The narrative of a Japanese; what he has seen and the people he has met in the course of the last forty years./Appendix B
In connection with the view of Yedo as it appeared in 1863, I give the following details of an old city institution (now defunct) that I learned from a Mr. Matsuoka, who had served as President of the famous saké guild for more than 40 years.
The Tokugawa Government, holding litigation to be troublesome, costly, and the cause of enmities, decided to keep it in check as much as possible, and with that view established the following regulations:--
1st. Three old city families--those of Tachi, Taru and Kitamura--were appointed Toshiyori (elders), to serve under the two Governors (East and West) of Yedo.
2nd. Under these Toshiyori were several Nanushi, also appointed by the Government. Their office was also hereditary during good behaviour. In case of misconduct the City Governors were empowered to suspend these functionaries and to transfer their office to others at will.
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3rd. Under these Nanushi were Go-nin-gumi and Cho-yaku-nin, the latter of whom elected the former from their own number. These Go-nin-gumi had to be approved by the Toshiyori and Nanushi.
4th. Under these officials were the ten guilds, composed of merchants of standing in the city. Of these the Sake-donya ( saké guild) was the most important.
After it came the Momen-donya (dealers in cotton fabrics), the Futomono-donya (dealers in silk pieces-goods), the Tetsumono-donya (dealers in iron), the Omi-ten (dealers in matting), the Yakushi-donya (dealers in drugs), the Nurimono-donya (dealers in lacquer ware), the Ro-donya (dealers in vegetable wax), the Midzu-abura-donya (dealers in oil) and the Kami-donya (dealers in paper). The officials of these guilds were on the footing of city officers.
All Commercial disputes were submitted to the guild officers for decision. The saké guild, for instance, usually selected from their own number, three Robun, and six yearly, and as many monthly, Gioji (Judges). The duties of a Robun were analogous to those of the Director of a Company, while the Gioji had to serve under these Robun in all matters (except keeping the guild accounts) and to settle all disputes among the members. All the
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guild expenses were contributed by the members. The admission fee was 1,000 Rio. All this entrance money was kept by the Robun, and was devoted to making good any deficiency in the expenses. There was no land tax in the city beyond 7 per cent. of the rent collected from the land-lease, and this sum was kept for such emergencies as fire, flood, or earthquake, by the chief of the Momi-gura, or Paddy Godown.
These Momi-gura, or huge Paddy Godowns, where rice was kept for years, were established by the Tokugawa Government to aid the people in times of famine. The officials, selected from the wealthiest men in the community, were appointed by the Governors of the City. They were entitled to wear two swords, and held a high status in Yedo society.
In Yedo there were five of these Momi-gura. The Government supplied the original stock of unhulled rice, which had to be changed every 7 or 10 years, the surplus old stock being sold at a reduced rate. The new rice was purchased by the accumulation of 7 per cent. of all the Miyoga Kin and by an annual contribution from the guilds of 10,200 Rio, of which the Saké-donya paid 1500 Rio.
Disbursements from the Momi-gura were made in the following cases:--1. To aid in time of famine, and, 2, of fire, flood and earthquake. 3. To rebuild
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the four great bridges of Yedo, Azuma, Riogoku, Eitai, and O¯hashi. 4. To merchants in difficulties who wished to wind-up, or to re-establish their businesses. Applications were in form of petitions endorsed by the district Nanushi or Choyaku-nin and with one or more good securities. Evidence also had to be tendered of good character and honest reputation. 5. For charity and for the support of the poor.
Under the old regime the citizens of Yedo had as much regard to honour and honesty as to merely becoming rich. Hence there was no litigation and few cases of bankruptcy, and so ther was no difficulty in getting advances from the Momi-gura.
At the Revolution the new Government found in these Momi-gura an accumulation of 400,000 Rio. This sum it devoted to building Ginza (between Shimbashi and Kiyobashi) with brick. The work was begun in 1872, and finished about '75 or '76.
In Tokugawa Yedo, or under the old régime, only the main thoroughfares were maintained by the Government, all the side streets, with their repairs, guttez-cleaning and so forth, being attended to by the landowners. In the rare case of any commercial disputes being brought before the Governors of the city, these latter generally referred them to the Toshiyori, who in turn referred
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them to the Nanushi and the Robun, and these last almost invariably settled them to the satisfaction of all concerned. Thus it appears, before 1860 there were no known Commercial Laws in the city, and no lawyer was needed to waste people's time and money and to breed discord and enmity.