Singer: Humanity and Mentu - The spread of perfumed society and socialism in the 1920s

Singer: Humanity and Mentu - The spread of perfumed society and socialism in the 1920s

In the 1920s, the perfume makers' society had a unique custom of self-introduction called "mentsuu," which belonged to the same genealogy as "ningi" used among the lower class workers. It was born out of a system in which people who could not read well communicated their identity and position orally to each other. For these people who were on the move, this custom played a role in bringing security and solidarity, which were indispensable for their survival.

At the time, the rapid urbanization of Japanese society and the impoverishment of rural areas were simultaneously progressing, and the number of people engaged in precarious work such as day laborers and peddlers was rapidly increasing. For those who had fallen through the net of social security, the only alternative to the system and the law was mutual support. The Koguji no Mentu, a grassroots system of solidarity that did not depend on the state or authority, embodied the survival strategy of the lower strata of society.

Furthermore, the culture of mentsuu contributed to the spread of the socialist movement. During the Taisho democracy, labor and tenant farmer disputes took place throughout the country, but for those who did not have sufficient access to newspapers and magazines, verbal communication was an effective means of spreading ideas. The system of accepting others at speeches and rallies through menstruation also served as a foundation for flexibly expanding the circle of the movement.

In this way, "ningi" and "mentsuu" were not only a way of life and a culture that built trust among the craftsmen and lower-class workers, but also a practical device for communicating socialist ideology. The oral culture, unbound by formality, symbolized the dynamism of the times by linking the lives of the common people with their political consciousness.