Job

A Exploration of Karen's Career

Karen works at a place called Flower—a soapland where men go to get baths and sexual favors from women dressed in negligee. The soaplands are a variation on the brothel, except the soapland’s services involve some sort of a bath, including regular baths, steam baths, and so on. A man selects a woman from a available attendees who take shim to a room to provide a bath and other services, depending on their arrangement. According to an article from Japan for the Uninvited, “A common service is for the girl to lather the customer up using only a little liquid soap and her naked body.” (1) Soaplands are considered higher end brothels, with high quality staff, more exclusive cliental, and more expensive prices. (1)

The soaplands were a response to explicit prostitution being made illegal in Japan. Generally speaking, the women are not employed by the soapland, but rather make their money on tips that the clients give them. The woman rents a room and pays a fee, as well as fees for soaps and towels and such. Soaplands also make money from the men who pay to get a bath. Any sexual favors beyond that are between the woman giving the bath and the client, thereby sticking to the letter of the law. (1) Originally soaplands were called Turkish Baths, until some people began protesting the use of the name, which has a long, non-sexual tradition, for places that are brothel-like in nature. (1) A contest was held to find a new name and the winning entry was “soaplands”, though the title is often shortened to “soaps”.

Originally, Karen’s bathhouse was located in the Shinjuku area, which is a “major commercial and administrative center, housing the busiest train station in the world”. (2) Because of this location, Flower most likely serviced leaders in both the private and public sectors, meaning the cliental was probably fairly high end.

Previous to the fall of the Shinjuku High Rises, one of the kekkai, Flower moved to a new location in the Shibuya area, which is closer to Karen’s apartment. “Shibuya is known as one of the fashion centers of Japan, particularly for young people, and as a major nightlife area.” (3) This sounds like the new soapland might service primarily the private sector, and therefore provide a varied cliental.

Working at Flower allows Karen to live a particular lifestyle—nobody asks her about her past and she is able to quit and move on with little interference. She takes her job seriously in that she generally cares about her clients. She sees them as people and does not judge them harshly for using her services. Still, she dislikes being treated rudely by clients who resent the fact that they are paying her. She does not see her job as morally degrading, but as a type of service job much like any other. Her job certainly makes her character more interesting and complex (particularly in her response to it) but it does not define her.

1. Japan for the Uninvited
2. Wikipedia
3. Wikipedia

CLEAR