“Sōbana.” (All round “tips.”)

A “sōbana” is a tip by a guest to all the servants of a brothel, and is shared in by the yarite, shinzō, men-servants, and bath-room attendants. It is usually given on a mombi (crest day: New year’s day, the go-sekku tori-no-machi festival, etc.) and varies in amount according to the class of house: the sums given are regularly classified and divided into amounts of 2-1⁄2, 3, 4, and 5 Yen, etc., as the case may be. When sōbana is given, the names of the donor and his lady friend are posted in a prominent place in the house: the larger the number of such posters, the greater is the honour to the woman in question. This custom appears to have been in vogue since ancient times, for the amounts fixed during the Kwansei era (1789–1800) were 3 ryō for a first-class house, 2 ryō for a second-class house, 1 ryō 2 bu for a third-class house, 2 bu for a lower grade establishment. When a sōbana is given, all the servants of the house come up to the room and kneeling down outside thank the guest for his present and clap their hands in unison.