Tuesday, April 21, 2015

The Mystery Of Merii of Hama And The Birth Of 'Yokohama Rosa'

Merii of Hama on the streets of Yokohama. Circa 1990.

"What? What’s my name? I’ve long forgotten my real name. But people call me all sorts of names. Like Merii of Hama, Mary, ‘Merican Li’l or Rosa. But Rosa is my favorite of all." – Yokohama Rosa


Nearly 15 years ago, Japan’s legendary TV/film/stage actress Michiko Godai encountered Merii-san on the streets of Yokohama (Japan’s second largest city just outside of Tokyo), roaming around with her oversized rolling suitcase and face painted as white as fresh snow. On first sight, Godai wanted to learn more about the mysterious woman. Who was she? Where did she come from? What was her story?

Godai began her investigation by searching for the makeup store where Merii-san bought her white face paint. She learned that Merii-san once fancied expensive American brand makeup products, but with her dwindling savings, the shop owner introduced her to a 500 yen stage paint which ended up becoming her signature look, together with thick kabuki-like eyeliner.

Godai then found the dry cleaner that laundered Meri-san’s frilly white dresses and would kindly allow her to change in the store before returning to the streets, the hair salon that styled her hair until their clients requested that she no longer be allowed in, and the café that held a rose cup just for her use so as not to alienate the other customers.

Godai, together with the late playwright Giho Sugiyama, strung these stories carefully together like beads on a chain, and the powerful one-woman play Yokohama Rosa was born. 

“Through Rosa, I want to depict Japan’s postwar history and convey it (to future generations),” Godai told the Asahi Shimbun about why she created the play. Since its premiere in April 1996 at the Mitsukoshi Theatre in Tokyo, the piece has been presented 110 times to more than 51,000 people. Beginning in 2003, the piece has been performed each August in Yokohama’s Red Brick Warehouse in commemoration of the end of WWII.

Having its U.S. premiere this weekend as part of Japan Society's Stories from the War series marking the 70th anniversary of the war's end, Godai said, “A war produces tragedies regardless of whether a country wins or loses it... I want Americans to see 'Yokohama Rosa' as a message to pray for peace.”

Michiko Godai portrays Merii over the decades. Photos by © Hideo Mori.

Details of Merii-san’s early life are vague and inconclusive, as she never let down her guard to tell anyone her true story. Merii-san’s Japanese Wikipedia page states that:
She was born in 1921 in Okayama Prefecture to a farming family. The oldest daughter of eight, she was married just briefly. After the war she worked at a local food joint that catered to foreign soldiers. It was there where she met and fell in love with a U.S. Army Official who whisked her off to Tokyo before getting drafted into the Korean War, never to return. Abandoned and forlorn, she turned towards Yokosuka (home of the Yokosuka naval base) in Yokohama, where she began her life as a pan-pan [the word in occupied Japan for prostitute*]. Some records say this was the early 60s, others the mid-50s. She began garnering real attention in the 80s, then disappeared in the mid-90s. She was said to have died in a nursing home near her hometown in 2005 at the age of 84. Numerous songs, manga, films and even a novel and poem exist, inspired by her story.
In 1995, Michiko Godai visited the GM Building where former pan-pan Merii-san (then in her seventies) dwelled and “worked” as a so-called Elevator Girl, escorting people up and down to the floors they wished to go. The tips that she made were now her only source of income. Godai explained to Merii-san that she would like to do a one-woman play about her life and according to Godai she smiled and said, “Is that so?”

Godai’s Yokohama Rosa is a fictionalized account inspired by the woman who came to be known as Merii-san. The 100 minute play traces the life of a woman known as Yokohama Rosa from the time she arrives in Yokohama, through her journey into prostitution, to her love-affair with a foreign soldier and her fears and insecurities about time moving on and her own aging.

The play depicts an innocent life completely tossed and turned by war (in this play not only is WWII considered, but also the wars in Korea and Vietnam) and is performed with live musicians and a panoramic display of striking images from the times. Part post-war history lesson, part testament to the perseverance of the human spirit, Merri-san's story, and the story of all women she represents, lives on through Michiko Godai's heartrending performance in this poignant production.

--Lara Mones

Merii of Hama on the streets of Yokohama. Circa 1990.

*Pan-pan (pronounced pahn-pahn, unknown origin) n. 1. The word for street walker or prostitute used in Japan at the end of WWII. (Kojien); 2. Prostitutes who catered to the Occupied Troops. At the end of WWII, the terms pan-pan girl and pan-suke emerged to describe the prostitutes who appeared on the streets and who specifically worked for the GI troops in Occupied Japan. While the origins of the word are uncertain, some believe it to have come from the English word “pom-pom” meaning sex, while others, the American pronunciation of the Indonesian word for woman “Perem-paun” (pronounced purom pan). Still others believe that it came from the onomatopoeia “pen-pen” describing the shamisen (aka geishas). Whatever its origin, the word that the GIs used became “pan-pan” when it eventually reached the years of the Japanese. (Zokugo); 3. Today, the word or sound “pan-pan” is a commonly used adjective meaning full or to be stretched tight. Via.

