Shimai Soshitsu

A wealthy merchant and tea master in Hakata during the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Son of Shimai Shigehisa. His name was Shigekatsu, commonly known as Tokudayu. After shaving his head, he called himself Zuiou Soshitsu, and also called himself Kyohakuken and Zuiunan. The Shimai family had been running a sake shop and a storehouse since ancient times, and with the wealth they had accumulated, Soshitsu made loans to feudal lords in Kitakyushu, such as Otomo Sorin. Through Sorin, he also became friends with merchants and tea masters in Sakai, such as Tennojiya Doshitsu, Tsuda Sokyu, and Sen no Rikyu. He also sought to approach powerful figures of the time, such as Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In 1587 (Tensho 15), on his way back from the expedition of the Shimazu clan, he stopped in Hakozaki (Fukuoka City) on Hideyoshi's orders and worked with Kamiya Sotan and others to rebuild Hakata. When Hideyoshi invaded Korea in 1592 (Bunroku 1), he served as an emissary of Konishi Yukinaga to negotiate and scout the area, and tried to explain the folly of the military expedition, but his advice was not accepted. During the expedition, he worked with Sotan and others to procure military rice. In 1601 (Keicho 6), he donated a large amount of funds to Kuroda Nagamasa's construction of Fukuoka Castle. In 1610, he passed on the family headship to his adopted son Nobuyoshi, and passed on 17 articles of instruction to him, which advocated frugality and proactive management. This teaching is a valuable historical document that gives us a glimpse into the mindset of wealthy merchants in the early modern period.

[Yasuo Kobayashi]

"Tanaka Takeo, 'Shimae Soshitsu' (1961, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)" "Nakata Yasunao, 'Trades in the Early Modern Period' (included in 'Japanese History Series 3, Early Modern Period 1', 1959, Asakura Shoten)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

安土(あづち)桃山時代の博多(はかた)の豪商、茶人。島井茂久の子。名は茂勝、通称徳太夫(とくだゆう)。剃髪(ていはつ)して瑞翁(ずいおう)宗室と称し、虚白軒(きょはくけん)、瑞雲庵(ずいうんあん)とも号した。島井家は古くより酒屋と土倉を営み、それによって蓄積した富力を背景に宗室は大友宗麟(そうりん)ら北九州の大名に貸付けを行っていた。また、宗麟を通じて天王寺屋道叱(どうしつ)、津田宗及(そうきゅう)、千利休(せんのりきゅう)ら堺(さかい)の商人・茶人とも親交をもった。さらに時の権力者織田信長や豊臣(とよとみ)秀吉への接近を図った。1587年（天正15）島津征伐の帰途、筥崎(はこざき)（福岡市）に立ち寄った秀吉の命により神谷宗湛(かみやそうたん)らとともに博多の復興にあたった。92年（文禄1）秀吉の朝鮮出兵の際には、小西行長(ゆきなが)の使者として交渉偵察にあたり、その出兵の愚を説いたが、いれられず、出兵中は宗湛らと兵糧米(ひょうろうまい)の調達にあたった。1601年（慶長6）黒田長政(ながまさ)の福岡城築城には多額の資金を献じている。10年、質素倹約と積極経営を旨とする17条の遺訓を養嗣子(ようしし)信吉に与え、家督を譲った。この遺訓は近世初頭の豪商の意識をうかがう貴重な史料である。

［小林保夫］

『田中健夫著『島井宗室』（1961・吉川弘文館）』▽『中田易直著「近世初頭の貿易商人たち」（『日本人物史大系3　近世1』所収・1959・朝倉書店）』

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