Town Law - Choho

Japanese: 町法 - ちょうほう

In the Edo period, autonomous regulations were established for each town that made up a city. They were called cho-hattō, cho-nai-shikimoku, joho-sho, etc. Among the merchants and industrialists who lived in cities in the Edo period, the only people who were considered regular townspeople were the kabushiki who owned their own houses and paid the various expenses of the magistrate's office and the town's general office, as well as the town's own town fees, depending on the size of their houses. Land and shop renters, who made up the majority of the residents, were not recognized as townspeople. In the case of absentee landowners who lived in other towns or provinces, the yamori (landlord), who managed the land on behalf of the kabushiki, was a quasi-townsman and became a member of the town community together with the kabushiki, and the town administration was managed autonomously.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

江戸時代，都市を構成する各町の自治的制規。町法度，町内式目，定法書などと呼ばれた。江戸時代の都市の住民としての商工業者のうち，社会的に正規の町人として存在していたのは，家屋敷を所持し，その家屋敷の広狭に応じて町奉行所や惣町の諸費用およびその町限りの町費を負担する家持に限られ，住民の大部分を占めた地借（じがり）･店借（たながり）は町人身分として認められていなかった。そして家持が他町･他国住の不在地主の場合は，家持の代理として家作を管理する家守（やもり）(大家)が準町人として，家持とともに町共同体の構成員となり，町政の自治的運営が行われた。

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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