Huge Merchant House
Japanese merchants have been active relating to Japanese history from the early time. So we think there were so many merchants' houses in any day and age. However, most old merchants' houses were lost because of disasters of war, aging and other reasons.In spite of such situation, several of the Edo period's merchant-houses are still remained with the appearance as they were made. We visit two of them at Matsusaka city, Mie prefecture.
First of all, we want to simply state how major merchants in the Edo period played their active part. Edo, Osaka, Kyoto became big population cities and also large consumption areas.
Many provincial merchants carried their areas' specialities in the cities. And also they made shops and shopping town there. One of rural cities, Matsusaka city had been producing very important product, specially dyed cotton cloth. This product was highly pleased by the consumers in these consumption areas. Merchants from Matsusaka city advanced in the Edo city, and they became one of the major merchants in Japan.
Merchants' town in Edo (from the Internet) |
The Hasegawa residence
Until the beginning of the Edo period, Matsusaka city changed a huge producing area of dyed cotton cloth. Several decades before the moment, this area was an important military place and experienced war. But, the ruler, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's politics brought peace to this region. Several merchants who had a good head for business happened to carry the specially dyed cotton cloth in the Edo region. They earned huge money by this trade.
The property
Map of the residence (from the Internet) |
Their property, the Hasegawa residence is located in the downtown of Matsusaka city now. In the Edo period, it was adjacent to the Matsusaka Bugyousho (the magistrate's office). This place was very close to the Ise highway (the highway to the Ise shrine), and many other merchants' residences also gathered there.
It is registered within the top 10 survived merchant residences. And also it's designated as an important cultural asset.
We can tour only limited area in the residence. However, we can appreciate a living room for the master, a series of withdrawing room, store room and so on. Furthermore, one of storehouses is open to the public and remodeled to an exhibition room. Following the direction signs, we also appreciate a front garden of the main building and a Japanese landscape garden in expanded area.
The Ozu residence
The Ozu family's line of business was Japanese paper. This Japanese paper merchant was established at 1653, and in its heyday, managed 3 stores, hired 110 workers and more. And this company is still active in Tokyo, and current store name is 'Ozu-Washi (Washi is Japanese paper)'.
When they organized, its residence was in another place, and they moved at 1686. Its location is at the downtown of Matsusaka, aside of the Ise highway, and close to the Hannai river. The main building was built in uncertain times until the beginning of 1800's. Size of the site narrowed in one third at its best. There were 8 storehouses, however, only 2 now.
Once, the travelers to the Ise shrine entered Matsusaka city crossing the bridge over the Hannai river. And the Ozu residence was the first building the travelers found. Ozu family served uncompensated rice balls produced using these iron-pots to every traveler.
Each side of the big backyard room, there are many room. We can count 15 or so now, however, there were many annex residences. The scale of the total room seemed to be larger than the Hasegawa family's residence.
Pilgrimage to the Ise shrine
The Matsusaka city is located on the Ise highway and at the entrance of the Ise shrine. To be more precise, the Ise highway was moved into the Matsusaka city when Gamou Ujisato, one of famous Sengoku Warriors made the Matsusaka castle. He made the highway replaced and made merchants and ordinary people moved to the newly developed the Matsusaka castle town forcibly.
From the Internet |
Travel to the Ise shrine was a pilgrimage, however, for many Japanese ordinary people, it was a sigit-seeing and pleasure-seeking tour. When the Edo period began, ordinary people enjoyed traveling to the Ise shrine. Because they were prohibited from traveling except pilgrimages to the Ise shrine.
According to a certain record, approximately 5,000,000 people visited there in a certain special year (once every 60 years). The population of Japan was approximately 30,000,000, so, one sixth people visited this shrine that year.
According to an another record, 20,000 people visited the Matsusaka city every day. And the population of the Matsusaka city was 10,000 at that time. If 5,000,000 people visited the Ise shrine through the Matsusaka city, 20,000 visitors one day were possible.
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