era of Kyōhō (1716–1735) Judge Ōoka Echizen-no-Kami, (who is regarded as the Japanese Solomon), gave it out as his opinion that the word shinjū (心中) if read reversed would make chūshin (中心 = loyalty) and that it was absurd to call the double suicide of a man and woman, owing to love affairs, “loyalty”. He therefore ordained that this kind of suicide should be called “aitai-jini” (相對死 = “death by mutual consent”) and that word was accordingly adopted.
The late Mr. Koidzumi Yakumo (Lafcadio Hearn) in his “Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan” (Vol. 1.) gives an extremely interesting example of shinjū, as follows:—
“There lived in ancient times a hatamoto called Fuji-eda Geki, a vassal of the Shōgun. He had an income of five thousand koku of rice,—a great income in those days. But he fell in love with an inmate of the Yoshiwara named Ayaginu, and wished to marry her. When his master bade the vassal choose between his fortune and his passion, the lovers fled secretly to a farmer’s house, and there committed suicide together.
“The sad occurrence was commemorated in a popular song which ran:—
Kimi to neyaru ka, go-sen-goku toru ka?
Nan no go-sen-goku kimi to
neyo?
Once more to rest beside her, or keep live thousand koku?
What
care I for koku? Let me be with her!”
According to the Tōto Ko-fun-shi (東都古墳志 = Record of ancient tombs in the Eastern Capital), the Jōkan-ji (浄閑寺) temple of Minowa, Shitaya district, was the burial ground of the yūjo of the Yoshiwara. When the secret prostitutes of the City of Yedo were transported into the Yoshiwara, they were called baijo (賣女 = “sold women”). Originally the bodies of these women, and other secret prostitutes, were interred in the burial ground of this temple only, but later on it became the custom to bury their remains elsewhere, as also those of regular yūjo. The book goes on to say:—
“In these burial places are to be found many graves of yūjo who committed suicide with their paramours. On the tombstones are to be found engraved the descriptions of the swords with which they killed themselves, as well as their names and ages. There is something so weird and uncanny about these horribly pitiless records on the grey lichen-covered monuments that the blood of a sightseer runs cold and he becomes so nervous that he leaves the gloomy spot with the intention of never visiting it again.”38
The Jōkan-ji temple at Minowa, and the Dōtetsu on39 the bank (the Nihon-dzutsumi), were formerly the fixed burial places of the Yoshiwara yūjo who died during their terms of service and who had no person to take charge of their remains. Since the Restoration, however, the regulations of the prostitute quarters having been altered, the burial of a yūjo in these cemeteries is a rare occurrence.
The grave of the famous Taka-o of the Mi-ura-ya, and that of Usugumo, are both in the Dōtetsu cemetery. The grave of Usugumo is known as neko-dzuka (the-mound-of-the cat). October the 20th, 1893, having fallen on the 233rd anniversary of the death of Taka-o, a grand religious service was held in this temple and was attended by large crowds of people belonging to the Yoshiwara.
On the grave of Taka-o is written:—
| Samu kaze ni Moroko mo kutsuru Momiji kana! |
Alas! poor maple leaves which are crushed and scattered by the cold winds. |
The kari-taku means the establishment of a temporary place for carrying on business when the Yoshiwara is completely destroyed by fire. When such a disaster occurs, the brothel-keepers apply to the authorities for a permit to establish a kari-taku, and their application is said to be granted forthwith, even in case of only partial destruction of the quarter by fire.
