Carrie Chapman Catt - Diaries, Korea and Japan, October 4th - 30th, 1912 (Box 1, Folder 8)

for $5.50 we were entertained by 9 dancers. See larger houses there are more [grids?] and they are brittle [illegible]. We sat on the floor with socks over our shoes. Our little trays before us was tea and peppermint [illegible] There were girls who played on their native instruments and five or seven girls did the dancing. The dancers are symbolical of illustrations of some idea, a [illegible]. The girls sang also. Some are very funny and all rather clever and interesting. We all wanted to see more of it and a better performance, but not opportunity offered. The little girls gathered around us after the program and admired all our clothes and especially the lorgnettes of the D. and our fourth mem-ber—Mrs. [Meisham?] of Chicago.

As soon as we arrived at the Imperial I was approached by Mrs. [Hall?] of Chicago, Curator of the Fine Arts there, to say that Mr. & Mrs. rushed into come that evening and speak They are nice [forward?] people, who gather the liberals of every sort. But, my, I was ready to drop and I couldn't do it. Besides we had [other?] planned, which shocked Mrs. Hall when I confided them. [Nonetheless?] we engaged

a guide and an automobile and about 9 p.m. we were driven a long distance away to Yoshiwara the famous Red Light District of Tokyo. Here the [illegible] Evil has been segregated for 300 years and is so closely regulated that many Europeans think of it as the solution of a vexed problem. A beautiful gateway across the street announced the entrance. It is brilliantly lighted and well [illegible]. All is quiet and orderly. There are fine buildings in street upon street—some [illegible] courts in the center and in every one, one of the things is to be seen: (11 A large room with matting on the floor as in a house. The back road is made of beautiful [illegible] the front rail which is on the street consists of wooden bars about two or three inches apart. In this room sit the prostitutes their hair decked with many pins, clad in beautiful kimono (usually all alike in one house) and with their obis fastened in front. Here men may gaze at them, select the one he wants and at a [illegible] where sits a

hard faced man, he may engage her, pay his money, register his name and she then takes him to her room, to come back to the place when that one has gone. 21 The higher priced most exclusive ones do not have the women sit in exhibition, but their portraits are there in [illegible], and in several these [slowly?] [revolved?], giving an evasive attractiveness to the faces. All of these girls have a maid —a little girl—and sometimes a manservant. Very many of them are sold to this business by the fathers for a definite sum of money which they must [illegible]. The girl is given a govern -ment [government] [license?] and she contracts to remain 3 yrs. stay of her earnings are hers. From her half she pays her board, clothing, tax to the Government, hospital fees, and applied the rest to the loan. If she is ill, the time she is absent is added to her contract and she must stay until she has paid back the money [illegible]. Often girls of high character enter these places to do favors to their fathers and when they come out it is said that no one condemns them. We heard

that one girls served there to raise the money to keep her brother in college in America when funds fell short. I shall never forget these rows of faces behind the bar, each expressive of the most unthinkable sorrow! Nor the hard man at the window—a type unlike any other we had seen. Five thousand girls are there and it is reckoned that when licensed and unlicensed prostitutes and the geishas are counted there are 2 million of them. The geishas, pretty girls, are trained in all the ways of coquettes and are the real [illegible] enemies of the wife and home. She is only plying her only trade to which her parents have said her. O Man! are you human or devil? I wonder!

Monday Oct 14. We went to see Miss Tsuda school for girls and I made a little speech to the senior girl who will soon be teachers. I had a nice long talk with Miss Tsuda about my mission. We did a little [illegible] and after lunch went back to Yokahawa arriving about dinnertime—that meal

being preferred by Chinese dressmaker [illegible] One day of the previous week we went by automobile to Kamakura—the ancient capital. The great Buddha is there, the largest statue in the world. He is made of bronze and his "insides" contain a good sized room and shrine. He is certainly a wonder.

Tuesday Oct. 15, Mrs. McVey having trouble with her teeth, the Dr. and I must alone to Miyunoshita [Miyunoshita], a mountain resort where people go in sum-mer [summer]. The Fujiya Hotel is picturesquely located and excellent. The trip gave us a further view of the country. We went by train to [Kudsan?], by train to Omota and by ricksha [rickshaw] four made [further?] There we lunched, took a walk, shopped that is everywhere [illegible] and returned, getting home for a very late dinner. We had had a pleasant day, for there was nothing peculiarly grand about it. We saw Mt. Fiji, as we did when we went to Kamakura—the sacred mountain which is ascended by 15,000 pilgrims every year.