Japan - Korea - North Korea

Feb. 29 Toshie Prefers Shoe-Shining To Modelling: Tokyo's Lost Beautiful Shoe-Black Turns Down All Offers; Toshie Higughi says she knows all about men - from their shoes. She should know, because she cleans them - with the male's feet inside them - all day long. Toshie, aged 23, keeps herself by working hard, using lots of elbow grease, and a deal of her own natural charm, and she wouldn't change her job for all the tea in China or rice in Japan. Mornings see her at the corner of one of Tokyo's busy bridges shining the uppers of business men on the way to their offices. The rush hour over, a local hotel brings her a pill of shoes to shine for them. After that Toshie moves her site and catches the men on their way to appointments and Lunom. When it rains, she know a nice railway arch under which she shelters and works. Average taking at 60 a pair, are 14 shillings a day. But Tosh beauty brings her other kinds of offers. She has accepted invitations to cinemas, but days often the men get too possessive and she likes her independence. Offers of office jobs she turns down because she likes thexopen air and variety of their own job. Once she was persuaded to apply for a job as a model. She found herself with 50 other girl applicants and heard of the irregular employment, cost of dress etc and didn't wait to be interviewed. She went back to her boots and brushes. Toshie says shoes indicate the man, he can look good, speak nicely: but while I clean his shoes I can tell far more about his real character. I never fail. One day, Toshie says, she'll clean the she's of her own Prince Charming. She'll know - and then she'll shine no more

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