The Yoshiwara has been enjoying comparative immunity from fire for quite a long period, but as late as 1862 (May 29th) more than half of the brothels in the quarter were burnt to the ground, and a kari-taku was established in the neighbourhood of Fukagawa. During the time that the business is carried on in a temporary quarter, rules and usages are not adhered to very strictly by the brothels, and sometimes, under the pretext of aiming at simplicity, even tea-houses are allowed to carry on the profession of brothel-keeping. Under these circumstances, more money flows into the pockets of the brothel-keeper than in ordinary times, and the trade usually becomes brisker than previously, owing to a larger number of guests being attracted by the novelty of the altered conditions. When therefore the Yoshiwara is not prosperous, and trade is dull, the brothel-keepers not unnaturally wish for the establishment of a kari-taku. In the 2nd year of Kei-ō (1866), while the kari-taku was established at Monzen-chō, Fukagawa, an application was forwarded to the authorities by a certain brothel keeper, offering the payment of 10,000 ryō per annum if they would give permission to leave the “temporary quarter” there permanently: the application was rejected. The “kari-taku” practice originated in the third year of the Meireki era (1657) when the brothels of Fukiya-chō were swept out of existence by the memorable conflagration of that year, and pending removal to the Yoshiwara, temporary brothels were established at Imado, Sanya, and Yama-no-shiku by means of renting ordinary houses.
After that time, whenever the Yoshiwara was destroyed by a fire, a temporary quarter was established for from two hundred to three hundred days, either at Ryōgoku, Nakadzu, Takanawa, Fukagawa, Asakusa, Namiki, Hanakawado, etc. The temporary brothels established in the second year of Kōkwa (1845) were scattered here and there in twenty different streets, viz:—Yamakawa-chō, Ta-machi, it-chō-me, Ta-machi, ni-chō-me, Sanya-machi, Asakusa-machi, Shin Torikoye-machi, it-chōme, Shin Torikoye-machi, ni-chō-me, Shin Torikoye-machi, san-chō-me, in front of the Hachiman On-yado: (in Honjō district); Rokushaku-yashiki, Kaneyashiki, Nagaoka-chō, jit-chō-me; Hachirobei-yashiki; Matsui-chō, it-chō-me, and Irie-chō; (in Fukagawa district); Eitai-ji-Monzen-chō, Naka-chō, Higashi Naka-chō, Yamamoto-chō, Matsumura-chō, Tsukuda-chō, Tokiwa-chō, ni-chō-me. In Hanakawado-machi and Shōden-chō (Asakusa), Tamaya Sanzaburō, and twenty-one other well-known brothels, were carrying on their business under special charter (tokkyo) received from the authorities.
The official instructions issued at the time of the establishment of temporary brothels were not uniform by any means, as they were drawn up to suit special circumstances, but an idea of such notifications may be gained by perusing the following transcript of one issued in the 6th year of Kwansei (1794):—
Owing to the destruction by fire of the Yoshiwara, the carrying on of the profession in temporary houses is hereby allowed, provided that the Keepers strictly conform to the following conditions:—
| (1). | The clothes worn by the yūjo shall not be such as to be strikingly attractive. |
| (2). | No yūjo or kamuro is to be allowed outside the houses, and
this applies even to being outside the houses to which they may
actually belong.
Even inside the houses, they shall not be permitted to appear in the front second-storey or in the windows in such a manner as to attract passers-by. |
| (3). | So long as the business is carried on outside of the regular quarter, everything shall be done in a quiet and unobtrusive manner, and no such displays as are allowed in the Yoshiwara shall be attempted nor permitted. |
The following description of a Kari-taku is given in the “Yedo Honjō-ki” (江戸繁昌記 Records of the prosperity of Yedo):—
“A temporary brothel has, as a rule, very limited accommodation, its capacity being only about one-tenth of that of the proper permanent building in the Yoshiwara, while the influx of guests is ten times larger than usual. Under such circumstances the beds of several guests are packed into one room, and simply divided off by means of screens: this kind of sleeping accommodation is called wari-doko (a divided bed). The beds are so arranged that sometimes one’s feet are in juxtaposition with another person’s head and vice versa. Inside the screens may be heard the voice of a yūjo chattering to her guest and flattering him with complimentary speeches such as:—‘Ever since our first meeting my love for you has become an ardent passion, and my whole soul yearns for your presence. There may be days when the raven will cease its cawing, but never a night when I fail to dream of you, my prince!’ * * *
