Part 5

△ _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.

△ _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-jōro_. (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.

[Illustration: 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 “_Chōnin 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” (里鹿子品定) the _tayū_, _kōshi_, _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. _Kōshi-jōro_, 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 (_kōbai_) 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_:—

Yanagi-chō Period Hashi-joro. Tayū. │ │ │ └─────────┐ │ │ Moto-Yoshiwara Kirimise- Hashi- Tsubone- Kōshi- Tayū. joro. joro. joro. joro. │ │ │ │ │ │ ┌──────────────┬───────┘ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ Genroku Kirimise- Baicha- Sancha- Kōshi- Tayū. (1688–1703) joro. joro. joro. joro. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └──┐ │ ┌──────┬─────────┤ ├───────┬──┴──┤ │ │ │ │ │ │ Kwansei Kirimise- Heya- Zashiki- Tsuke- Hiru- Yobi- (1789–1800) joro. mochi. mochi. mawashi. san. dashi.

Kamuro.

(_Young Female Pages._)

It is mentioned in the “_Yoshiwara Daizen_” (吉原大全) 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 _ukiyō-e_ (realistic pictures) schools. The clothes of the _Kamuro_ were _cha-jōro_ 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-moyō_), or of dyed calico.

The _Tayū_ and _Kōshi-jōro_ were entitled to two and three _Kamuro_ attending upon them respectively while the _Sancha-jōro_ 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 _ōgiya-zome_, by the _Kamuro_ was considered fashionable. In the era of Hōyei (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-jōro_ 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 _Bōzu-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_.

[Illustration: Modern Courtesan and Her Attendants.]

The “_Yedo Kwagai-Enkwaku-Shi_” (江戶花街沿革誌) 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_ (吳織 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-jōro_” and this _ane-jōro_ 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 (senkō 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-jōro_ 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-chō, and ran all her errands in the neighbourhood. The _Kamuro_ would also perform trifling services for the guests of her _ane-jōro_ 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-jōro_ 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-jōro_. They took their meals in the kitchen together with _Shinzō_ (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.

[Illustration: 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.

Shinzō.

In the “_Yoshimura Daizen_” (吉原大全) it is mentioned that the name of _Shinzō_ (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 _Shinzō_, according to the discretion of the _ane-jōro_. About ten days prior to this event the girls obtained some _ohaguro_[24] (collected from seven different friends of their _ane-jōro_) 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 _jōro-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 _seirō_ (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-jōro_, 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 _seirō_ 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 _shinzō_, or _imōto-jōro_ did not at once appear in the “_mise_”. For a week or more from the day of her initiation she promenaded the _Naka-no-chō_ (clad each day in different garments) under the guidance of her _ane-jōro_, and in case of the latter having any _imōto-jōro_ 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 _shinzō_ were initiated in one house at the same time. When a girl who had not been brought up in the Yoshiwara was made a _shinzō_ 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-jōro_ 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-chō_, accompanied by another _shinzō_, 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_.

[Illustration: 新造出しの圖 First début of a “_shinzō_” in the Kiōwa 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_” (江戶花街沿革誌) it is stated that the _shinzō_ were divided into two classes, viz—the _furi-sode-shinzō_ and _tome-sode-shinzō_. 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-shinzō_” (short-sleeves _shinzō_) 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 (_shōnin_) and hand over to them a _baishū-shōmon_ (certificate of sale) in exchange for the ordinary _hōkōnin shōsho_ (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 _shinzō_ 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_” (火車 = a fire wheel). In the “_Kiyū Shōran_” (嬉遊笑覽) 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_” (吉原大全) 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-chō. 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-Sanyō_” (類聚纂要) 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 _daimyō_ and other notables used to call the founder of the quarter—Shōji Jinyemon—by that name. One never hears this term nowadays.

In the “_Yoshiwara-Enkakushi_” (芳原沿革誌) it is mentioned that _kutsuwa_ (a “bridle bit” 馬銜) is another name for a brothel. Some say that a certain Hara Saburōyemon (who had formerly been a groom of the Taikō) 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-chikushō 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_.)