Salt seller - Shiouri

Japanese: 塩売 - しおうり

Salt trader. In Japan, salt is only produced in coastal areas due to natural and geographical constraints, so to meet the demand in mountainous and inland areas, trade routes for salt, or salt roads, have been established between salt-producing areas and mountainous and inland areas since ancient times, and salt merchants have traveled along these routes, resulting in the creation of salt houses and salt inns in various regions. From ancient times to the present, salt trade has been carried out by saleswomen and salesmen in salt-producing areas carrying salt and salt mixtures and bartering them for grains and processed goods produced in mountainous and inland areas. In particular, in the Middle Ages, when the annual tax salt sent from manors along the Seto Inland Sea to Kyoto and Nara began to be sold at Yodo Fish Markets along the way, large amounts of salt became available as a commodity, and various salt merchants appeared to trade in this way.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

塩の取引商人。日本では塩は海岸地方でのみ生産されるといった自然的･地理的制約があるので，山間･内陸地方の需要を満たすため，製塩地と山間･内陸地方との間に古くから塩の交易路，すなわち塩の道が開かれ，そこを塩商人が往来し，各地に塩屋･塩宿が生まれた。塩の取引には，古代から現代に至るまで製塩地の販女（ひさぎめ）･販夫が塩･塩合物をたずさえて，山間･内陸地方産の穀物･加工品との物々交換を行ってきた。とくに中世に入って瀬戸内海沿岸地方荘園から京都･奈良に送られていた年貢塩が途中の淀魚市などで販売されるようになると，大量の塩が商品として出回るようになり，その取引をめぐって各種の塩売商人が登場した。

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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