“Within the fortification of screens to the left you can faintly hear a guest whispering to his yūjo that if she loves him he is willing to redeem her and take her away. * * * In front, the guest would appear to be a student, as he is reciting some Chinese poems from the Tōshisen. By and by his yūjo begins to wonder what he is talking about, and asks him: ‘What magical words are you uttering, and what is that chōmen (account-book) you carry with you?’ ‘Alas! what an ignorant woman you are!’ the guest retorts, ‘these are famous Chinese poems which you would do well to remember.’ * * * At the back is a guest who has been deserted by his yūjo and who, finding it impossible to remain passive, is having frequent recourse to yawning and stretching. * * * Somewhere in the room is a gentleman who has been carousing too freely, and although he is so top-heavy that he cannot stand up, he objects to lying down and going to sleep. He is apparently so beautifully boosy that when he struggles hard to arise from his couch his legs give way under him and he sinks back huddled up in a heap. Disappointed, but not discouraged, at his inability to get up, the groggy veteran begins to express his maudlin sentiments in a loud grumbling voice, venting his indignation one moment and laughing at imaginary objects the next. Shortly afterwards he will endeavour to relieve the monotony of existence by starting to sing Kiyari (firemen’s songs) in a shrill falsetto tone with all the force his lungs are capable of, but every now and then breaking down and finishing off with an inarticulate mutter or drunken gurgle.
“All of a sudden the lovely noise ceases, as his companion yūjo, fearing that his continued bawling may disturb other guests, tries to gag the singing inebriate, persuades him to lie down quietly and go to sleep, covers him over with the bed clothes, and thus extinguishes him for the balance of the night. * * * Now, one guest, who has been sound asleep under the influence of liquor, suddenly wakes up and starts off to obey the calls of nature, but in the semi-darkness he comes into contact with the wall of screens surrounding him. Then he gropes around in order to find an outlet, but failing, owing to his muddled condition, to discover his geographical position, he commences to angrily demand the reason of his supposed imprisonment and to threaten that if he be not instantly released he will smash everything in the house. No reply being forthcoming, the pot-valiant young man kicks out savagely at the screens around him, knocking them down on the top of those sleeping beauties within and rudely dispersing their pleasant dreams; and then, giving way to a paroxysm of maniacal rage, he makes a furious attack on the remaining screens, throwing them round and down in every direction, thus disclosing some very interesting sights in various parts of the room. This proves too much for the nerves of the other guests, and a general stampede ensues, the whole position being accentuated by the hysterical cries of yūjo and shouts of ‘fire,’ etc.”
From this description it is evident that ordinary houses temporarily transformed into brothels must have been interesting places to visit, especially when crowded with guests, and that many comical and amusing scenes must have been enacted within their walls. It is just because the kari-taku presented so many novel and funny features that persons were tempted to go crowding into them.
The procession, or promenade, of yūjo has been considered as, par excellence, the most splendid spectacle and important ceremony of the Yoshiwara. Once in the earlier years of Meiji, and once again in 1887, when the cherry-blossoms were in full bloom, this wonderful procession took place, but since then no attempt has been made to revive the time-honoured custom. Even on the two occasions referred to, the affair was not carried out in strict accordance with the ancient style, but in a far simpler fashion.
The best account of this procession of yūjo ever written is given in Mr. Henry Norman’s “The Real Japan,” and it is therefore quoted here.
“The most extraordinary spectacle of the Yoshiwara takes place for a few afternoons at five o’clock three times a year, when the flowers in the long street gardens are changed. First in spring comes the pink glory of the cherry-blossoms; then in summer the purple of the iris; then in autumn the hundred colours of the chrysanthemum, the national flower of Japan. When the new flowers are planted the yūjo pay them a state visit. From each of the principal houses half a dozen of the most beautiful are chosen and arrayed in gorgeous clothes, their hair dressed monumentally, combs three feet long stuck in from side to side, and then they are mounted upon black lacquered geta or pattens a foot high. When they are ready to start a score of servants accompany them; two or three precede them to put the crowd away; one holds the hand of each yūjo upon either side, and solemnly and very slowly, a step a minute, the wonderful procession moves round the garden. Other processions issue from the houses and meet and pass, and by and by the whole main street of the Yoshiwara is packed with an open-mouthed crowd, over whose heads the faces of the processionists can be seen here and there.
