Kawaguchi Casting - Kawaguchi Imono

This is a local industry that was established around the end of the Muromachi period in the area around Kawaguchi, Adachi County, Musashi Province (Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture). In the early modern period, it was known as "Kawaguchi Nabe". It prospered thanks to the high-quality sand and clay of the Arakawa River, convenient shipping by boat, and the consumption center of Edo. The oldest recorded work is a crocodile bell with the inscription Tensho 14 (1586) from the Hiyoshi Sanno Shrine in Edo. During the Edo period, the Kyoto Matsugi family formed a guild as licensed casters, producing pots, kettles, temple bells, water basins, and other items. It developed significantly from the Kasei period (1804-1830), and the number of craftsmen increased from 13 in 1824 (Bunsei 7) to 23 by 1861 (Bunkyu 1). At the end of the Edo period, subcontractors called kaiyuya appeared and a manufacturing model was established, casting cannons for the shogunate and various feudal domains. After the Meiji period, they made an effort to innovate technology and develop new sales channels, and grew rapidly with the succession of wars after the Sino-Japanese War. After the Pacific War, they shifted to civilian demand. In 1984 (Showa 59), the annual production of pig iron castings for machinery alone was 330,000 tons, accounting for about 10% of the national production.

[Susumu Ohmura]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

室町末期ごろまでに武蔵(むさし)国足立(あだち)郡川口（埼玉県川口市）周辺で創業された地場(じば)産業。近世には「川口鍋(なべ)」として知られた。荒川の良質砂と粘土、舟運の便、消費地江戸を控えて繁栄。記録上最古の作品は、江戸日吉山王(ひえさんのう)社の天正(てんしょう)14年（1586）銘の鰐口(わにぐち)。江戸時代、京都真継(まつぎ)家免許鋳物師(いもじ)としてギルド組織を形成、鍋、釜(かま)、梵鐘(ぼんしょう)、水盤などを製作する。化政(かせい)期（1804～30）以降発展著しく、1824年（文政7）業者数13人であったのが、61年（文久1）には23人に増加。幕末には下請けの買湯屋が出現、マニュファクチュア形態がみられ、幕府や諸藩の大砲鋳造も行う。明治以降技術革新と新販路開拓に努め、日清(にっしん)戦争後数次の戦争で急成長した。太平洋戦争後は民需に転換。1984年（昭和59）機械用銑鉄鋳造だけで年間33万トン、全国生産の約10％を占める。

［大村　進］

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