Conclusion
Brief Summary
To conclude, the very existence of yūjo had played a crucial role in the late Edo period, though they may not have felt this way due to their treatment. They were treated as a merchandise and merely one's possession. Most would become yūjo through the process of human trafficking and they had to carry the burden of owing debt. Many were unable to get out of debt as yūjo's necessities were paied out of their own expense, and as garments and decorations were costly, their debts kept rising. In addition to that, they were faced with harsh reality of working under severe conditions,such as being malnourished, receiving punishments, and a high risk of catching syphillis. As they were the yūjo-ya owner's "property", though human trafficking or violence were illegal during the Edo period, the owner's behavior against yūjo were tolerated and ignored. As a result, many yūjo tried to cause fire or run away. Though their lives may not have been as glamorous as people imagined, yūjo became an fashion icon during this time. Various Ukiyo-e were depicted and yūjo became a target of idealization, with many attempting to imitate how yūjo looked.
Yūkaku carried great meaning in Edo. Bakufu saw it essencial to keep the city under their control. Once the Yūjo Release Act was enacted, that is when yūjo finally got their own authority to make decision. However, this event was much bigger than just to be concerning yūjo. It was a way for the government to illustrate that they have modernized through abolilshing the system of prostitution on a legal level. Thus, the government's ultimate purpose was not to emancipate yūjo. It can be said that the changing social position of yūjo and yūjo-ya symbolically represents the meaning of the restoration in Edo, and is excellent example of the transformation of the city in the post-modern period of the early modern era.
Connecting to the learning in the class...
It is evident that in this time period the ie system was still dominant in households. Once yūjo were sold to yūjo-ya, the owners were considered the head of the household and had the authority to do whatever they wished to do with yūjo. However, in the patriarchal system of the period, female entertainers were seen as a threat because they were educated and could gain money through their skills. They lived lives without relying on the power of males but could be independent beings. This directly led to the force of regulation the government, bakufu, exercised over prostitution. In that sense, female entertainers, like yūjo, were against the government and social norms at that time and considered to be "others" in the social status of the period. This contributed to the acceleration of the discrimination against women in and after periods.
Connecting to the today's perspective...
If we think about today's gender norm in Japan, there are still few job opportunities for women though they are educated. They had to go through things they did not want to do no matter how educated and sophisticated they were because they were women. Some yūjo were also educated women but had to engage in prostitution to provide some entertainment that is extraordinary to customers.
One of the reasons for educated women being forced to work was the unavailability of employment for women to pay back their family’s debt, but to be a yūjo. Gender inequality and divisions of labor within the family have been seen as lasting issues in Japanese society today and learning about yūjo in the Edo period enables us to think about gender inequality existing in the modern world.