“The walking upon the tall heavy geta is itself an accomplishment and girls are specially trained to it. One foot is put out a little way and planted firmly, then the other geta is lifted by the toes tightly grasping the strap which passes between the first and second toes, and swung round in front of the other and across it. The first is then lifted and placed on the other side of the second—exactly in fact like a skater doing the outside edge. The Japanese call it hachimonji ni aruku—‘figure of eight walking.’ It is difficult to give in words an adequate notion of the extraordinary effect of this procession. The costly and gorgeous clothes of the yūjo, silks of marvellous richness, and brocades blazing with scarlet and gold; the exaggerated bow of her obi tied in front (the courtesan is compelled by law to distinguish herself in this way),40 the pyramidal coiffure, the face as white as snow, the eyelashes black, the lips vermillion and even the toe-nails stained pink; the men-servants respectfully holding the tips of her fingers on each side and giving as much heed to every step as an acolyte might give to an aged Pope, her several women servants walking solemnly behind: a footman pushing back the crowd and another removing every twig or dead leaf from her path; her slow and painful hachimonji; her stony gaze straight before her, half contemptuous and half timid; the dense and silent crowd; the religious aspect of the vicious ceremony,—all these go to make a spectacle apart from anything one has ever seen—an event outside all one’s standard of comparison—a reminiscence of phallic ceremonial—a persistence of Priapus.”
In the “Yoshiwara Taizen” (吉原大全 The Complete Book of the Yoshiwara) reference is made to the effect that
“The term dōchū (道中 a journey; travelling) meant the going out of a prostitute to an age-ya, or to promenade in the Naka-no-chō. It was used in the sense of travelling to a distant part of the country because, for instance, when a yūjo of Yedo-chō started out to go to Kyō-machi she was supposed to be going on a journey.
“It requires some considerable training to enable a yūjo to make a dōchū as it is a most difficult thing to lift the lower portion of her clothes in such a manner as to move with graceful dignity.
“Though there are no age-ya to be found at present, the custom is still preserved, and the appearance of yūjo in the Naka-no-chō is called the dōchū.”
In the days when there were age-ya in the Yoshiwara it was the custom for a tayū to go out to the age-ya to which she was called to meet her guest, and on these occasions she was escorted by her shinzō, yarite, kamuro, and wakaimono. With reference to this subject, the Dōbō Go-en (洞房語園) says that
“In the Moto Yoshiwara (prior to its removal to the present site), yūjo used to be carried to age-ya on the backs of servants when it rained. These men-servants (called roku-shaku), by placing their hands behind their backs made a seat, by means of their palms, on which the tayū sat—or rather knelt—carefully wrapping her underwear around her feet and leaving her outside dress hanging loosely down. The tayū’s hands were not employed in holding any part of her bearer’s body, but engaged in adjusting her garments, etc. From behind, a servant covered her with a long-handled oil-paper umbrella, and in this position the tayū is said to have looked very stylish.”
Since the removal of the old brothel quarter to the present Yoshiwara, it is said that tayū sometimes went out to age-ya riding in palanquins, as this was considered to be a convenient mode of transit.
In the “Dōbō Go-en I-hon Kō-i” (洞房語園異本考異) it is stated that
“Up to the era of Keichō the ladies of noble families were usually borne on the backs of men-servants in rainy weather, palanquins being but every seldom used. These ladies wore a kind of veil-like hood (katsugi) on their heads, and on the backs of the bearers were fastened wooden rests on which the women could sit. The custom of prostitutes being carried on the backs of men-servants appears to have arisen through a desire to ape the higher classes.”
