Paper Monopoly

Japanese: 紙専売制 - かみせんばいせい

…By the time “Shifu” (1777) was published, Tosa had become one of the three major paper-producing regions, along with Echizen and Mino. The Tosa clan had a paper monopoly system, which was strict at first, with the clan monopolizing all paper, but due to resistance from paper-making peasants, the system was gradually relaxed and some paper was allowed to be sold freely. In “Koueki Kunisanko,” Okura Nagatsune wrote that 40% of the paper delivered to paper wholesalers in Osaka was Tosa paper, and the profits were immeasurable. …

From [Han Monopoly System]

…At the same time, they began to focus on local specialties within their territories and aimed to monopolize their purchases and sales. Looking at the products that became the subject of monopolies, paper was the most common, with paper monopolies being implemented in Hagi, Iwakuni, Tokuyama, Tsuwano, Matsue, Hiroshima, Uwajima, and Mito domains. Next came the monopolies of wax wood and wax in the western domains, and lacquer and lacquer-wax in the eastern domains. …

*Some of the terminology used to refer to the "paper monopoly" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

Japanese:

…《紙譜》(1777)が刊行されるころには，越前，美濃と並んで三大産地の一つになっていた。土佐藩は紙専売制をとり，はじめは藩が紙をすべて独占する厳しいものであったが，紙すき農民の反抗によってしだいに後退して，一部の自由販売を認めるようになった。大蔵永常は《広益国産考》で，大坂の紙問屋に集まる紙の4割は土佐紙で，その利益ははかりがたいと記している。…