Japanese Prostitutes in the North American West, 1887-1920

“Japanese Prostitutes in the North American West, 1887-1920 tells their story in unprecedented detail… . A comprehensive study of these forgotten women who crossed the Pacific to live in a foreign country where they did not know the language.”

“Japanese Prostitutes in the North American West, 1887–1920 is an informative trans-national study on the evolution of Japanese communities in the Pacific Northwest. Clearly written and well organized, the book will appeal to students and scholars interested in late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century Japanese American history and Asian American women’s history… . Oharazeki’s dedication and adroitness in the archives will be a hard act to follow.”

“An impressive volume… . Oharazeki has given us a valuable piece of transnational social history.”

“The author’s sober, scholarly approach and style combine to require that the book be taken seriously and that the long, sometimes troubled, history between the US and Japan be broadened to include this sad aspect of early contacts between the two nations. Highly recommended.”

“The arresting opening sentence of this informative monograph … grabs the attention of readers familiar with early twentieth-century Japanese history… . A thoughtful exploration of how the interaction of gender, race, and power shaped the relationship between those invisible women and men, traffickers and customers, in the North American West.”

Kazuhiro Oharazeki is instructor of foreign studies at Setsunan University in Japan.