A SOCIETY AND SPACES OF “GEIGI” AND “SHOGI” IN BEPPU HOT SPRING, OITA

Focusing on “kashi-zashiki” and “shogi” in ex-Hamawaki Village

Abstract

 A social relationship and a spatial configuration of Beppu hot spring, Oita where “geigi” and “shogi” have worked were investigated in this study. The study focused on condition of “shogi” and “kashi-zashiki” － a licensed prostitute quarter, its employers and their buildings － mainly in ex-Hamawaki village and also in ex-Beppu village.
 There were people who carry on “geiko” or “yujo” businesses in both Beppu village and Hamawaki village in the early modern period. They had a network extending over vast area such as Bungo, Setouchi and Osaka.
 Until around 1890, main business area of “kashi-zashiki” was placed along the Nagare River which runs Beppu village where development or settlement dates back in the beginning to the middle of the 19C. The area was originally a lowland swamp and developed by Hinago family, a top family of pedigree in the village, who runs a hot spring hotel.
 The business in around 1890 and the business in the early modern period had several things in common. They both hired both “geigi” and “shogi” and they also run hot spring hotels. These common features imply a possibility of some “kashi-zashiki” owner families had been running there business as “geiko-ya” from the early modern age.
 By the end of the Meiji period, “kashi-zashiki” business was more active in Hamawaki village rather than in the Nagare River area. This paper pointed out that this transition results from events. That is, the opening of Hoshu Denki Tetsudo rail-way in 1900, modernizing hot spring facilities or refurbishments of facilities and also real estate trading related to the development.
 Irie town, emerging “kashi-zashiki” area developed on a land-filled area where used to be a cove in Hamawaki town, had a unique system of landowning. Lands of other places in the town are generally owned by few “zaichi-jinushi” － a prestigious real estate owner of the area － but each “kashi-zashiki” employer owned “soko-chi” － covered area of ground by a building － and “kosen-chi” － a plot where hot spring comes － in Irie town. The paper also pointed out that there was a common feature in “kashi-zashiki” owners in Hamawaki during the modern period and hotel owners. Owners of “kashi-zashiki” consist of old landlords of the town and immigrants. The proportion of which resembles rapidly growing hotel owners at that time.
 “Geigi” and “shogi” worked during the end of the Meiji period was mainly from Oita, Miyazaki and some areas in Setouchi or Osaka. This geographical tendency has similarity to a network of “geiko-ya” in the early modern period.
 In addition to above mentioned studies, typology of buildings in Hamawaki and Irie town was described in the paper. In Hamawaki, “kashi-zashiki” buildings were “tsuma-iri” － axis of an entry constructed parallel to the ridge of the roof － and its wall was finished by lime plaster which is similar to vernacular houses. On the other hand, buildings in Irie town had its root in another type of building. This difference was caused by newness of “kashi-zashiki” district.
 Furthermore, difference of major business area between “kashi-zashiki” and “geigi” related business after the Taisho period was pointed out in this study. “kashi-zashiki” runs at Hamawaki but “geigi” related business run around the Nagare River in Beppu.