“Since their removal to the Shin Yoshiwara, palanquins were often used, but later on were dispensed with, and yūjo preferred to walk to their destination even in rainy weather. * * * As stated above, better-class yūjo went out in palanquins when the weather was rainy, or the roads dirty, but shin-zō used to walk, wearing sandals called “tsume-kakushi” (nail hiders): these tsume-kakushi were more particularly in use in the Mi-ura-ya of Kyō-machi.”
The reason that the promenading of yūjo became one of the most splendid spectacles of the Yoshiwara in later days was because (though the women ceased to pass to and from the age-ya after the disappearance of the latter) they used to be in the habit of showing themselves gorgeously apparelled in the Naka-no-chō and holding an exhibition of themselves in the tea-houses there. The custom of the dōchū is therefore a relic of a prevailing fashion of those times.
As already stated, a yūjo who went out walking in rainy weather was covered by a long-handled umbrella held over her head from behind. This umbrella was usually employed by persons of gentle birth, but its use by yūjo was permitted on the supposition that the latter were Court ladies.41
To see the procession of a yūjo at night passing through the brilliantly lighted streets surrounded by her shinzō, kamuro, yarite and wakaimono, proceeded by a great lantern emblazoned with her crest, and followed by a crowd of tea-house and funa-yadō people each carrying a lighted chōchin, was a very imposing sight indeed, and one which probably was unique of its kind and without a parallel in any other country.
In ancient times all yūjo wore sandals, but later on a woman named Fuyō (in the employ of Hishiya Gonzaemon of Sumi-chō), who was an open-handed extravagant person and fond of ostentatious display, began to wear koma-geta (a kind of matted clog) even on fine days. The charming manner in which this woman minced along on her koma-geta, artfully disclosing the scarlet lining of her clothes as she walked, and the general grace of her demeanour, evoked universal admiration. Imitation, it is said, is the sincerest form of flattery, and the people must have been very much fascinated with Fuyō’s koma-geta, for they all began to gradually imitate this style of foot-gear, until it became the popular fashion of the Yoshiwara. On New Year’s day, and on other holidays, no koma-geta were used by the women belonging to the house of Matsubaya Hanzaemon of Yedo-chō, and it therefore seems that even at this period something of the simplicity of old-time customs was retained, and that the community had not as yet fallen into the luxurious habits of later days. The extravagance manifested in wearing apparel used in promenading appears to have reached its climax about the 11th year of Kwansei (1799), for it is mentioned in the “Kyaku Monogatari” (客物語 = written by Samba—a noted humourous writer), that the outer garment was of deep blue coloured satin, the skirt being embroidered with a pattern composed of lobsters: the underclothes were of green coloured mōru (a kind of thick cloth woven with raised figure’s) secured by a shigoki (loose girdle) of grey-coloured satin lined with red crêpe. The hair was done in the Hyōyo-musubi style and was ornamented with two combs and eight hair-pins, this having been the regular custom of the time.
In the Bunkwa (1804–1817) and Bunsen (1818–1829) eras the shikake (loose robes) worn when promenading were either black or green in colour and were, as a rule, richly embroidered in gold and silver thread and silk thread of various hues. The patterns most in vogue were unriū (dragons and clouds), hiriū (flying dragons), gan-ka no botan (peony flowers below a rocky cliff), mōshi kyō-hon (raging lion), etc.; and the general effect of these gorgeous embroideries, glittering with gold and blazing with all the colours of the rainbow worked in harmonious blendings, was indeed striking and unique. Under the shikake were worn three white rinzu (figured satin) kosode (one over the other) each bearing five large crests dyed upon them.
