National Alliance for the Abolition of Licensed Prostitution, “Appeal to the People: For the Total Abolition of Licensed Prostitution” (November 1923)

After Japan’s Great Kanto Earthquake of 1 September 1923, an alliance of Christian and other women’s groups was formed to assist disaster victims. Within their campaigning, opposition to rebuilding the Yoshiwara red-light district, which had been burnt out in the earthquake, became a focus. As a result, in November 1923, Christian, socialist, and social worker women joined forces to form the National Alliance for the Abolition of Licensed Prostitution. The first statement of this new organization was written by Yamakawa Kikue, as below.

　Once scorched by an unprecedented earthquake, Tokyo is now beginning to recover thanks to the dedicated efforts of all its people. We welcome with joy the emergence of a new Tokyo overflowing with vitality. At the same time, we would like to take this opportunity to carry out reforms in society at large as far as possible, so that lessons so painful and precious that came at the cost of tens of thousands of living souls and ten billion yen in wealth, are not wasted.
　As one reform project, we must take this opportunity to abolish the whole system of licensed prostitution. The injustice, irrationality, and inhumanity of this system, in which the state openly permits and protects the sale of the daughters of poor and ignorant families, goes without saying. Through the existence of this system, 50,000 sisters are forced to live in slavery under the sanction of state law, and their flesh and blood feed the greedy and brutal slave traders.
　On 1 September 1923, a raging fire engulfed the Yoshiwara brothels in the Great Kanto Earthquake. The brothel owners did not allow women to evacuate for fear of their escape, hundreds of them died horribly, with some of them boiled to death in warehouses to where they fled. Given that they were not permitted to escape even during an emergency, it is easy to see how these sisters in brothels lived in ordinary times. In fact, they lived a life as miserable as the slaves of the past, and their relentless sex trading caused hardship of no lesser severity than that of prisoners foundering in prison.
　It has long been proven by scholars at home and abroad that the licensed prostitution system does not maintain the general public morals of society, but rather disrupts them, and that inspections of venereal disease are not only a grievous insult to women, but also have no effect at all. Therefore, on the occasion of the reestablishment of the capital, we will not allow the reestablishment of brothels and will use this as an opportunity to advocate the abolition of the licensed prostitution system throughout the country.
　From the outset, we do not equate the total abolition of licensed prostitution with a solution to the more complex and extensive problem of prostitution. We will not be satisfied with the mere abolition of licensed prostitution, but recognise the need for improvement in women’s education, more opportunities for women’s vocational training, unemployment relief, improvement in working conditions, and social facilities for the protection of women and children, in order to prevent the emergence of prostitutes by improving the status of women in general. We are prepared to do as much as we can about these areas as well, at the same time as campaigning for the abolition of licensed prostitution.
　The pretext of the brothel operators that Tokyo cannot be revived without reviving the brothels is not only groundless and delusional, it is the greatest insult to the citizens of Tokyo and to the whole nation. Can the Japanese people accept the false accusation that they are so ignorant, powerless, vulgar, and ethnically inferior that they cannot rebuild their capital without the help of prostitutes?
　We, the members of the Tokyo Women’s Federation, which was established with the issues of earthquake relief and reconstruction of the Imperial Capital as its main focus, take this opportunity to organise a new National Alliance for the Abolition of Licensed Prostitution in order to achieve the abolition of licensed prostitution throughout the country. The Alliance shall have women as members; its office shall be in Tokyo, with branches in cities large and small throughout the country; seven members of the executive committee shall be appointed, with the chairwoman and treasurer elected from among these members; a monthly membership fee of 10 sen shall be collected; and a treasurer’s unit, publication unit and publicity unit shall be established to hold lectures, publish bulletins (twice a month) and pamphlets, etc. and to raise funds. The committee has already decided to appoint a legal advisor.
　Brothers and sisters across Japan who love justice and respect humanity, please join us in this project to bury the national disgrace of centuries past, together with old Tokyo.

　　Our Programme

1. To oppose the re-establishment of brothels that have been burnt down.
2. To oppose the emergence of new brothels and newly prostituted women anywhere in the country.
3. To campaign for the abolition of brothels and all other prostituted businesses after a grace period of six months.

November, 1923
National Alliance for the Abolition of Licensed Prostitution
356 Hyakunincho, Okubo, Tokyo
From the temporary office of the Tokyo Women’s Federation
[Published in Shukan Fujo Shimbun]

Initiators
Gauntlett Tsuneko, Hani Motoko, Hattori Kazuko, Hayashi Fukuko, It? Kinko, Kaetsu Takako, Kaneko Shigeri, Kawasaki Masako, Kawasaki Natsuko, Kizaki Hanako, Koizumi Taneko, Kubushiro Ochimi, Miyagawa Shizue, Miyake Yasuko, Moriya Azuma, Muraoka Hanako, Niizuma Itoko, Nishikawa Fumiko, Ooe Sumiko, Ogino Ayako, Sakamoto Makoto, Takegoshi Takeyo, Takenaka Shige, Tsukamoto Hama, Yamakawa Kikue, Yasui Tetsuko, Yosano Akiko, Yoshioka Yayoi, and others