Cow and horse cutting and unraveling

Japanese: 牛馬きりほどき - ぎゅうばきりほどき

…Dajokan Decree No. 295, which prohibited human trafficking. It was issued on October 2, 1872 (Meiji 5). It prohibited the practice of selling and buying under the pretense of indentured servitude, set a time limit for indentured servitude, and ordered the release of prostitutes and geisha. The Ministry of Justice Decree No. 22, which was issued afterwards, stipulated that prostitutes and geisha have lost their personal rights and are no different from cattle and horses, and stipulated that they could not be asked to repay past debts. For this reason, it was called the "Order to Free Cattle and Horses." Prior to this decree, in July of the same year, the "Maria Luz Incident" occurred, in which the government rescued 230 Chinese coolies who had been held captive on a Peruvian ship anchored in Yokohama and returned them to China. …

From [Human Trafficking]

…The government, declaring that “this is a great shame for the people of the Imperial Nation,” immediately issued the Dajokan Proclamation No. 295, which included the prohibition of human trafficking and the emancipation of geisha and prostitutes. The Ministry of Justice, stating that “prostitutes and geisha have lost their human rights and are no different from cattle and horses,” ordered the cancellation of advances, which was called “the emancipation of cattle and horses.” However, the government had no intention of abolishing the red light districts, and brothels were renamed “chamber rental businesses” and began to rent rooms to free prostitutes. …

*Some of the terminology used in reference to "cow-horse cutting" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

Japanese:

…人身売買を禁じた太政官達第295号。1872年(明治5)10月2日布告。年季奉公等の名目で売買同様のことが行われてきたのを禁じ，奉公は年限を定め，娼妓芸妓等を解放するよう命じている。続いて出された司法省達第22号では〈娼妓芸妓ハ人身ノ権利ヲ失フ者ニテ牛馬ニ異ナラス〉として，過去の借金を返すよう求めることはできないと定めている。このため〈牛馬切りほどき令〉といわれた。　この布告に先だつ同年7月，横浜に碇泊中のペルー船に監禁中の清国人苦力230人を政府が救出，清国に返した〈マリア･ルース号事件〉が起きた。…

【人身売買】より

…政府は〈皇国人民ノ大恥コレニ過ギズ〉として，直ちに人身売買の禁止と芸娼妓解放を含む太政官布告第295号を出した。司法省は〈娼妓芸妓ハ人身ノ権利ヲ失フ者ニテ牛馬ニ異ナラズ〉として前借金等の棒引きを命じたので，世人これを〈牛馬きりほどき〉と称した。しかし政府には遊郭を廃止する意思はなく，遊女屋は貸座敷業者と名を変え，自由な娼妓に座敷を貸す形式がとられた。…

※「牛馬きりほどき」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について | 情報

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