Shōgi Kiyū no hanashi | 娼妓喜遊之話説
Kiyū is the daughter of something-Ōta, a town doctor in Tokyo. At a young age, Kiyū fell into the life of a yujo (woman of pleasure, or prostitute) at her parents’ discretion.
Azuma esugata retsujo kurabe: yūgi Kiyū | 吾嬬繪姿烈女競
In 1853, both of her parents fell ill, forcing the family into poverty and causing Kiyū to sell herself into bondage…
Kokon meifu kagami: shōgi Kiyū | 古今名婦鏡： 娼妓喜遊
The family was poor due to her father’s illness and Kiyū was distressed by this. To cure his illness, Kiyū sold herself into bondage at Gankirō in Yokohama and used her earnings to afford medication.