Goto Shozaburo

Japanese: 後藤庄三郎 - ごとうしょうざぶろう

The head of the Edo Shogunate's gold minting (Okane Aratameyaku). From the first Mitsutsugu (1571-1625), successive generations took the name Shozaburo and inherited the position of Okane Aratameyaku, occupying the top position among townspeople who were purveyors to the Shogunate. The first generation is said to have been originally Nagai, the lord of Kano Castle in Mino Province, but this is doubtful. He is thought to have been Yamazaki Shozaburo, a disciple of Goto Tokujo (Mitsumoto), who printed oban coins in Kyoto under Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In 1593, under Hideyoshi's orders, he traveled to Kanto for Tokugawa Ieyasu as Tokujo's representative (he became his adopted son). In 1595, he minted Musashi-sumi-sho koban coins, and from 1600, he minted koban and ichibu-kin coins, and also coordinated the establishment of the Ginza with Sueyoshi, a wealthy merchant from the Setsu plains. His intelligence and ability were recognized, and he became a close aide to Ieyasu, participating in politics, diplomacy, trade, etc. The Shozaburo family continued until the 11th Shozaburo Mitsukane, but in 1810 Mitsukane was exiled to Miyakejima and the family line came to an end.

Source : Heibonsha Encyclopedia About MyPedia Information

Japanese:

江戸幕府金座の主宰者（御金改役(おかねあらためやく)）。初代光次(みつつぐ)〔1571-1625〕以後代々庄三郎を名乗り御金改役を世襲，幕府御用達町人の上座を占めた。初代は本姓美濃(みの)国加納(かのう)城主長井氏というが，疑わしい。豊臣秀吉のもと京都で大判を吹いていた後藤徳乗(とくじょう)（光基）の弟子山崎庄三郎と思われる。1593年秀吉の下命をうけ徳乗の名代（養子となる）として徳川家康のために関東へ下った。1595年武蔵墨書小判，1600年から小判，一分金を造り，また摂州(せっしゅう)平野の豪商末吉利方とともに銀座の設立を差配。その聡明さと力量が認められ家康の側近となり，政治，外交，貿易などにも参画。庄三郎家は11代目庄三郎光包(みつかね)まで続いたが，1810年光包が三宅島に流罪となり断絶。

出典　株式会社平凡社百科事典マイペディアについて　情報

<<: Shojiro Goto

>>: Shuichi Goto