The term ‘japayuki’

The term ‘japayuki’

5/28/2007 2:28 pm 5 comments

NOTE: This is not an advocacy of sorts. I am merely stating a fact that I heard and I want it share it to everyone.

With the flexibility of the Filipino language (Tagalog), the Filipinos are able to formulate new words adding to their vocabulary, similar to the gay lingo that has penetrated the local communication mainstream. “Chuva, eclaver, chuck-chack chenes, bruineiyuki”, these words have no place in the conventional learning scheme in the country’s educational curriculum and academe but a lot of people has started using them in their daily lives.

Being in an industry (advertising) where gay lingo and people from all walks of life get to merge in a daily basis, I get to use these words a lot, not minding if they are considered baduy, jologs or even vulgar, as if I’m talking in my usual way, knowing that the people I’m talking are not affected.

Just last week though, I heard this recorded radio broadcast about a new radio journalist talking about ‘japayuki’.

Japayuki‘ in this country usually means girls working in japan as entertainers. They could be merely singers, dancers, or even reach the level of being GRO’s an well… prostitues.

The terms has a broad meaning to me and to most of my acquaintances. Though it does have a ‘negative’ meaning, a lot still places into consideration that the term does not neccessarily mean automatically mean a ‘prostitute’.

Much to my surprise when I heard that japayuki is not a word created by Filipinos. Rather, it IS a Japanese term primarily referring to prostitutes.

This is the reason why a lot of Filipina entertainers and even Japanese women find this very offending. The term originated from the time Japan was very poor to the extent the nation has to ‘sell’ their women to others for income. To the modern age, the term degrades a woman, who is working hard with blood and sweat, not with her body.

I learned something new and my feelings towards these Filipina entertainers in Japan is strengtened. I am one of those people who does not automatically equate the term ‘japayuki’ as prostitutes. Now, I KNOW that I should not even cater the idea of calling these hard working women ‘japayuki‘.

I am thanking this radio announcer for enlightening me.

  • M.D. Suave

    Japayuki is a bad word being called by our working women in Japan and many seems to accept it as it is a good sounding name. I hope the real meaning be understood.

    Japayuki or Japayuki-san are foreign prostitutes in Japan.
    It comes from the word Karayuki. From the Edo Period to
    the end of WW2 when Japan was poor, there were many
    Japanese women who were “going = yuki” mainly for
    prostitution in foreign land in particular southeast
    Asia which was a land of “Chinese influence = Kara”,
    and they were called Karayuki/Karayuki-san.

    by Uco

    Go to this link:
    http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+4773

    japayuki (from urban dictionary)

    Prostitute in japan of usually foreign extraction, mainly filipinas.

    Go to link:
    http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=japayuki

  • XXVI

    Non-Japanese Asian women working in Japan as dancers, singers, hostesses, and strippers in the second half of the 20th century were, and still are, called japayuki-san (Miss Gone-to-Japan), and have become the subject of much controversy.

  • XXVI

    BTW, that’s from wikipedia. So I am not quite sure if stands correct. But its still convincing (well at least for me..LOL)

  • don savio

    Hi, my gf is a philipino and she is working in japan…. As an entertainer in a club…. Name of the club is mega star…. Does entertainer means a prostitute?

    Can u guy plz let me know what exactly would be her job profile as an entertainer?

    Thank u so much in advance…
    Don

  • http://winglica.com Chedie

    This is a sensitive subject to comment on since misunderstanding and lack of knowledge (I’m not saying anyone is stupid) might cause some new controversy.

    As for your girlfriend, maybe you can ask her regarding her title since she would know her job more than anyone else.