Oil God Man

…In the Middle Ages, oil was mainly used for lighting by temples and shrines and nobles, and the oil za was an organization that manufactured and sold lanterns. They were allowed to sell surplus oil as a commodity in exchange for services such as donating lanterns to temples and shrines, and were given protection and privileges such as exemption from customs duties and exclusive rights to purchase, manufacture, and sell perilla seeds. They were mainly composed of people with the status of jinin (oil jinin). Already in the middle of the Kamakura period, the Fusaka jinin, headquartered at Daijo-in Temple of Kofuku-ji Temple in Yamato Province, the jinin in Tennoji-Kimura in Settsu Province, and the Yagi Nakakai-za in Yamato Province had exclusive sales rights, and the Fusaka jinin, as the white jinin of Kasuga Shrine, had secured a superior position in business throughout Yamato. …

*Some of the terminology explanations that refer to "Aburakamijin" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…油は中世では社寺や公家がおもに照明(灯火)用に使用したが，灯油を製造，販売した組織が油座である。主として社寺に灯油を献上するなどの奉仕のかわりに，商品として余剰油の販売を許され，関銭免除の特権やエゴマの仕入れ，製造，販売の独占権などの保護や特権を与えられたもので，神人（じにん）(油神人)の身分をもつ者を中心として構成されていた。すでに鎌倉時代の中期，大和国では興福寺大乗院を本所とする符坂油座，摂津国天王寺木村の油座，大和国矢木仲買座が専売権をもち，符坂油座は春日社白人神人として，大和一円に営業上の優越的な地位を確保していた。…

※「油神人」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報