Yatona (hired woman, hired waitress) - Yatona

Japanese: やとな(雇女∥雇仲居) - やとな

A type of waitress unique to western Japan, mainly in the Hanshin region. They help with everything from serving food to cleaning up after the meal, keep the conversation going, and help with entertainment by playing the shamisen, singing, and dancing. They fulfill both the roles of waitress and geisha, but are paid less than geisha. There were temporary waitresses during busy periods in the Edo period as well, but professional yatona did not appear until the end of the Meiji period. It is said that they were the result of those who registered as sake servers to circumvent the restrictions placed on geisha's place of residence, and then changed careers. Kobe City established a new employed waitress tax in 1917.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

阪神地方を中心に西日本に特有の仲居（なかい）の一種。配膳から跡片づけまで手伝い，酒間をとりもち，三味線をひき歌をうたい踊りをおどって興を助けるなど，仲居と芸者の両役を兼ねながら花代（はなだい）は芸者よりも安い。江戸時代にも繁忙期に臨時雇いの仲居はいたが，職業的な〈やとな〉の出現は明治末期である。芸者に居住地制限を加えたため，これを逃れようと酌人の登録を受けたものが，さらに転身した結果という。神戸市は1917年に雇仲居税を新設した。

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

<<: Yadonashidan Shichi Shigure no Karakasa - Yadonashidan Shichi Shigure no Karakasa

>>: Yadokarisunagic (Yadokarisunagic) - Epizoanthus paguriphilus