Can anyone read Japanese?

[RedArmyCollector]

Hi Everyone, While going through pictures of a very old album of my grandfather I found some pictures of different women he had a fancy for. There was one from when he was stationed in Japan after WW2 that has some Japanese on the back of it and I have no idea what it says.

Long story short, can someone who knows Japanese please translate this photograph.

[BOB COLEMAN]

I can help you with part of the writing. The photograph is that of a geisha, a woman who would entertain at parties for men. Contrary to some Western concepts, the geisha were not prostitutes but highly skilled singers, musicians and entertainers. The inscription on the right states the picture was taken the 17th year of Showa or 1942. The lower left is the name of the geisha. It is to stylized a writing for my meager skills. At least you have a part of the puzzle.

[BOB COLEMAN]

Unfortunately, many young women had to sell themselves to the occupying soldiers in order to obtain mere basic levels of survival to help their families. Food sources for the first few years were quite low. This was a tragedy for these young women. Many commited suicide rather than live with the shame. Sorry, I do not see any humor in the reality of how things were for the average Japanese family. They were victims of their government's folly.

[RedArmyCollector]

A shame about what these women had to do just to scratch a living...

Thanks for the help Bob.

[tmys]

The writing the right says: Photographed Showa 17 (1942)

On the left: Shiba no Ie (probably the name of the establishment)

Left column: Masatani (name)

[Alan M]

a wonderful period photograph with family history , very nice