Public purchase - lottery

…In the Edo period, they were illegal litigation agents, also known as deiri-shi and koji-kai. They would teach litigation techniques at the request of the parties to a lawsuit, write documents on their behalf, and mediate settlements. They would also appear in court pretending to be a relative, servant, or town or village official, and would represent or assist in litigation in exchange for a fee. They would also buy old debt certificates and accounts receivable books, and then sue the other party, expecting that they would not mind the expense and trouble of the lawsuit and would settle the matter internally. They would use their knowledge and skills in court and litigation to carry out a variety of activities. …

*Some of the terminology used to refer to "public purchases" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…江戸時代，出入師･公事買などとも呼ばれた非合法の訴訟代理業者。訴訟当事者の依頼を受けて訴訟技術を教示し，書面の代書を行い，内済（ないさい）(和解)の斡旋をするほか，当事者の親族･奉公人あるいは町村役人などを偽称して出廷し，訴訟行為の代理ないし補佐を行って礼金を得，また古い借金証文や売掛帳面などを買い取り，相手方が訴訟による失費や手間をいとい内済すると見通して出訴するなど，裁判･訴訟に関する知識や技術を利用したさまざまな行為を稼業とした。…

※「公事買」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報