ABSTRACT
Inviewoftheapproaching"mixedresidence"offoreignersintheinterior,itissaidthattheauthoritiesarecontemplatingtheadvisabilityofinterdictingthepresentcustomof exposingyujoin"cages"topublicview;andthatSusaki willbethefirstprostitutequartertodiscontinuethissomewhatscandalouspractice.Evenasitis,theexhibitionof yifjoincagesisnotopenlyrecognizedexceptintheyoshiwara andafewotheryukwaku,sotheprobabilityisthatiswillbe discontinuederelong,evenwithouttheinterferenceofthe
localgovernments.Whilemanyhavenosympathywiththe "ltai-sltO-ron"*movementwhichfoundagoodmanysupportersinJapanafewyearsago,itistheirprofoundconviction thattheprostitutequartersshouldnotbemadeashow-place, thatdisplayforthepurposeoftheattractingattentionshould bediscouraged,andthatreverenceforhumanityandcommonchivalryshouldforbideventhesemblanceofanything approachingthepublicexhibitionofunfortunatewomen, howeverlowtheymayhavefallen.Atthepresenttime,the majorityoftheJapanesepublicdonotseemtoseeanything shockingorstrangeinthesightofhundredsofgaudilyattired courtesanssittinginrowsexposedtopublicviewasliving "samples,"andthistendstobridgeoverthesharplineof demarcationwhichshouldexistbetweenthedemi-mondeand honestwomen.Thisagainleadstoagooddealoffreedom andlicenseofspeech,andpermitsthedoingsofyfi:jo,andthe libertineswhosupportthem,tobeunblushinglychronicledin newspapersandindelicatelyalludedtoinnovels.Thenagain, a.tthetimeofthefestivalofthe"Tori-nomaclti,"thevarious yukwakuarecrowdedbyavastmultitudeofsight-seersincludingthousandsofyoungpersonsofbothsexes:thismeansthat veryyoungandperfectlyinnocentboysandgirlsareso accustomedtothestrangescenethattheyseenoindelicacy init,andsotheygrowupknowingfarmoreaboutthese mattersthanisgoodforthem.ToEuropeansandAmericans itisastrangesighttoseefamilyparties,includingmodest younggirls,wendingtheirwaythroughthecrowdedstreets onthenightoftheTori-no-ma,chi,buyingvariousknick-knacks andgazingatthepaintedbeautiesintheirgorgeousdresses
ofglossybrocadeandglitteringgold.Itiscertainlyopposed toforeignideastotakeone'syoungdaughtersight-seeingina prostitutequarter!