Their manner of walking was known as uchi-hachi-mon-ji, because each step was taken with the toes pointed inwards (uchi) like the Chinese character (monji) eight (hachi 八). There are but very few persons who now understand this Style of walking. Later on, the custom of wearing geta (clogs) was introduced by the yūjo Fuyō, (already mentioned) who was vainly fond of finery, as she initiated the practice of wearing three-legged geta, with straw sandals attached to them. There were certain fixed ceremonial dresses which were worn according to the season, and special costumes for the New Year’s holidays and the 1st day of the 8th month. It is stated in the Kita-zato Bun-ken-roku (北里聞見錄) that on the 3rd day of the 1st month of the 11th year of Bunkwa (February, 1814) among the yūjo who were out walking in their brand new geta and magnificent gala dresses, astonishing the spectators with the dazzling splendour of their gay apparel, was a woman named Ariwara (belonging to the house of Tsuru-ya Ichisaburō of Kyō-machi It-chōme) who became the centre of attraction owing to the novelty of her costume. She wore robes made in imitation of those worn by certain military officers of the Imperial Court (Ō-uchi bu-kan). From the waist upwards the material was of a pale blue tint and on it were embroidered three corded lines in silver thread. On the left shoulder was embroidered a bundle of kiri-fu no ya (arrows winged with the spotted feathers of a falcon) worked in gold, silver, and coloured threads. This upper garment represented the naoshi (a kind of robe worn by nobles). The lower portion was dyed a deep purple and embroidered with yatsu-busa no fuji (eight-petalled wistaria flowers) in silver: this apparently was intended for sashi-nuki (a kind of silk trousers worn by warriors.)
Her obi (girdle) was of crimson worked with elaborate embroideries in gold, silver, and coloured threads. Her hair was done in the karawa (osa-fune) style. The whole “get up” was that of a Court warrior, and it is said that the idea of dressing herself in this manner occurred to Ariwara owing to her family name being similar to that of the noted warrior and poet of ancient day—Ariwara Narihira Ason. This instance of the extravagant nature of a yūjo’s dress in those days is merely given to illustrate the quaint costumes adopted, and the lavish manner in which the women spent their money in their endeavours to show themselves off in novel and costly habiliments. It is curious that notwithstanding the magnificence of their costume the yūjo ceased to wear tabi (socks) in the Kwansei (1789–1800) and Bunkwa (1804–1817) eras, although they had worn them prior to the Tenna era (1681–1683). In ancient times the tabi were of leather, stained purple.
When an ane-jōro (elder-sister-harlot) initiated her imōto-jōro (younger-sister-harlot), and allowed her to appear in the misé for the first time, the act of thus furthering the interests of the younger woman was called tsuki-dashi (to push out and forward). It was the bounden duty of an ane-jōro to arrange everything connected with this tsuki-kashi ceremony at the request of the brothel-keeper, and this act of duty was known as “o yaku.”
The tsuki-dashi proper lasted for a week, and during that time the debutante, accompanied by her ane-jōro, used to promenade the streets of the Yoshiwara by way of introduction, in the same manner as if she were performing a regular dōchū. Every day, both the debutante and the ane-jōro appeared in different costumes. The hair of the ane-jōro was done either in the Hyōgo, osa-fune, sage-gami, or shimada styles, but the coiffure of the debutante was invariably made in the shimada style. [Since the advent of the Meiji era this custom has disappeared, but according to the narrative of a person who once saw such a ceremony, the debutante wore yellow clothes, and the clothes of her retinue of yarite, kamuro, and wakaimono, were all of a similar hue].
During the week of introduction, the new-comer was engaged by her fellow yūjo in turn, and to the latter presents were made by way of reciprocity.
The expenditure involved in connection with the appearance of a new yūjo was roughly estimated at from 300 to 500 ryō. Then there were expenses connected with the tsumi-yagu (bedding), usually ordered from “Dai-maru” and “Echigo-ya.” Of course in all these matters there were wheels “within wheels,” and, although the tsuki-dashi expenses were nominally defrayed by the ane-jōro, as a matter of fact the latter tapped the pockets of her guests to meet the bill. Generally an ane-jōro would have a number of admirers who could well afford to be generous, such as officials of the Government treasure godowns, wealthy saké merchants of Shinkawa, etc., and on these occasions the astute lady would not fail to wheedle out of them all the cash she wanted. The classes of yūjo who anciently participated in promenading were the Chūsan and Yobi-dashi, and though the system of going to age-ya when called by guests no longer existed, the women continued to walk in the Naka-no-chō after dusk for the purpose of showing themselves to the spectators and as a means of attracting guests. The procession was proceeded by a couple of firemen (tobi-no-mono) carrying a kanabō (an iron staff fitted with rings), which they struck on the ground as they walked, producing a sharp metallic jingle and thus warning the crowds of the approach of the oiran.
