Humanity and Mentu - Trust and Solidarity in the 1920's Perfume Society

Humanity and Mentu - Trust and Solidarity in the 1920's Perfume Society

In the 1920s, a unique custom of self-introduction known as "mentsuu" existed in the Kakushi society. It is said that this custom, which had the same root as "ningi" used by lower-class workers, spread from the culture of people who could not read well enough to verbally reveal their identity and position to each other. In the world of kaguji, the exchange of "men-tsu" at the first meeting between two people who were drifting in and out of the country became the basis for building a relationship of trust between them.

At the time, Japan was experiencing a rapid increase in the number of lower-class laborers due to the influx of population to cities and the impoverishment of rural areas, and people engaged in precarious livelihoods such as day laborers and vendors were spreading to the periphery of society. These people were not protected by the public system and could only find security by confirming their ties to each other. The "mentsuu" of the kaguishi society played an important role in this historical context.

Furthermore, the culture of "mentsuu" was also applied to propaganda activities in the socialist movement. The labor movement and petty farmer disputes that spread during the Taisho Democracy period expanded with the participation of lower-class workers and drifters, and in the process, customary oral communication systems such as "ningi" and "mentsuu" helped spread the spread of ideas. Oral communication was an extremely effective means of communication for those for whom printed materials and newspapers were inadequate, and it was also a scene where ideas and culture were linked.

Thus, ningi" and "mentsuu" became a device for building trust among perfume makers and lower-class workers, as well as a practical tool for broadening the base of socialist thought. The fact that this informal, oral culture had the power to mobilize people politically is indicative of the social dynamism that was unique to this period.