Town Elders - From the town

Japanese: 町年寄 - まちどしより

〘Noun〙① One of the town officials in Edo during the Edo period. Hereditary from the three families of Taruya, Naraya, and Kitamura. Also called Sannenyori. They controlled over 200 headmen in each town, and were in charge of the general affairs of the city while maintaining contact with the town magistrate's office. They were responsible for conveying orders and directives from the town magistrate's office, supervising town officials below the headmen, collecting various taxes and land rents that were part of the town magistrate's office's revenue, and managing the Kanda and Tamagawa waterworks. Edo Machi-noshiyori. ※Gotokusho Kanpo Shusei - September 1664 (39th year of Kanbun) "A detailed document stating who is the custodian of each man's house and who is to be written down in a ledger, have it stamped by the town council, and submit it to the Machi-noshiyori."② In the Edo period, they were in charge of each town's administration under the direction of the So-noshiyori (corresponding to the Machi-noshiyori in Edo) in Osaka. They were initially appointed by the Motojime (later the So-noshiyori), but later they were selected by election. They were responsible for the transmission of decrees and announcements, the review of personal records, the control of fires, the dispatch of laborers to deal with fires, and the settlement of lawsuits.

Source: The Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary About the Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary Information

Japanese:

〘名〙① 江戸時代、江戸の町役人の一つ。樽屋・奈良屋・喜多村三家の世襲。三年寄ともいう。二百数十人に及ぶ各町の名主を統轄し、町奉行所と連絡を保ちながら市制一般をつかさどったもの。町奉行所の御触れ、指令の伝達、名主以下の町役人の監督、町奉行所の収入に属する諸運上や地代の収納、神田・玉川両上水の管理などに当たった。江戸町年寄。※御触書寛保集成‐三九・寛文四年（1664）九月「誰人之屋敷家守誰と有体書付、帳面に作り、町中連判仕、町年寄方え持参可被申候」② 江戸時代、大坂で総年寄（江戸の町年寄に相当）の指揮のもとに、各町政を担当したもの。初めは元締（のちの総年寄）が任命したが、のち選挙で選ばれた。御触れ・口達の伝達、人別改め、火の元取り締まり、火事場人足の差出、訴訟事件の和解などをつかさどった。※大坂三郷町中御取立承伝記（1620）「町人家屋敷売渡候節は町年寄より惣年寄へ相伺」

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