Mizuage
/ˌmiː.zuːˈɑː.ɡeɪ/noun
A Japanese term referring historically to a geisha or apprentice geisha’s formal debut and, in some contexts, the sale of her virginity, as well as to the landing or sale of a fishing catch.
Did you know?Although popular Western accounts often equate mizuage with a geisha’s virginity auction, historians note that practices varied and that the term also simply meant bringing a catch of fish ashore or generating earnings.
Etymological Timeline
Old Japanese
Japanese
mizu
“Water”
Old Japanese
Japanese
ageru
“To raise, lift, bring up, or cause to rise”
Medieval Japanese
Japanese
mizuage
“The raising or landing of waterborne goods, especially bringing a fishing catch ashore”
Edo Period
Japanese
水揚げ
“A catch landed and its proceeds; in licensed entertainment districts, the term acquired specialized meanings connected with a girl’s debut and earnings”
19th–20th Century
Japanese
水揚げ
“Used in geisha and apprentice-geisha contexts, with “virginity sale” becoming one historically documented but not universal interpretation”
Modern English
English
mizuage
“A loanword used mainly in discussions of geisha culture, Japanese history, and the contested Western idea of a geisha virginity auction”