Kiyū, the Woman of Pleasure
Written by Old Peasant Fusanobu*
Kiyū, the daughter of Ōta Shōan, was born in Minagawa-chō, Edo. In 1853, both of her parents fell ill, forcing the family into poverty and causing Kiyū to sell herself into bondage at the age of eight. Ever since then, she grew up in the pleasure quarter while she worked at a brothel called Kinoene-ya. When she was fifteen—she was going by “Nenohi” around that time—she began taking clients, and for some reason she was transferred to a brothel called Gankirō in Yokohama. She then changed her name to Kiyū and became known not only for possessing a beautiful and elegant look but also for observing morality and being faithful to her own belief. Her reputation attracted an endless line of clientele at the port, including an American called Irūsu, who was enthralled by her beauty and tried to become her client by offering a large amount of gold coins to the house. Kiyū refused to accept his request, as it was inconsistent with the terms arranged at the time of her transfer to Gankirō which stated she would not take on foreign clients. The owner of Gankirō, however, was tempted by money and did everything he could to make her consent, including persuading, coaxing, and pressing her to accept. Finding no way out of the situation, she left the following death poem at the end of her will and committed suicide by sword.
–Even a dewdrop of rain bothers Japanese prostitutes. I will not let the rain from America wet my sleeves.
I have detailed this story in Kinsei Kibun.
*Somezaki Nobufusa (1818-1886), a writer and journalist who were active from the end of the Edo period into the Meiji period, called himself “Old Peasant Fusanobu.”
(English translation by Ayaka Yoshimizu)
Title: Azuma esugata retsujo kurabe: yūgi Kiyū
Illustrator: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
Writer: Somezaki Nobufusa
Place of Publication: Tokyo
Publisher: Kobayashi Tetsujirō
Year: 1880
Source: Tokyo Metro Library 270-C037
遊妓喜遊
農夫房延老 誌*
喜遊は江戸皆川町に生れ、父は太田正庵という。 嘉永六年両親共に病床に臥し、明日の食にも事欠く程だったことにより、八歳の時吉原の遊女屋甲子屋へ身売りしてからこのかた、遊郭の人となった。十五の年頃に客を迎えるようになった。その頃は「子の日」という名だったが、訳あって横浜の遊女屋岩亀楼へ住替となった。ここで喜遊と改名したのだが、元々容姿があでやかで美しい上に、頗る道義を守り一本筋が通っているといわれていた。その噂は港内でも高く客が絶えなかった中に、アメリカ人イールズが喜遊の美貌に心奪われ、その店で金貨を惜しげもなく出して、彼女の客にとなろうとしたものの、岩亀楼へ住替えの当初より、異人客は取らないと固く約束していたことなので、喜遊はこれを拒み受け付けなかった。がしかし、岩亀楼主人はすっかり金に目が眩んでしまった。喜遊は、是が非でも彼女に納得させようと、楼主が言いくるようとしたりおだてたりして迫ってきたため、今はもう逃れる術もなくなり、一通の遺書の末文に 「露をたにいとふ倭の女郎花 降るあめりかに 袖はぬらさし」（露にでさえ濡れることを嫌がる女郎花なのだから、降る雨に袖は濡らさない／アメリカ人の客を思って袖を濡らすようなことはしない）と一首の辞世をしたためて、遂に自刃したことは、私の『近世紀聞』に詳しく記してある。
*「農夫房延老」とは、江戸末期から明治にかけて活躍した戯作者・ジャーナリスト、染崎延房（1818 – 1886年）の自称。
（現代語訳：鈴木紗江子）
画題：吾嬬繪姿烈女競： 遊妓喜遊
絵師：月岡芳年
戯作者：染崎延房
出版地：東京
版元：小林鉄次郎
出版年：明治13
所蔵：東京都立中央図書館 270-C037
（翻刻：鈴木紗江子）