Life of Girls Sold into Japan’s Pleasure District
Linfamy・12 minutes read
During the Edo Period in Japan, young girls were recruited as kamuro to work in pleasure houses, where they were trained in various skills and educated in manipulating men. Kamuro's virginity was auctioned off at a high price during graduation ceremonies, with wealthy patrons often covering the costs, contributing to the cycle of recruitment in pleasure districts.
Insights
- Children as young as 5 years old were recruited by scouts to be sold by their parents to pleasure houses in the Edo Period in Japan, promising better food, clothing, and status in exchange. This practice highlights the exploitation of vulnerable individuals, shaping their future careers in the pleasure districts from a very young age.
- Kamuro, essential young servants in the pleasure quarters, were trained in various skills, including the art of manipulating men, and were later promoted to roles as prostitutes or high-ranking courtesans. The graduation ceremonies, such as mizuage, marked a significant transition to adulthood, showcasing the intricate rituals and practices that governed the lives of these individuals within the pleasure houses.
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Recent questions
How were women recruited into pleasure houses?
Women in pleasure houses were often recruited as children, sometimes as young as 5 years old, with scouts seeking candidates willing to be sold by their parents. Parents in poor areas were convinced to sell their daughters to pleasure houses by promises of better food, clothing, and a chance at a higher status.
What role did kamuro play in the pleasure quarters?
Kamuro, young servants to courtesans, were essential to a courtesan's business, running errands, carrying messages, and acting as messengers between courtesans and clients. They were given new names and mentored by their courtesan "sisters" in the ways of the pleasure quarters, trained in various skills and educated in the art of manipulating men.
How did kamuro transition to adulthood in the pleasure quarters?
At around 13 or 14 years old, kamuro graduated from their status and were often promoted to become prostitutes or high-ranking courtesans. Graduation ceremonies, called mizuage, marked the transition to adulthood, with rituals like blackening teeth and parading through the streets in different outfits. Their virginity was kept intact to be auctioned off at a high price.
What was the perception of kamuro in the pleasure quarters?
Kamuro were perceived as innocent and playful individuals, likened to children and cherished by many. Following the mizuage ceremony, they could advance to become high-ranking courtesans or shinzō, upgraded kamuro who served courtesans. Initially restricted from intimate interactions with clients, shinzō eventually transitioned to lower-level secks workers, often remaining in that role for their careers.
How were the costs of graduation ceremonies in pleasure houses covered?
The ceremony costs were sometimes covered by wealthy patrons, who would go to great lengths to please the courtesans, contributing to the cycle of recruitment in pleasure houses. Kamuro's virginity was auctioned off at a high price, with cases of pregnancies usually due to interactions with coworkers rather than clients.
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Summary
00:00
Edo Period Japan: Kamuro and Courtesans
- In the Edo Period in Japan, pleasure districts were seen as fantasy lands where enchanting women fulfilled desires.
- Women in pleasure houses were often recruited as children, sometimes as young as 5 years old, with scouts seeking candidates willing to be sold by their parents.
- Parents in poor areas were convinced to sell their daughters to pleasure houses by promises of better food, clothing, and a chance at a higher status.
- Kamuro, young servants to courtesans, were given new names and mentored by their courtesan "sisters" in the ways of the pleasure quarters.
- Kamuro were essential to a courtesan's business, running errands, carrying messages, and acting as messengers between courtesans and clients.
- Kamuro were trained in various skills and educated in the art of manipulating men, preparing them for potential careers as prostitutes.
- At around 13 or 14 years old, kamuro graduated from their status and were often promoted to become prostitutes or high-ranking courtesans.
- Graduation ceremonies, called mizuage, marked the transition to adulthood, with rituals like blackening teeth and parading through the streets in different outfits.
- Kamuro's virginity was kept intact to be auctioned off at a high price, with cases of pregnancies usually due to interactions with coworkers rather than clients.
- The ceremony costs were sometimes covered by wealthy patrons, who would go to great lengths to please the courtesans, contributing to the cycle of recruitment in pleasure houses.
11:54
"Kamuro to Shinzō: Transition in Pleasure Quarters"
- Kamuro were perceived as innocent and playful individuals, likened to children and cherished by many. Following the mizuage ceremony, they could advance to become high-ranking courtesans or shinzō, upgraded kamuro who served courtesans. Initially restricted from intimate interactions with clients, shinzō eventually transitioned to lower-level secks workers, often remaining in that role for their careers. Other secks workers in the pleasure quarters included bath house women, who assisted patrons in bathing innocently.
