Yumi's Story

      Before she was with Shishio, Yumi was a very popular oiran. According to Chou in the Kyoto epilogue, a certain high-ranking government official wasn't able to see her. Although her name was known, and though she had honor as an oiran, Yumi wasn't very happy with her life.

Yumi: "The red-light district looks glamorous, but it's a world of suffering. I went through a lot to become the best oiran. But life is having to choose, and I made my own choices. At least an oiran had honor. Until the Mary Ruth case."

     According to Rurouni Kenshin, the Mary Ruth was a Peruvian slave ship from which a Chinese slave had been found. Because the slave had been treated inhumanely, the young Meiji government freed him to show the world that Japan respected human rights. Peru, however, responded that Japan had women living as slaves in pleasure quarters. To this, the Meiji said that prostitutes were no more entitled to human rights than livestock was, thus removing any honor or even human dignity an oiran had.

Yumi: "You have to laugh. Slaves are human beings, but prostitutes are no better that horses or cows. We've fallen into this world of suffering and we're doing our best to live our lives. But the Meiji governments says we're not women. We're bitches."

     How Yumi met up with Shishio is unknown, and we have little more insight on the reason she stayed with him. It's obvious that she loves him, and probable that he loves her in return, but Yumi isn't stupid. She should realize what following such a dangerous man would entail.

     After her death, Houji describes Yumi as a person who didn't lead a very blessed life, yet found happiness in the end with Shishio.

.: About Yumi Index :.