Rice Exchange

This refers to rice exchanges in the Edo period or the rice merchants' association offices attached to exchanges. The term has sometimes been used since the Meiji period. During the Edo period, when the rice tax payment system based on the rice yield system was in place, feudal lords' finances were mainly based on rice tax, and they needed to commercialize large amounts of this tax rice in order to obtain currency. Therefore, rice trading was active in castle towns, port towns, and central cities such as Osaka, and rice markets and rice exchanges were established as wholesale rice markets in these rice distribution centers. The timing and organization of rice exchanges as wholesale markets vary, but the Otsu rice exchange was established in 1644 (Shohogen era). In Osaka, the Dojima rice market became the center of rice trading from the end of the 17th century onwards, and rice exchanges were established as an associated form. The Dojima Rice Exchange was an office facility attached to the Dojima Rice Market, and was operated by the Komekata Nengyouji, the representative of the Dojima rice brokerage. Between 1725 (Kyoho 10) and 1730, rice exchanges were established in Osaka by Edo merchants three times with the shogunate's official approval. These rice exchanges were rice exchanges, but they were all abolished within a short period of time due to opposition from Osaka merchants. Other rice exchanges that served as places for rice trading were in Sakai and Hyogo, cities directly controlled in the Kinai region. Meanwhile, rice exchanges in various feudal domains are known to have been established in Kanazawa, Nagoya, Kuwana, Hiroshima, Onomichi, Akamagaseki, and Hakata, and at these rice exchanges, rice trading and rice futures trading were carried out with the approval or tacit consent of the domain.

[Masanori Honjo]

"Reprint of 'Rice Distribution System in the Tokugawa Period' by Naoji Suzuki (1977, Kokusho Kankokai)" ▽ "Research on the History of Rice Distribution in the Early Modern Period by Kantaka Doi (1969, Rinrinsha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸時代における米の取引所あるいは取引所に付随した米商人の組合事務所をいう。用語としては明治以降も使用される場合もある。石高制に基づく米納年貢制がとられた江戸時代にあっては、諸領主の財政は主として年貢米によっており、諸領主は貨幣獲得のためにこれら大量の年貢米を商品化する必要があった。したがって城下町や港町、大坂などの中央都市では活発な米取引が行われ、これら米集散地のなかには米の卸売市場としての米市(こめいち)や米会所が成立した。卸売市場としての米会所の成立時期や組織は一様ではないが、1644年（正保元）に大津の米会所が成立している。大坂では17世紀末以降、堂島(どうじま)米市場が米取引の中心となるが、それに付随した形で米会所が成立する。この堂島米会所は堂島米市場に付随する事務所施設であり、堂島米仲買の代表である米方年行司(こめかたねんぎょうじ)が運営にあたった。なお大坂では1725（享保10）～1730年の間に幕府公認の下、3回にわたって江戸商人による米会所が設立されている。この米会所は米取引所であったが、いずれも大坂商人の反発を受け短期間で廃止されている。畿内(きない)直轄都市ではこのほかにも堺、兵庫に米取引の場としての米会所があった。一方、諸藩領の米会所としては、金沢、名古屋、桑名、広島、尾道(おのみち)、赤間関(あかまがせき)、博多などの例が知られ、これら米会所では藩の認可や黙認の下で正米(しょうまい)取引や米の先物取引が行われた。

［本城正徳］

『鈴木直二著『徳川時代の米穀配給組織』復刻版（1977・国書刊行会）』▽『土肥鑑高著『近世米穀流通史の研究』（1969・隣人社）』

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