Prostitute - Shogi

Another name for prostitutes. The practice of calling brothels "shoka" (prostitute houses) and prostitutes "shojo" (prostitutes) was also seen in the Edo period, and there is a humorous book with the title "Kinuburui" (Prostitute Silk Wicker) (by Santo Kyoden, published in 1791). However, after the Meiji Restoration, licensed prostitutes, who did not previously have fixed names, were unified under the name "shojo" (prostitutes), and the term was mainly used in that sense from then on. The Prostitute Emancipation Edict of 1872 (Meiji 5) was merely a formality in advertising, so prostitutes continued to exist even after that. Looking at the regulations of each prefecture that had jurisdiction over prostitutes, apart from the addition of an age limit (15-16 years old) and the obligation to be tested for venereal diseases such as fungal infections, the conditions for prostitutes were not substantially different from those of traditional prostitutes, with services limited to rented rooms, residence limited to designated brothel areas, and significant restrictions on going out. In 1900 (Meiji 33), the Salvation Army launched a campaign to abolish prostitution, but the right to freely quit prostitution, which had been the only right up to that point, was abolished in the Prostitution Control Regulations (Ministry of Internal Affairs Order No. 44) issued in the same year. Although a ruling was made that the advance loans were invalid, it was difficult to quit prostitution, and although a ledger of earnings was created, unknown debts were added and it was impossible to avoid arrest. Moreover, the number of prostitutes continued to increase, and by the 1920s there were more than 50,000 prostitutes registered nationwide. On the other hand, the quality of prostitutes declined, leading to a decline in the number of customers, and the status of social women shifted to geisha. In February 1946 (Showa 21), the regulations governing prostitution were abolished, and the term "prostitution" also disappeared.

[Yoichi Harashima]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

売春婦の異称。遊女屋を娼家、遊女を娼女・娼妓と別称することは江戸時代にも散見し、洒落(しゃれ)本に『娼妓絹籭(きぬぶるい)』（山東京伝著・1791刊）の題名もある。しかし明治維新後、従来一定の名称をもたなかった公娼を、娼妓の名に統一したので、以後はおもにその意味で用いた。1872年（明治5）の娼妓解放令は形式的な宣伝にすぎなかったから、以後も娼妓は存続した。娼妓を管轄していた各府県の規則をみても、年齢制限（15～16歳）と検黴(けんばい)（黴毒などの性病検査）の義務とが加わったほかは、接客は貸座敷内、住居は遊廓(ゆうかく)指定区域内に限り、外出も大幅に制限を受けるなど、従来の遊女の条件と実質的に大差なかった。1900年（明治33）救世軍による廃娼運動が展開されたが、これまでの唯一の権利であった自由廃業も、同年の娼妓取締規則（内務省令44号）で削除された。前借金無効の判決は出たが廃業の実行は困難であり、稼ぎ高の貸借帳簿は作成されたが、内容不明の借金が追加されて拘束を逃れることはできなかった。しかも娼妓数は増加し続け、1920年代には全国に5万人以上が在籍した。一方で娼妓の質的な低下が遊客の下落を招き、社交女性の地位は芸者に移った。1946年（昭和21）2月に娼妓取締規則が廃止されたので、娼妓の名称もなくなった。

［原島陽一］

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