The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1907-06-27
STUDENT IMMORTALITY IN JAPAN

expenses Of a Chinese student in
Toxic are estimated at a minimum
of 80 yen. The expenses of a girl stu
dent are less than those of a man.
The terrible situation here with re-
spect to school girls is not, as has
been carefully explained to me over
and over because Japanese girls do
not prize virtue; but because they
prize other things, an education, and
realty 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.
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 occi.
dent The social evil is licensed,
(though by no means confined to
those holding licenses) and it is com.
mon for a parent to sell his daughter
into life of shame. Ninety-eigh 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
ings. The former takes good care
that the debt is not wiped out until
he is ready to let the girl go. The lat
ter never thinks of rebelling, for filial
obedience is the first article of the
that no swords, knives or sharp
weapons are allowed in the "Yoshi-
wara," which is the name of the dis
trict set apart for this purpose, lest
the unhappy girls make away with
, themselves. 1t is said that the aver
age number of visitors to this quarter
of Toxic is no less than quarter of a
million month.
l can believe this, because Of what
I have seen. The night | visited the
Yoshiwara, in company with a mis-
sionary the streets were so crowded
that policemen stood in the center OF
the road, holding aloft lanterns to di-
vide the traffic, which is entirely
pedestrian.
Two 1nexpressibly shocking aspects
of that nights experience especially
impressed me. One vas the number
of boys and young men, thousands OF
them in student dress, who openly fire.
uuent the Yoshiwara. The crowd was
like that which lines the down town
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 we're out enjoying the life.
These would, unabashed, chat with
the girls in the cages, and the latter
seemed to have no feelings OF dis
grace.
An Anglo-Saxon does not relish the
sight of human beings displayed IL
! cages. Yet hundreds of these line the
streets of the Yoshiwara, each con
E tanning from dozen girls upward
True. the cages are beautifully glldec
and lacouered, some of the rear panei'
heing real works of art; and the girls
are elaborately dressed in gauo'
: Gowns each seated before toilet boz
where she perfects her painting ant
3 Wondering in public. The cages arr
: cages. and the poor painted creature!
3 within are human beings, thus onere'
for nublic inspection and sale.
One hour in the YoshlWara Is SUI
K fcient to turn any white man foreVe
+ against the licensing of the social evil
= Adjoining the Yoshiwara and par
). of it, is the hospital for dereilcts
:. Everything is minutely regulated by
d special department of the government
Y The latest official statistics snow NOR
l. than 10000 licensed prostitutes IN TN
y emnire. with more than 3O,OOO gelsh
g girls in addition. Taking all classe
/. Of prostitutes, there are said to BE- az
r cording to the latest publication o
e the subject, How the Social EVIL i
e Regulated in Japan" no less than . .
# OO0 OOO or five per cent OF the populs
l. t;on of japan, or ten per cent. OF III
l. fem.le population of all ages!
3, In the light Of the foregoing 1t
d seen that one of the tremendous task
3 undertaken by the missionaries, an
n especially through the girls school
is the creation of the Anglo-Saxon COZ
cnntion of morality in the Japanes
mind. A missionary is also chien
n responsible for the agitation wnicn +
e. suited in the law few years sine
,e Giving the enslayed girls loop no
s. Of escape from the life. under certal
le d,fBcult conditions. A rescue home
m maintained in Toxic by the mlsslo
n aries and the w. C. T. u, and thrt
al others throughout the empire by IL
le salvation Army. The most tanglp
le and promising efforts for the pette
Or ment of moral conditions among u
lg students are those put forth by al
is tiuctiveiy missionary agencies
es copyright, by Joseph b. Bowles)