Zaimokuza

A trade association of lumber merchants in the Middle Ages. Also called Kiyaza or Kureza, it had a monopoly on the lumber business. The commercialization of lumber began at the end of the Heian period, and zaimokuza were established in lumber consumer cities and distribution centers such as Kyoto Horikawa, Kizu (Kizugawa City, Kyoto Prefecture), Nara, Sakai, and Kamakura. Kyoto Horikawa was a distribution center for Tanba lumber, and was a bustling lumber trading area from early on. A zaimokuza of jinin (shrine priests) with Gion Shrine as its head office was established in this area during the Nanboku-cho period, and monopolized the lumber business in the capital. They were also obligated to build a floating bridge for the mikoshi (portable shrine) of the Gion Festival. Since ancient times, Kizu has had lumber offices set up by each temple, with lumber managers, lumber guardians, and yoriudos dealing in lumber. In the mid-Kamakura period, a lumber market was established in Kizu by Nishi-oto Yoriudos, who were under the jurisdiction of Kofuku-ji Ichijo-in. During the Muromachi period, lumber transported not only from Iga but also from ports in Shikoku and along the Seto Inland Sea was unloaded in Kizu, and some businesses sold the lumber to Kyoto and sold it to Nara.

[Yoshiaki Matsui]

"Toyoda Takeshi Collected Works Volume 1: Studies on the Seats" (1982, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中世の材木商人の同業者組合。木屋座(きやざ)・榑座(くれざ)ともいい、材木の営業独占権をもった。木材の商品化は平安時代末期から始まり、材木座は材木の消費都市・集散地である京都堀川(ほりかわ)・木津(きづ)（京都府木津川市）・奈良・堺・鎌倉などに成立した。京都堀川は、丹波材の集散地であり、早くから材木交易の地として賑わった。この地に祇園社を本所(ほんじょ)とする神人(じにん)の材木座は南北朝期に成立し、洛中の材木商売を独占した。また、祇園会の神輿のための浮橋架設の義務を負った。木津は、古代より各寺院の木屋所が設けられ、木屋預(きやあずかり)・木守(きもり)・寄人(よりうど)等が材木を取り扱っていた。鎌倉時代中期には、興福寺一乗院の所管である西御塔寄人によって材木座が木津に成立した。室町時代、伊賀のみならず四国及び瀬戸内海沿岸各港から運び出される材木は、木津にて陸揚げされ、京都方面への販売と奈良の振売(ふりうり)を営業とするものがあった。

［松井吉昭］

『『豊田武著作集　第1巻　座の研究』（1982・吉川弘文館）』

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