Tsujiban - Crossroads

In the Edo period, a vigilante organization was established among the samurai of Edo to prevent street murders, which were rampant. It began in 1629 (Kan'ei 6) when it became mandatory to set up a guard post at every intersection of samurai residences (townspeople were managed by the self-governing guard post). There were official guard posts set up directly by the shogunate, one-handed guard posts maintained by a single daimyo alone, and associations or yoriai guard posts made up of daimyo and several hatamoto families (townspeople were allowed to take on the job on a contract basis). Usually, the guard posts were built by cutting into the walls of the residences, and were two ken (about 3.6 meters) wide and nine shaku (about 2.7 meters) deep, with four or five people on duty day and night, equipped with three types of tools for the police. They not only handled street murders, but also cases of abandoned children, unnatural deaths, and fights at the street, and submitted petitions to the shogunate's Ometsuke (police inspector) and received instructions from him. However, if the target was a townspeople, they were handed over to the town magistrate's office. As the period of peace continued, the number of incidents decreased and the number of police officers who did not carry out their duties as prescribed increased.

[Fumio Inagaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸時代、横行した辻斬(つじぎ)り防止の目的で、江戸の武家の間にもたれた自警組織。1629年（寛永6）武家屋敷の辻々に辻番所設置が義務づけられたことに始まる（町方の管理は自身番）。幕府が直接設けた公儀辻番、一大名だけで維持する一手持辻番、大名や旗本数家共同の組合または寄合辻番（町人の請負が許された）がある。普通は屋敷の塀を切り開いて建てた間口二間（約3.6メートル）、奥行九尺（約2.7メートル）の辻番所に捕物(とりもの)三つ道具を備え、昼夜4、5名が詰める。辻斬りだけでなく辻々の捨て子、変死、喧嘩(けんか)も取り扱い、幕府の御目付(おめつけ)に上申してその指図を受けた。しかし対象が町人であれば町奉行(ぶぎょう)所に渡した。泰平の世が続くと事件も減少し、規定どおりの職務を遂行しない辻番が増えた。

［稲垣史生］

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