Liver boil - Kimoiiri

A caretaker of various organizations in the Muromachi and Edo periods. It can also be written as "Kan-iri." In general, it refers to the caretakers and village officials (shoya and chief priests) of the Muromachi period and the Edo period. The origin of the word is said to be from "torimotsukoto" (to put in the liver). However, in the Edo period, it was also used to name town officials in Edo and other areas, and the caretakers of merchants and craftsmen were also called kan-iri, and by extension, the middlemen who hired servants were also called kan-iriya. In the case of samurai, the caretakers of the takaya (high ranking officials), yoriai (meetings), and doshin (police officers) were also called kan-iri, and in the Meiji period, national banks also had presidents and kan-iri.

[Uesugi Masahiko]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

室町時代や江戸時代の各種の団体の世話役。「肝入」とも書く。一般には、室町時代の郷村や江戸時代の村の世話役や村役人（庄屋(しょうや)・名主役）をさす。語源は「肝を入れる」（とりもつこと）に由来するという。ただし江戸時代には、江戸などの町役人の名称にも用い、商人や職人の世話役も肝煎とよび、転じて奉公人雇入れの周旋屋をも肝煎屋といった。また武士の場合にも、高家(こうけ)、寄合(よりあい)、同心の世話役を肝煎といい、明治時代の国立銀行にも頭取(とうどり)、肝煎が置かれた。

［上杉允彦］

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