{"id":3956,"date":"2024-11-28T11:18:19","date_gmt":"2024-11-28T19:18:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vancouveranka.com\/?p=3956"},"modified":"2024-11-28T11:18:24","modified_gmt":"2024-11-28T19:18:24","slug":"respected-by-some-condemned-by-others-how-kiyoko-tanaka-goto-opened-a-brothel-in-vancouver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vancouveranka.com\/en\/eternal-3956-respected-by-some-condemned-by-others-how-kiyoko-tanaka-goto-opened-a-brothel-in-vancouver","title":{"rendered":"Respected by Some, Condemned by Others: How Kiyoko Tanaka-Goto Opened a Brothel in Vancouver"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Kiyoko Tanaka-Goto, a woman of Japanese descent, faced challenging life circumstances that compelled her to migrate to Canada. Here, she defied the patriarchal norms of society and decided to start her own business. Her primary focus was managing a brothel, which helped Kiyoko establish a comfortable life. Read more on <a href=\"https:\/\/vancouveranka.com\/en\">vancouveranka<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a0bffa8df770\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #090909;color:#090909\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #090909;color:#090909\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a0bffa8df770\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/vancouveranka.com\/en\/eternal-3956-respected-by-some-condemned-by-others-how-kiyoko-tanaka-goto-opened-a-brothel-in-vancouver\/#A_Difficult_Childhood\" >A Difficult Childhood<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/vancouveranka.com\/en\/eternal-3956-respected-by-some-condemned-by-others-how-kiyoko-tanaka-goto-opened-a-brothel-in-vancouver\/#Moving_to_Canada\" >Moving to Canada<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/vancouveranka.com\/en\/eternal-3956-respected-by-some-condemned-by-others-how-kiyoko-tanaka-goto-opened-a-brothel-in-vancouver\/#Starting_Her_Own_Business\" >Starting Her Own Business<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/vancouveranka.com\/en\/eternal-3956-respected-by-some-condemned-by-others-how-kiyoko-tanaka-goto-opened-a-brothel-in-vancouver\/#Business_Expansion_and_Police_Connections\" >Business Expansion and Police Connections<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/vancouveranka.com\/en\/eternal-3956-respected-by-some-condemned-by-others-how-kiyoko-tanaka-goto-opened-a-brothel-in-vancouver\/#The_Closure_of_Her_Business\" >The Closure of Her Business<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Difficult_Childhood\"><\/span>A Difficult Childhood<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Kiyoko Tanaka-Goto was born in Tokyo in 1896. At the age of four, her father left the family and moved to San Francisco. She and her mother relocated to Kyushu Island, her mother\u2019s place of origin. Financial difficulties forced the family to establish a farm and work tirelessly from dawn to dusk. The situation worsened when Kiyoko\u2019s father stopped sending money after her mother refused to move to join him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Moving_to_Canada\"><\/span>Moving to Canada<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At the age of 19, Kiyoko decided to change her life and married a man she had only seen in photographs. In the early 20th century, young Japanese men often migrated to Canada in search of better economic opportunities, intending to save enough money to return home and live luxuriously. However, reality was harsher than expected, and many found it difficult even to afford a return trip. This led to challenges in finding wives, as single women rarely came to Canada from Japan. Thus, the practice of &#8220;picture brides&#8221; emerged, where prospective spouses exchanged letters and photos across the ocean. Kiyoko seized this opportunity to leave Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"489\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.vancouveranka.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2024\/11\/image.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3957\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vancouveranka.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2024\/11\/image.png 700w, https:\/\/cdn.vancouveranka.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2024\/11\/image-300x210.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.vancouveranka.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2024\/11\/image-696x486.png 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Starting_Her_Own_Business\"><\/span>Starting Her Own Business<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Kiyoko moved with her husband to Vancouver Island, but her life remained largely unchanged. She continued to work on a farm, milking cows and cleaning chicken coops for three to four hours a day. Afterward, she collected linens from a hotel and washed them at home. Sleep was limited to four to five hours a night as the rest of her time was consumed by hard labour. After several years of this demanding lifestyle, Kiyoko decided to leave farming behind. By 1920, she had saved $2,000 and moved to Vancouver. Together with three other women, Kiyoko purchased property at the corner of Powell and Gore streets, where she established a brothel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first year of operation was highly successful. Despite having few prostitutes and serving primarily fishermen and loggers as clients, Kiyoko managed to earn a significant income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1922, Kiyoko fell ill and met a man who promised to pay for her medical treatment. They moved to Kamloops, but Kiyoko once again found herself in domestic servitude, washing clothes and cooking meals. After five years, she returned to Vancouver and rented the second floor of a hotel at 35 West Hastings Street, where she established another brothel. Kiyoko treated the women working for her well, taking only a 30% commission compared to the 50% typical of other establishments. She reported that white women charged $2 for their services, while time with exotic Japanese women ranged from $3 to $5. Additionally, she ensured all clients were screened for diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.vancouveranka.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2024\/11\/image-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3960\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vancouveranka.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2024\/11\/image-1.png 800w, https:\/\/cdn.vancouveranka.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2024\/11\/image-1-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.vancouveranka.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2024\/11\/image-1-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.vancouveranka.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2024\/11\/image-1-696x522.png 696w, https:\/\/cdn.vancouveranka.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2024\/11\/image-1-80x60.png 80w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Business_Expansion_and_Police_Connections\"><\/span>Business Expansion and Police Connections<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When a new police chief was appointed in Vancouver, Kiyoko\u2019s business flourished further as she had a personal connection with him. This relationship allowed her to continue her operations successfully, while competitors were arrested for similar activities. Her brothel operated until 1941.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Closure_of_Her_Business\"><\/span>The Closure of Her Business<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With the onset of World War II, Kiyoko was arrested and sent to Oakalla Prison. Later, she was transferred to Greenwood, where she remained for four years. After the war, she returned to Vancouver and attempted to restart her sex business while also planning to open a gambling club. However, the new police force was less inclined to turn a blind eye to vice and brothels, preventing her from resuming her operations. Kiyoko passed away at the age of 80.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kiyoko Tanaka-Goto, a woman of Japanese descent, faced challenging life circumstances that compelled her to migrate to Canada. Here, she defied the patriarchal norms of society and decided to start her own business. Her primary focus was managing a brothel, which helped Kiyoko establish a comfortable life. Read more on vancouveranka. A Difficult Childhood Kiyoko [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":411,"featured_media":3112,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1034],"tags":[2193,2189,2190,2187,2195,2186,2188,2191,2192,2194],"motype":[1045],"moformat":[66],"moimportance":[33],"class_list":{"0":"post-3956","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world-life","8":"tag-brothel","9":"tag-brothel-in-vancouver","10":"tag-business","11":"tag-crime","12":"tag-house-of-ill-repute","13":"tag-house-of-ill-repute-in-vancouver","14":"tag-life-story","15":"tag-life-story-of-kiyoko-tanaka-goto","16":"tag-sex-business","17":"tag-social-life","18":"motype-eternal","19":"moformat-vlasna","20":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatori"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vancouveranka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3956","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vancouveranka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vancouveranka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vancouveranka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/411"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vancouveranka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3956"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vancouveranka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3956\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3963,"href":"https:\/\/vancouveranka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3956\/revisions\/3963"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vancouveranka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3112"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vancouveranka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3956"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vancouveranka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3956"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vancouveranka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3956"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vancouveranka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=3956"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vancouveranka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=3956"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vancouveranka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=3956"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}