Mistress-keeping has had a long and "illustrious" history in Japan, with fascinating traditions and customs that were unique to Japanese culture. The practice underwent dramatic changes following the end of the Shogunate era in 1867 and again follow-ing the end of World War II in 1945-when it was revitalized by thousands of American and United Nations military and civilian personnel who were part of the Occupation of Japan. Author Boyé Lafayette De Mente, who was part of that extraordinary phenomenon, describes in detail the nature and role of mistress-keeping during the Shogunate era, in the aftermath of WWII, and how it continues today as part of Japan's mizu shobai [mee-zoo show-by] or "water business", providing valuable insights into the entertainment trades that play major roles in business and politics. A fascinating read for anyone involved with or interested in Japan. Boyé Lafayette De Mente has been involved with Japan, China, Korea and Mexico since the late 1940s as a member of a U.S. intelligence agency, student, journalist, editor and author working out of Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. He is a graduate of Jochi University in Tokyo, and The American Institute for Foreign Trade (in 1953), now Thunderbird School of Global Management, in Glendale, Arizona, USA. De Mente wrote the first ever books on the Japanese way of doing business (Japanese Etiquette and Ethics in Business in 1959 and How to Do Business in Japan in 1962), and was the first to introduce the now commonly used Japanese terms wa, nemawashi, kaizen, tatemae-honne, shibui, sabi and wabi to the outside business world! His 70-plus other books run the gamut from language learning to the night-time "pink" trades in Japan, the role of bars, cabarets and geisha houses in business, the sensual nature of Oriental cultures, male-female relations, and understanding and coping with the Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Mexican mindset in business and social situations. He has also written extensively about the foibles and failures of the world's cultures, in particular the religious misunderstanding, misuse and abuse of human sexuality [See: EROS' REVENGE--Brave New World of American Sex; also: Why Ignorance, Stupidity and Violence Plague Mankind!]