Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-06
ON THE TRAIL. OF THE
AMERICAN MISSIONARY

have not caused a ripple OF interest In
Japan The immortality has conferred large
~ about the dormitores and student board
ing houses, the latter especially. It has
been shown that hundreds, If not thou
sands, of girl students purchase their edu-
cation alta price that would seem incredible
10 western ears. For instance, it is admit
ted that nearly all of the 1900 Chinese
students here afford homes to Japanese
girl students, or pseudo students. Tho
Chinese StudentS-moSt of whom by the
sarily more immoral than the Japanese, but
they are possessed of more money. The
average expenses of a Japanese college
man, including tuition, board, books,
clothes, etc, are less than Is yen a month";
which is $3.50. The average expenses of a
Chlnese student in Toxic are estimated at q.
minimum of 30 yen. The expenses Of a
girl student are less than those of a man.
The terrible situation here with respect
to school girls is not, has been care
fully explained to me over and over, be-
cause japanese girls do not prize virtue,
but because they prize other things, an edu-
ca ton and fealty to parents, far more.
Girls are sent into Toxic from the country
to get an education who have no idea
where they are going to board or to attend
school, and lack the money to do either.
X
In all this it Is to be- remembered that
the attitude of the Japanese toward the
relation of the sexes is very different from
that of the occident. The social evil is
licensed Though by no means confined to
those holding licenses), and it is common
for parent to sell his daughter into life
of shame. Ninetyeight per cent of the
prostitutes in the empire are secured in this
manner. Sale is not the word employed
here; the keeper lends money to the father
to be repaid out of the daughters earn
lngs The former takes good care that the
debt is not wiped cut until he is ready to
let the girl The latter thinks n
rebeiling for tilial obedience is the first ar
tcle of the Japanese creed Yet it is sig
n.fcant that no swords, knives or sharp
weapons are allowed in the "YOShiwara,"
which is the name of the district set apart
for this purpose. lest the unhappy girls
make away with themselves. 1t is said
that the average number of visitors to this
quarter of Toxic is no less than quarter
of million a month.
l. can believe this. because what
have seen. The night | visited the Yoshi-
Wara, in company with a missionary, the
streets were SO crowded that policemen
stood in the center of the road holding
aloft lanterns to divide the traffic, which
is entirely pedestrian. not even jinrikishas
being allowed in this quarter. The build
ings which line the streets are larger,
costlier and better lighted than the build
ings in any other part of the city.
Two inexpressibly shocking aspects of
that nights experience especially i'm
pressed me. One was the number of boys
and young men, thousands of them in stu
dent dress, who openly frequent the YoShi-
wara. The crowd was like that which lines
the downtown streets of an American city
on the night of a presidential election.
Not only were there myriads of men on
the streets, but women and children also
were out enjoying the life" These would,
una Dashed chat with the girls in tie cages,
and the latter seemed to have no feelings
of disgrace.
X
IN Go oh, e;g
Of human beings displayed in cages. Yet
hundreds of these line the streets of the
Yoshiwara, each containing from a dozen
girls upward. True, the cages are beauti-
fully gilded and lacquered, some of the rear
panels being real works of art; and the
girls are deliberately dressed in gaudy
gowns. each seated before a toilet box,
Here she perfectS her. painting and pow
dering in public. The cages are cages, and
the poor painted creatures within are
human beings, thus offered for public in
spection and sale One large cage was
filled entirely with girls in student dress.
implanted and with .leir hair worn in
simple student fashion.
One hour in the Yoshiwara is sufficient
to turn any white man forever against the
licensing of the social evif- Adjoining the
YoShiWara and a part of it is the hospital
for derelcts. Everything is minutely regu-
lated by special department of the gov
eminent The latest official statistics show
more than $4,000 licensed prostitutes in
the empire, with more than 10000 geisha
girls in addition. Taking all classes of
prostitutes there said to be, according
to the latest publication on the subject,
How the Social Evil Is Regulated in
Japan" no less than 100000 or per
cent of the population of Japan, or 10 per
cent of the female population of all ages!
In the light of the foregoing it is seen
that one of the tremendous tasks under
taken by the missionaries and especially
through the girls schools is the creation
of the Anglo-SaXon conception of morality
In the Japanese mind A missionary is also
chiefly responsible for the agitation which
resulted in the law few years since Civ
ing the enslaved girls a loophole of escape
from the life, under certain difficult condi-
tons rescue home is maintained In
Toxic by the missionaries and the w. c.
T. T., and three others throughout the en-
pire by the Salvation Army The most
tangible and promising efforts for the bet
terment. of moral conditions among the
students are those put forth by Distinctive
ly missionary agencies.