Edo Town Hall - Edomachikaisho

During the Kansei Reforms, this was established in 1792 (Kansei 4) by the senior councilor Matsudaira Sadanobu as a permanent institution for the relief of the poor, a reserve fund for famine, and a financial institution. Specifically, the office was called the town council, and it handled matters such as the collection of enclosed rice grains, the issuance of seven-tenths savings, rice, and money, and low-interest loans for land and house mortgages. The building was constructed within the grounds of a rice grain storehouse in Mukoyanagiwara, Asakusa. The officials were Zanin (five landowners), Zanin Tetsuki (six landowners, working under the Zanin), Yotashi (ten people, accounting and accounting merchants, handling the receipt and disbursement of money), Yotashi clerks, and Kimoiri Headman (six people, accepting deposits and issuing notices to the towns), and were supervised by the town council officials of both the Accounting Magistrate's Office and the Town Magistrate's Office. The enclosed rice was constantly being repacked with new rice and old rice, and the goal was to store 30 days' worth of rice for the estimated town population of 500,000, so rice storehouses were added across from Fukagawa Ohashi Bridge, inside Kanda Sujikaibashi Bridge, and in Kosuge Village. The distribution of rice and money to the poor was given to them by the landowners who applied for it with the approval of the Headman. In the event of major fires or floods, relief huts were built to house victims. The facility was abolished in 1872 (Meiji 5), but the large amount of funds that had been accumulated up until then were widely used for social relief projects, such as the establishment of an orphanage, and for the maintenance of roads and bridges.

[Minami Kazuo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

寛政(かんせい)の改革の際、老中松平定信(さだのぶ)により1792年（寛政4）に設けられた、常設の窮民救済、備荒貯蓄、兼金融機関。具体的には、囲籾(かこいもみ)、七分積金、米、銭の交付や土地家屋抵当の低利貸付などを行う事務所を町会所と称した。建物は、浅草向柳原(むこうやなぎわら)に設けた籾蔵(もみぐら)の構内につくられた。職員としては座人(ざにん)（地主5人）、座人手付(てつき)（家主6人、座人の下で働く）、用達(ようたし)（10人、勘定所用達商人、金銭の出納をする）、用達手代、肝煎(きもいり)名主（6人、積金の受理や町々への通達）で、勘定奉行所(ぶぎょうしょ)と町奉行所の両町会所掛が監督した。囲籾は始終新米と古米とを詰め替え、町方推定人口50万の30日分を目標に貯蔵したので、籾蔵を深川大橋向、神田筋違橋(すじかいばし)内、小菅(こすげ)村に増設した。窮民への米、銭の交付は、名主の承認を得て家主が申請して窮民に与えられた。大きな火災や水害などのおりは救小屋(すくいごや)を建てて罹災(りさい)者を収容した。同所は1872年（明治5）に廃止されたが、それまで積み立てられていた多額の資金は、養育院の設立をはじめとする社会救済事業や、道路橋梁(きょうりょう)の営繕事業などに幅広く活用された。

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