一場以失敗收場的殖民地實驗：1910年代臺灣對娼妓就業契約的公證義務化及其廢除

Introduction and Abrogation of Mandatory Notarization of the Prostitute Indentures in Taiwan: A Case of Failed Policy Experiment in the Early Phase of Colonization

1896年起，臺灣總督府將日本內地的公娼制度陸續引進臺灣各地。1906年2月，為了避免各地不同的管制辦法導致爭執或糾紛，總督府又向各地方官廳公告「貸座敷及娼妓取締規則標準」，藉此統一島內相關制度架構。1910年總督府進而發布「娼妓契約書應記載主要事項」，規定娼妓與店主之合約必須經過公證，以更確切地避免相關糾紛。至1918年總督府廢除「娼妓契約書應記載主要事項」為止，每名在臺灣簽約從娼的婦女，皆以公證方式將與店主的合約內容備存至法院，內容包括個別工作條件、具體待遇、貸款額度、就業期限及休假日數等。本文首先整理1910年娼妓稼業公證程序的立案，及1918年的廢除過程，藉此了解臺灣總督府對於殖民地買、賣春業的管制手段及其目標。接著，爬梳及分析「日治法院檔案」資料庫中356件臺北廳內「娼妓稼業契約公證書」，除了揭示日本娼妓們實際的群體面貌外，也透過對照、比較統計資料及戶口調查簿等其他相關資料，嘗試還原1910年代日本娼妓們在殖民地臺灣的具體就業狀況。最後，本文也比較總督府對於買、賣春制度設計的原始設想與實際成效之間的落差，藉此進一步思考制度的實際執行及運作如何影響其成敗。

Beginning in 1896, the Sōtokufu (the Government-General of Taiwan) introduced the licensed prostitution system (kōshō seido) from mainland Japan to various districts in Taiwan. However, this gradually created regulatory gaps between local districts, often resulting in conflicts and disputes over the validity of prostitute indentures. In an effort to resolve these issues, the Sōtokufu standardized the system in 1906. In 1910, mandatory notarization of prostitute indentures by Japanese Court Officials became a prerequisite for their legal validity. This requirement also served as a tool to effectively safeguard the ＂human rights of prostitutes.＂ Despite its abrogation in 1918, the discourse behind the introduction as well as abrogation of mandatory notarization is worth examining, not only because of the apparent contradiction between the inhumane nature of Japanese prostitute per se, but also due to its uniqueness in the context of modern Japanese history. Ever since the Maria Luz Incident (1872), in order to avoid criticism from the West, explicit references to prostitutes in official documents, including indentures between prostitutes and panderers, were rare. In contrast, more than 1,000 prostitute indentures notarized in the 1910s were compiled and stored in the Taiwan Colonial Court Record Archives, detailing the working terms and conditions within the sex market in early colonial Taiwan. This article first traces the 1910 regulation on the notarization of prostitute indentures and its abolition in 1918 to understand the regulatory measures and objectives of the Sōtokufu as well as the socio-economic conditions that influenced these legal processes. Through analysis of 356 prostitute indentures from Taihoku District in the Taiwan Colonial Court Records Archive, this article also attempts to map out the underlying demographic landscape of early colonial Taiwan's sex industry, particularly the existence of a community of Japanese prostitutes and their lived experiences. Finally, this article evaluates the gaps between the original intent and the actual effects of the mandatory notarization of the prostitute indentures in Taiwan.