女給The Waitress

About this story

A woman takes a restaurant job to support her ill husband amid poverty.

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Source

This text comes from Aozora Bunko (青空文庫), the volunteer-run library of Japanese writing that is out of copyright. See this work on Aozora Bunko

Base edition (底本): 「日本プロレタリア文学集・7　細井和喜蔵集」新日本出版社
1985（昭和60）年9月25日初版

Typed in by 大野裕. Proofread by 林幸雄.

Yomimaru has not changed the spelling or the wording.

The furigana are Yomimaru's.

What you'll learn

Toeko Shibata decides to become a waitress to earn more money for her husband's medical treatment. She works at several restaurants, each time facing exploitation, poor working conditions, and moral dilemmas. After being assaulted and fired multiple times, she becomes increasingly aware of the systemic oppression of female workers and calls for reform.

Key vocabulary

女給じょきゅう	waitress
お銭入ぜにいれ	money purse
アンカ	heater (hot water bottle or similar)
煎餅蒲団せんべいぶとん	thin, hard futon (like a rice cracker)
差込さしこみ	stabbing pain

Grammar points you'll meet

• ～ざるを得ない N2Cannot avoid, have no choice but to

  彼女かのじょはやむを得えず女給じょきゅうを続つづけざるを得えなかった。

• ～てしまう N4Completes an action, often with regret

  取とり返かえしのつかぬ間ま違が起おこって了りょうった。

• ～ことにする N4Decide to do something

  彼女かのじょは女給じょきゅうになろうと思おもう。

• ～を問わず N2Regardless of, irrespective of

  彼女かのじょは英語えいごをわきまえぬ自分じぶんに、洋食ようしょくの名前なまえが直すぐ覚おぼえられるかしらんというような心配しんぱいがあった。

• ～てならない N2Cannot help feeling, extremely

  唯ただなんとなく尻しりこすばゆいような気きがしてならなかった。

Cultural notes

• Waitresses in Early 20th Century JapanWaitresses (女給) were often poorly paid and subject to exploitation, including pressure to serve alcohol and engage in flirtation. This story highlights the systemic issues of low wages, long hours, and abuse, which were common in the industry.
• Medical Care for the PoorAccess to proper medical care was a luxury. Toeko's husband relies on a charity clinic, but his condition worsens, reflecting the inadequacy of public healthcare for the working class in early 1900s Japan.
• Labour Unions for WomenThe text explicitly calls for women in service industries to form unions to fight for better conditions, reflecting the early feminist and labour movements in Japan.

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