—A woman doesn’t just need to take care of her face, added Miss Shinonome. A hairy inside leg is not only ugly but it interferes in bed. Hair removal with tweezers.
If we use a razor, the stubble is uncomfortable for the customers, she explains, frowning, with a stifled cry as each hair is removed by Miss Murasaki wealding the tweezers with expertise, not pausing once.
—Watching them, Ichi is reminded of the adults repairing fishing nets***
Ichi from the southern fishing island of Satsuma is sold into prostitution for ten years by her parents at the age of 15, and if she works hard during this time she should be able to pay off her debt, if not, she will be sold on down the chain to lower and lower levels of pleasure houses. This book, ‘Girl of Joy’ follows Ichi and her friends through this first year as they are taken under the wing of an Oiran, a top level courtisan, in Ichi’s case Miss Shinonome from the opening quote, and as the full understanding of their new life comes upon them. All of Ichi’s hopes are then dashed following the visit of her father, one year later, to the owners of the pleasure house but who does not see her and contracts a further debt she must pay off:
—The end of the year was a difficult time for fishermen and peasants. They got by thanks to their daughters bodies….
—I even calculated how long it would take me to pay back my debt counting 5 yen’s per month…
she would need 8 years without spending any money….
—furthermore, even if I earn more, my father will come back.***
But a wind of change is blowing over Japan, a law had been passed some years earlier to free the girls from their debt, the reasoning was simple, when the girls became courtisans they were no longer human, but animals, as were cattle and horses, and who would ask cattle or horses to pay back a debt. But even this did not help as the owners of these pleasure houses, the police and local magistrates agreed not to apply it and went on as before.
We live the disgust of Ichi at the Salvation Army who were battling to free the girls based on the fact that they had chosen their fallen way of life.
A first in Japan then takes place, a strike in the shipyards of Nagasaki, the girls learn from this and post a list of demands before considering going back to work:
Reduction in the price of tobacco
The right to an evening meal even when they don’t have clients
Fish once every three days
An extra egg on days of many clients
Coal in winter even when we don’t have clients
A reduction in the price of clothes necessary for work
Fifteen days holidays after abortions
The right to say no to clients with syphilis.***
A historically interesting book about these times.
First published in Japanese
Translated into French by Sophie Refle as ‘Fille De Joie’ and published by Actes Sud in 2017
***My translation
South of Paris books 