Gofukuza - Gofukuza

Japanese: 呉服座 - ごふくざ

Also written as Gofukuza. A group of privileged merchants active in Kyoto and Omi in the Middle Ages who traded silk fabrics and bolts of cloth. During the Muromachi period, Kayocho (pawnbrokers) belonging to the four fu (four lords) began to run various commercial and industrial businesses, but Kayocho (pawnbrokers) belonging to the Sakon'efu and Sahyoefu (four lords) conducted privileged trade in kimono in and around Kyoto, and began to exclude merchants who sold kimono on the roads. They even advanced to Yokoseki Shimogo, Gamo County, Omi, and began to compete for the market with the Honai Gofukuza (fawnbrokers) of the same county, whose headquarters was in Higashidani, the main temple of Enryakuji Temple.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

御服座とも書く。中世，京都あるいは近江などで活躍していた絹織物･反物取引の特権的商人団。室町時代，四府所属の駕輿丁（かよちよう）たちが各種の商工業を営むようになるが，左近衛府･左兵衛府所属駕輿丁たちは洛中洛外で呉服の特権的な取引を行い，路次などで呉服の振売をする商人を排除するようになっていた。彼らはさらに近江蒲生郡横関下郷にまで進出し，山門延暦寺の本院東谷を本所とする同郡の保内呉服座と市場の争奪を行うようになった。

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

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