With them walked a wakaimono (man-servant), lighting the way with a big lantern (dai-hari) on which was emblazoned the crest of the yūjo. The yūjo herself walked slowly along escorted by two furi-shin (furi-sode shinzō), two kamuro, one ban-shin (ban-tō-shinzō) and six wakaimono. They never returned the same way they went out: it was a rule that when a procession walked on the right side of the street on its way out, it should return on the left side. While the procession moved, the proprietors of tea-houses came out to the front of their establishments, saluted the passing beauty, and urged her to sit down and rest there; but she would merely smile graciously and walk on, placidly smoking her handsome pipe the while. Yūjo were formerly well-trained in their special manner of walking in procession, and though they wore very high clogs, accidents but rarely happened. To stumble was considered a sad disgrace, and if a yūjo accidentally tripped up in front of a tea-house custom demanded that she should enter the establishment and entertain all the inmates at her expense. The sight of a lovely and bewitching yūjo clad in rich silk brocades glittering with gold and polychromatic tints; of her wonderful pyramidal coiffure ornamented with numerous tortoise-shell and coral hair-pins so closely thrust together as to suggest a halo of light encircling her head; and her stately graceful movements as she swept slowly and majestically through the Naka-no-chō, must indeed have appeared magnificent and awe-inspiring to the uninitiated. Indeed we are told by ancient writers that the spectacle fairly entranced the country-folk and “robbed them of their very souls”, and from such remarks we may gather that these processions of yūjo were by no means conducive to the elevation of the moral tone of the crowds of persons who flocked to see the Yoshiwara with gaping mouths and upturned eyes.
In view of the approaching “mixed residence” of foreigners in the interior, it is said that the authorities are contemplating the advisability of interdicting the present custom of exposing yūjo in “cages” to public view; and that Susaki will be the first prostitute quarter to discontinue this somewhat scandalous practice. Even as it is, the exhibition of yūjo in cages is not openly recognized except in the Yoshiwara and a few other yūkwaku, so the probability is that is will be discontinued ere long, even without the interference of the local governments. While many have no sympathy with the “hai-shō-ron”42 movement which found a good many supporters in Japan a few years ago, it is their profound conviction that the prostitute quarters should not be made a show-place, that display for the purpose of the attracting attention should be discouraged, and that reverence for humanity and common chivalry should forbid even the semblance of anything approaching the public exhibition of unfortunate women, however low they may have fallen. At the present time, the majority of the Japanese public do not seem to see anything shocking or strange in the sight of hundreds of gaudily attired courtesans sitting in rows exposed to public view as living “samples,” and this tends to bridge over the sharp line of demarcation which should exist between the demi-monde and honest women. This again leads to a good deal of freedom and license of speech, and permits the doings of yūjo, and the libertines who support them, to be unblushingly chronicled in newspapers and indelicately alluded to in novels. Then again, at the time of the festival of the “Tori-no machi” the various yūkwaku are crowded by a vast multitude of sight-seers including thousands of young persons of both sexes: this means that very young and perfectly innocent boys and girls are so accustomed to the strange scene, that they see no indelicacy in it, and so they grow up knowing far more about these matters than is good for them. To Europeans and Americans it is a strange sight to see family parties, including modest young girls, wending their way through the crowded streets on the night of the Tori-no-machi, buying various knick-knacks and gazing at the painted beauties in their gorgeous dresses of glossy brocade and glittering gold. It is certainly opposed to foreign ideas to take one’s young daughter sight-seeing in a prostitute quarter!