Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-10-04
Why Jdpdn;s
WomenAre
On The Spot

u for her revenue Since 1900 however manufacturing
has until today 1t rivals agriculture in economc
Importance
At the start of World II Japan had nearly 100000
factories. We get some idea what this means by
comparison with industrial State Of Pennsylvania
which has $4,000 factories. japan has than
FIVE times many Not all OF these japanese factories
large course. neither the average Pennsyl
vania factory which employs only so workers.
Japan introduced modern factories and industrial
ducton machinery with minimum of change from her
old traditions She remains true the old customs though
tried to become industrial at any
taxed for example to help support these factories but
Japan let factories interfere with the old tradition
of servitude for her womenfolk.
The Japanese factories located in the suburbs
handicapped like parks and spoessly clean
and out Gold fish swim in aquariums throughout the
work Miniature gardens scattered around the
building There parrots in gay decorated cages
One for these homeke touches that
whenever possible women The factory actually
their home for several and they seldom outside
except on very special occasions.
Japan did change its social system with the coming
of factories japanese girls the prop
erty of the head Of their family for years still
despite their work in these factories The girls father
her until she is married This that a
tor who wants her to work for him arranges
with her father for the girls services about the
becomes 16 years old The lease is for TO years
work
- Japanese girls do have to apply at an employ
ment Office their fathers them that bother. From
her home. usually farm village the young working
girl taken to the labor contractors factory
lives with the other working girls dormory
at table. The girls permitted leave
the factory until their contract expires except visit
to the town. not more than twice a month
These factory girls start working at six and
tnue until five which amounts TO day In
the middle of the forenoon and again in the afternoon
work interrupted for Is minutes during they
required to take setting-up exercises.
After their days work they return compound or
dormitory, where they live. This is usually
wall fence which surrounds the factory Lights
out in the compound at Beds shelf-lke
hunks eight more to each sleeping
For her ten hours of work each day the factory-gr
gets around "a cents the usual exchange in
the abe has q month
The girl herself does not this money Most Of goes
to the labor contractor pay him back for the money
that he advanced to her father at the time she
The girls get for themselves about each
days pay. This carefully that by the
time the lease them expires they will have SIS
which they dowry to help marriage broker
get husband for them.
This usual scheme of virtual servitude is not as unpop
uar with the girls might imagine Many of them
prefer factory work longer hours the
water muck and manure Of the rice paddy. In this
flooded field they would have to wrap straw around their
legs protection against the bites and stings diff
Many prefer the factory carry
ing for the ships at Nagasak serving
out lease as cage-girl In Yoshiwara-a red light
section.
This system forced labor of young has been
the backbone of Japanese industrial expansion no
other land will IL be found such large scale Yet
customary thing Japan and for centuries before
they dreamed of factories The Japanese woman
worked hard and at whatever her father
make the most profit from.
This tradition been abandoned with the coming
of the which have been adapted to the old system
by adding compounds gold parrots ana calling
marriage brokers become labor contractors
One of the loyal friends of japan Lafcado Hearn
who spent the prime of his active life working with hemI
they started undermining He apprehensve abouN
this whole industrial system when it began In the early
1900s he wrote:
The old methods of family production seem
doomed beyond hope and instead of the ancient kindly
latons between master and workers there have been
brought into existence all the horrors of factory life
worst The combinations of capital have actually re-
established servude under harsher forms than were
imagined in the feudal era"