Chaya Shirojiro - Chaya Shirojiro

A wealthy merchant in Kyoto from the Azuchi-Momoyama to Edo periods. A kimono maker for the shogunate. His real surname was Nakajima. Some say he was born in Yamashiro, but the more likely theory is that he was born in Mikawa. He was called Shiro-Jiro for successive generations. The first Kiyonobu (1545-96) was an official merchant for the Tokugawa clan during the Mikawa period, and is known for conveying news of the Honnoji Incident to Ieyasu, who was in Kinai. The second Kiyotada (1582-1603) became head of Kyoto, but died young without an heir. The third Kiyotsugu (1584-1622) was also called Matashiro, and was Kiyonobu's second son, who succeeded the family and took the name in 1614 (Keicho 19). He accompanied Nagasaki Magistrate Hasegawa Fujihiro to Nagasaki, where he was involved in trade, including controlling the use of official silk thread, and also worked to suppress Christianity. From 1612, he dispatched red seal ships to Kochi (present-day central Vietnam), and continued this until the reign of the fourth head of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Michisumi, and the fifth head of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Nobumune. Kiyotsugu returned to Kyoto as an aide to Ieyasu during the Siege of Osaka, and was ordered to control the townspeople of Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Sakai, and Fushimi, as well as the official merchants of the Kasho-bune. Kiyotsugu's third and fourth sons, Shinshiro and Koshiro, served as kimono makers for the Owari and Kii families, respectively.

[Osamu Wakita]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

安土(あづち)桃山～江戸時代の京都の豪商。幕府呉服(ごふく)師。本姓中嶋(なかじま)。出身地は山城(やましろ)との説もあるが、三河(みかわ)説が有力。代々四郎次郎と称す。初代清延(きよのぶ)（1545―96）は三河時代の徳川氏の御用商人として活躍し、本能寺の変に際し、その報を畿内(きない)にきていた家康に伝えたことで知られる。2代清忠(きよただ)（1582―1603）は京の総町頭役となるが、嗣子(しし)なく早世した。3代清次(きよつぐ)（1584―1622）は又四郎といい清延の次男、家を継ぎ1614年（慶長19）襲名。長崎奉行(ぶぎょう)長谷川(はせがわ)藤広に従って長崎に下り、御用糸支配など貿易に携わり、キリシタン禁圧にも働いた。1612年から朱印船を交趾(こうち)（現在の中部ベトナム）に派遣し、4代道澄(みちすみ)、5代延宗(のぶむね)の代まで続けた。清次は大坂の陣の際、家康側近として京に戻り、京、大坂、奈良、堺(さかい)、伏見(ふしみ)の町人、および過書船(かしょぶね)の御用商人の支配を命ぜられた。なお清延の三男新四郎、四男小四郎はそれぞれ尾張(おわり)家、紀伊家の呉服師を勤めた。

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