Sources:

Shiroi Kao no Densetsu wo Motomete: Yokohama kara Yokohama Rosa he no Deshin, Michiko Godai

Yokohama Rosa, Giho Sugiyama and Michiko Godai

Yokohama Merii (film), Takayuki Nakamura

Kojien Dictionary and zokugo-dict.com

15 comments:

Suzan Baker said...

Well, her current circumstances are very unfortunate. As an sctress she has be great.
compare parking rates

Patricia Carter said...

She is a legend. personal history apart. She did great services.
cheap celtic woman tickets
discount celtic woman tickets

Kristen Stewart said...

HP Printer Support Number
Brother Printer Support Number
Canon Printer Help Number

Sobatpoker said...

Domino Online HADIAH JACKPOT CASH 60.000.000 JUTA hanya di SOBATPOKER

Agen Poker Online Terpercaya
Judi Online
Link alternatif sobatpoker
sobatpoker

duas in islam said...

if you had done love marraige and you are facing so much problems in your life so no need to worry i will tell you the best dua for husband and wife and remove all problems in your life forever.

Montoya Jazhel said...

Hi Selina



i am Montoya Jazhel from the philiphines ,i was in a big problem in my marital life so i read your testimony on how Dr Ikhide help you get your husband back and i said i will give it a try and i contacted the Dr Ikhide to help me and he promised to help me get my problem solved. now am so happy with my life because all my problems are over. Thanks to the great Dr Ikhide for the help and Thanks to you Selina.

You can reach him with this email:- dr.ikhide@gmail.com and i promise he will not disappoint you.



I AM SO HAPPY…… remember here is his email:- dr.ikhide@gmail.com or whatsapp :- +2349058825081








































Kumusta Selina



ako si Montoya Jazhel mula sa pilipinas, ako ay nasa malaking problema sa aking buhay sa pag-aasawa kaya nabasa ko ang iyong patotoo sa kung paano tulungan si Dr Ikhide na maibalik ang iyong asawa at sinabi kong susubukan ko ito at makipag-ugnay sa Dr Ikhide upang matulungan ako at nangako siyang tulungan ako na malulutas ang aking problema. ngayon masaya ako sa aking buhay dahil ang lahat ng aking mga problema ay tapos na. Salamat sa mahusay na Dr Ikhide para sa tulong at Salamat sa iyo Selina.

Maabot mo siya sa email na ito: - dr.ikhide@gmail.com at ipinapangako ko na hindi ka niya bibiguin.



AKO KAYA NAKAKITA …… tandaan dito ay ang kanyang email: - dr.ikhide@gmail.com or whatsapp :- +2349058825081

Jaswal Gupta said...

May I simply just say what a relief to discover someone that actually knows what they are talking about online. You actually know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. A lot more people ought to look at this and understand this side of the story. It's surprising you aren't more popular given that you definitely possess the gift. whatsapp us on KBC Head Office Contact Number India.

Roku-comlink said...

I got roku device to enjoy my favorite streaming shows on TV. But when I tried activating it through Roku activation code, some error message was popping up on TV. My friend suggested Roku com link to get immediate step by step help for roku activation code and related assistance.

Aiden Jangra said...

Very useful advice. Read our blog, In case your network-compatible printer is not detected automatically by Windows 10, you will have to hp printer wireless setup it manually. This process involves going to the printer menu, configuring settings to a TCP/IP port, and after that installing the drivers.

Garmincom.express said...

Garmin Express to update apps and Maps, sync with Garmin Connect and register your Garmin device. This is desktop software notifies you when updates are available and helps you download them. Garmin Express can also be downloaded and installed from garmin.com/express. Garmin Express is the best source By using this you can update your Garmin express application.

Fubo.tv/Activate said...

You can enjoy unlimited prime video and live sports on FuboTV, All you need to do is to connect device with your account at Fubo.tv/Connect with the help of an enter activation code.

Fubotv Activate said...

FuboTv connect enter code to sign in and connect your TV. you will have access to NBA, NHL, NFL, and other sports. available on multiple platforms, including streaming devices, Smart TVs, tablets, and more. You can enjoy local channels of sports and entertainment with the highest quality of video resolution.If your FuboTV is not working on your smartphone then you can simply restart the FuboTV app.
fubo.tv/Activate

casinositetop 카지노사이트 said...

You are so awesome! I don’t suppose I have read anything like this before. So wonderful to discover another person with genuine thoughts on this issue. Really.. many thanks for starting this up. This site is something that’s needed on the web, someone with a little originality. Feel free to visit my website; 온라인카지노

oncasinosite 카지노사이트 said...

Your work is very good and I appreciate you and hopping for some more informative posts. Thank you for sharing great information to us Feel free to visit my website; 토토

رامز said...

مكافحة حشرات
مكافحة النمل الابيض
شركة مكافحة النمل
مكافحة الحمام
مكافحة الحمام