House quality - Kajichi

Mortgages of houses in the Edo period. The word "house" here refers to the house itself, and the term "pawn" actually means a mortgage. It was mainly practiced in towns. In Osaka, house pawning used to be carried out in the form of the pawner handing over a document of sale of the house to the pawnee, and at the same time submitting a lease receipt, and continuing to occupy the house. In 1720 (Kyoho 5), the format of the pawn document was changed to one that required the seal of the Gonin-gumi (group of elders). The interest rate was written on the document, and it was recognized as a pawn only for house pawns. In Edo, it is thought that the document originally had an interest-bearing format, but following Osaka's example, a format developed in which the debtor would hand over a document of sale of the house to be used as collateral and a lease receipt to the creditor, and both were used together. Later, it was prohibited to charge interest on pawned land, and only the latter remained, and rent was required to be paid instead of interest. This system continued even after the new house pawning certificate was adopted. During the Edo period, house pawning played an important role in the finances of townspeople as a reliable and low-interest collateral.

[Ryosuke Ishii]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸時代における家屋敷の抵当。ここにいう家は家屋敷をさし、質といっても実は抵当である。主として町方で行われた。大坂での家質は、古くは質入主が家屋敷の売渡し証文を質取主に渡し、同時に借家請状(うけじょう)を差し入れて、その家屋敷の占有を継続するという形で行われた。1720年（享保5）に質物証文の形式として、年寄(としより)五人組の加判を受けることに改まった。証文面に利息の定めが記載され、家質に限り、質としての効力が認められた。江戸では、初めは利息付きの家質証文の形式であったと考えられるが、大坂に倣って、債務者から債権者に担保に入れる家屋敷の売券と家守(やもり)請状を渡すという形式が発達、両者は併用された。のちに質地に利子をつけることが禁ぜられた結果、後者のみが残り、かつ利息のかわりに家賃を払わせることになった。新たに家質証文が採用されたのちにもこの制度は存続した。江戸時代に家質は、確実で、利率の低い担保として、町方の金融上重要な地位を占めた。

［石井良助］

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