And yet a girl is not disgraced if for her parents’ sake she sells herself to a life of misery so great, that, when a Japanese enters a house of ill-fame, he is forced to leave his sword and dirk at the door for two reasons—­first, to prevent brawling; secondly, because it is known that some of the women inside so loathe their existence that they would put an end to it, could they get hold of a weapon.

It is a curious fact that in all the Daimio’s castle-towns, with the exception of some which are also seaports, open prostitution is strictly forbidden, although, if report speaks truly, public morality rather suffers than gains by the prohibition.

The misapprehension which exists upon the subject of prostitution in Japan may be accounted for by the fact that foreign writers, basing their judgment upon the vice of the open ports, have not hesitated to pronounce the Japanese women unchaste.  As fairly might a Japanese, writing about England, argue from the street-walkers of Portsmouth or Plymouth to the wives, sisters, and daughters of these very authors.  In some respects the gulf fixed between virtue and vice in Japan is even greater than in England.  The Eastern courtesan is confined to a certain quarter of the town, and distinguished by a peculiarly gaudy costume, and by a head-dress which consists of a forest of light tortoiseshell hair-pins, stuck round her head like a saint’s glory—­a glory of shame which a modest woman would sooner die than wear.  Vice jostling virtue in the public places; virtue imitating the fashions set by vice, and buying trinkets or furniture at the sale of vice’s effects—­these are social phenomena which the East knows not.

The custom prevalent among the lower orders of bathing in public bath-houses without distinction of the sexes, is another circumstance which has tended to spread abroad very false notions upon the subject of the chastity of the Japanese women.  Every traveller is shocked by it, and every writer finds in it matter for a page of pungent description.  Yet it is only those who are so poor (and they must be poor indeed) that they cannot afford a bath at home, who, at the end of their day’s work, go to the public bath-house to refresh themselves before sitting down to their evening meal:  having been used to the scene from their childhood, they see no indelicacy in it; it is a matter of course, and honi soit qui mal y pense:  certainly there is far less indecency and immorality resulting from this public bathing, than from the promiscuous herding together of all sexes and ages which disgraces our own lodging-houses in the great cities, and the hideous hovels in which some of our labourers have to pass their lives; nor can it be said that there is more confusion of sexes amongst the lowest orders in Japan than in Europe.  Speaking upon the subject once with a Japanese gentleman, I observed that we considered it an act of indecency for men and women to wash together.  He shrugged