Infamous Ise island dims red lights, welcomes student groups

Not all prostitution that flourished in Japan over the centuries operated out of government-designated yukaku in major urban areas, such as the famous Yoshiwara of Edo (and later Tokyo). Many were situated at rural hot springs, and others at post stations along such thoroughfares as the Tokaido and Nakasendo, where travelers stayed overnight. Still others operated on remote islands, such as the famous Gunkanjima (Hashima), an island in Nagasaki Prefecture from which coal was mined.

One of these famous island paradises for men, Watakano-jima, is situated inside the scenic Ise-Shima National Park in Mie Prefecture. The small island, with a circumference of about seven kilometers, presently has a resident population of about 180. For many years, Watakano was colloquially referred to as Baishun-to or "prostitution island."

In the pre-modern era Watakano's hotels, ryokans and houses of prostitution catered mainly to sailors on ships that traveled along the Pacific coast between Kansai and Edo. The island continued to flourish well into Japan's modern era, and even beyond 1958, when prostitution was officially banned by law. Why? Some say Watakano could continue its business thanks to the island's vague jurisdictional status. Normally in Mie Prefecture law enforcement would be handled by the Mie prefectural police. But because Watakano is located inside a national park, the Mie cops apparently left it alone. And the federal cops would not touch it because they would have been required to pass through Mie in order to reach the island.

In any event, reported the Sankei Shimbun (Nov 1) on MSN News, in mid-October, a first boatload of students, from a public high school in Osaka's Hirano Ward, arrived to spend a night on the island. The date was heralded as "the day of change for the island's history."

In addition to pearl extraction workshop on Watakano, the student workshops included making Shigaraki ceramics in Shiga Prefecture, and sea kayaking, among other activities.

The coronavirus pandemic, unfortunately, forced schools to postpone more distant trips. Parents preferred that their children visit nearby places that could be accessed by car. This ruled out another popular destination, Okinawa. But the proximity of Watakano to the Osaka area, and other famous nearby destinations such as the Ise Grand Shrine, made it a sensible choice.

Fukuju-so, the largest hotel on the island, reported that more student field trips have been from booked by 10 primary, middle and high schools in Osaka, Mie, Fukuoka and other prefectures, through part of December, which will include Watakano in their itinerary.

The Osaka school principal, Masaya Kamimoto remarked, "The kids really sensed the island's warm hospitality. Our choice of this place proved a success."

The article recalls that during the Edo period (1603-1868), ships used to dock at the island under the pretext of sheltering from typhoons. Actually it was to allow their passengers and crew to cavort in the island's brothels. In more modern times, women, both Japanese and foreigners, worked out of snack shops and short-time hotels. The apartments where they used to reside still stand, although presently weatherbeaten and abandoned.

"Until a couple of decades ago, in the evenings men from outside the area used to overnight here," recalled a 72-year-old male islander. 

Signs bearing the names of now-closed shops still remain on buildings near the ferry docks.

Around the time of the bubble economy in the late 1980s, the island was said to attract between 110,000 to 140,000 visitors per year. Last year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, visitors fell to only 36,000.

"Up to the G7 summit that Japan hosted in Ise-Shima about five years ago, pleasure-seeking men still used to visit the island," he added. "But even when the students' parents checked out the island's history on the internet, no one objected as far as having them visit there."

Rather than prostitution island of yore, Watakano is making strong efforts to redo its image, with its new moniker being "heart island" --- a reference to the island's shape as well as its residents' hospitality.

Yoshihito Kimura, president of the Fukuju-so hotel, voiced optimism that visits by student groups would almost certainly foster a change in the island's once-sleazy history, and hopefully reverse its economic fortunes as well.