Press translations [Japan]. Social Series 0216, 1946-02-02.

Summary:

Licensed prostitution which has been casting a gloom over the history of our womanhood was abolished throughout the country on and after 24 January by the Allied General Headquarters' directive.

In this connection, in ISHIKAWA-Ken all regulations concerning this system were abolished on and after 24 May 1941. Since then, licensed prostitution has completely vanished within the prefecture, and the current system of "the special service girls" and their keepers has been adopted to replace the former. There is a question, however, whether or not this new system, which is virtually quite the same as licensed prostitution, though it differs in name, can be placed outside the ban ordered by the recent directive.

The restriction of freedom by the white slave trade as well as the corruption of sexual morals by prostitution, are nothing but a remnant of a servile and uncivilized community. Supposing that the release directive is also to be applicable to this system, all the existing red-light districts and 650 service girls will have to disappear. Consequently it is anticipated that private prostitutes will solicit openly. Anyway, the release directive is causing great interest among the parties concerned. It is understood that the intention of Allied Headquarters is also to remove the slavish and uncivilized bonds. It is also expected that if the system remains in some form, the freedom and better treatment of the girls, such as the publication of the flesh-traffic contract, the improvement of accounts, the emancipation of girls from the restriction of freedom, or their participation in business operation, etc. will strictly be enforced along the lines of the directive, The prefectural authorities will decide their policy upon receiving official instruction from the Home Ministry.

From the viewpoint of social policy, however, the prefectural authorities think it too early to abolish the licensed quarters, and are of the opinion that the directive's aim is to abolish state authorized prostitution and provides for freedom for geisha-girls or waitresses as well as their better treatment.

The following is an opinion stated in this connection by the ISHIZAKA and ATAGO Licensed Quarters Union official in KANAZAWA-Shi: "We have not yet been instructed by the prefectural authorities regarding such a directive. Accordingly we don't know the details of its contents. In ISHIKAWA-Ken, there is net a single girl who has a license as a prostitute, except those who are licensed as service girls. Therefore, the directive has nothing to do with us. The service girls, however, are virtually the same as licensed prostitutes. Owing to this, in ease our business also will have to be abolished, it is necessary to consider the matter as a social problem. Supposing the present system should be abolished, the increase of private prostitutes and the withdraw 1 of venereal examination will inevitablly cause the worst results,

SOCIAL SERIES: 216 (Continued)

ITEM 1 (Continued)

such as the spread of venereal diseases as well as the lewdness which will prevail among the public. For this we think it necessary that the present system be continued. If the directive aims to release the girls from the feudalistic slave trade and slavish business, then we hope to think out a suitable method for improving accounts, giving the girls freedom or other better treatment, etc.

Mrs. SHIMADA, Kiyo, Chief of the Women's Department of the Labor Union states as follows: The day has come at last when woman suffrage is granted in JAPAN which has been noted as a country of dominance of man over woman. At this time, we must completely wipe out in the name of the democratic JAPAN the disgusting system of licensed prostitution. I think the existing fact, that the men are treating the women as mere playthings by having licensed quarters as social establishments proves that they should naturally be abolished without the directive of MacARTHUR's Headquarters.

It is feared that an increase of private prostitutes and the spreading of venereal diseases will result if the system should be abolished. Are the women guilty? They are not, I dare say. Did women willingly enter into such a life? They fell into the miserable situation on account of this system which was created by men. We women want eagerly to emancipate these pitiful girls into a free world as soon as possible. We must give a warm welcome to those girls who have regained their freedom, give them a decent job, and lead then into a home-life upon their recovery from both mental and physical exhaustion or give them a stabilized livelihood. Also we must call for grave reflection by the families which want to wake a living at the price of their dear daughters and to reed out such evils committed by the woman's weakness to sacrifice herself.

At the same time women must take a lead in the democratic move in the reconstruction of JAPAN. Women are neither weak nor the plaything of men. It is a woman's duty to aid the men who are becoming desperate due to the defeat, and to bear up strongly. We women are all hearty supporters of the directive.

Summary:

A farmers' movement has begun in the FURANO district in HOKKAIDO, and they are demanding farming rights in the Imperial forests and the HOKKAIDO Imperial University's forests, and the free disposition of the university's rice-fields. The Farmer's Leagues of both FURANO and YAMABE villages, of which 1500 families are tenants of the university and are suffering from fuel shortages in spite of the abundant forests, are appealing to all the farmers in HOKKAIDO, where Imperial forests of 810,000-chobu exist. Their movement is based on the grounds that the existing university's fields have been cultivated by them and at present the fields are utilized only for the purpose of studying the tenant system instead of agricultural technique.

In the early part of January, the district labor unions, town-men and villagers formed the FURANO-Machi Fuel Problem Settling League, which has demanded the government sale of the experimental plantations and the Imperial forests to the FURANO Branch Office of the Imperial Forest Bureau. A mass meeting of farmers is expected to be held in the near future for promoting the movement.

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SOCIAL SERIES: 216 (Continued)

Full Translation:

In order to democratize the organization of WASEDA University after the resignation of President NAKANO, the delegates of the alumni, namely ASANMA, Inaijiro, NAKAMURA, Takaichi, HASHIMOTO, Tomisaburo and FURUSAWA, Isojiro, met on the 30th with HAYASHI, Kimio, Managing Director: of the university, and presented the following demands relating to the problems of democratization and the successor to the presidency. (1) Those who were in charge of managing the university as directors during the war should retire from their position. (2) The determination of a successor to the post of president should be decided not by the Board of Directors but by an election hold by the whole council. And the university authorities should rapidly make the best of democratizing the university.

Answering this, Managing Director HAYASHI stated that he wanted the Board of Directors to appoint the next president. And, to the question as to what opinion the director had as to ex-professor OYAMA, Ikuo, new in AMERICA, and whether he would be welcome as the new president, the Managing Director answered that it is, of course, satisfactory, if the professors and students approve, and, if Mr. OYAMA himself decides to come back here.

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