Town magistrate - Machibugyo

Japanese: 町奉行 - まちぶぎょう

A shogunate position that ruled the towns of Edo. In other cities, the magistrates were named after the city (such as Osaka magistrate and Fushimi magistrate), but in Edo they were simply called magistrates. Together with the magistrates of temples and shrines and the magistrates of finance, they were called the Three Magistrates.

[Kenichiro Yoshihara]

History of the magistrate

Since Tokugawa Ieyasu entered the Kanto region in 1590 (Tensho 18), Itakura Katsushige and Hikosaka Motomasa were in charge of governing the town as "deputies," but they also governed the villages. In 1601 (Keicho 6), Aoyama Tadashige and Naito Kiyoshige, who were close aides to Tokugawa Hidetada, were in charge of governing the town, but they were also regional administrators called "Kanto Sobugyo." There are two widely accepted theories about the first full-time administrators for governing the town: Kagazume Tadasumi and Hori Naoyuki in 1631 (Kan'ei 8), and Sakai Tadatomo and Kamio Motokatsu in 1638 (or 1640).

[Kenichiro Yoshihara]

Transition of the magistrate's office

The magistrate's office was both a residence and an official residence, and was generally called the "Gobansho." The North Guardhouse, located within Tokiwabashi Gate (Otemachi 2-chome, Chiyoda Ward), burned down in 1707 (4th year of the Hoei era) and was moved to Sukiyabashi Gate (Ginza 4-5-chome, Chuo Ward), and was subsequently called Minami Bansho until the end of the Edo period. The guardhouse located within Gofukubashi Gate (Otemachi 2-chome, Chiyoda Ward), south of Tokiwabashi, was originally called Minami Bansho. However, it burned down in 1698 (11th year of the Genroku era) and was moved to Kajibashi Gate (Marunouchi 1-chome, Chiyoda Ward). Furthermore, in 1702, a new guardhouse was built on the south side of the Gofukubashi Gate, and since the southern guardhouse inside the Sukiyabashi Gate had been newly established, it came to be called the Nakabansho (middle guardhouse), but it was abolished in 1719 (Kyoho 4). The new guardhouse mentioned above was moved to the Tokiwabashi Gate in 1717, and then moved again to the Gofukubashi Gate in 1806 (Bunka 3), but its position relative to the southern guardhouse inside the Sukiyabashi Gate did not change, and it was still called the Kitabansho (northern guardhouse).

[Kenichiro Yoshihara]

Duties of the magistrate

The magistrates were responsible for governing the towns under the supervision of the rōjū. Talented personnel were selected from among the hatamoto, and in 1666 (Kanbun 6) they were paid 1,000 koku of rice as salary, but in 1723 (Kyoho 8) their salary was raised to 3,000 koku, and those with lower salaries were also paid the difference while in office. Their duties included overall management of the control of townspeople within Edo. Under the magistrates were town officials below the rank of machi-doshiyori, the prison guards at Kodenmacho Prison, and the Honjo Bugyo (later Honjo Michiyaku), who served as the townspeople control organization. Furthermore, together with the temples and shrines magistrate and the finance magistrate, they participated in the Hyojōsho (the highest deliberative body of the shogunate) and participated in policy decisions. The office was operated on a monthly rotation system, and the front gate was closed during the off-duty months, but the office handled ongoing litigation and other matters and held mutual consultations (naiyoriai). The office was very busy, and the office was involved in everything from maintaining peace in the city to administering civil affairs such as trials, and was also involved in waterworks and new land development. When a major fire broke out, the office itself ran out and took command at the scene. The death rate while in office was also higher than in other positions.

[Kenichiro Yoshihara]

Police and police officers

Yoriki and doshin, subordinates of the town magistrate's office, were assigned to the northern and southern magistrate's offices, with 25 yoriki and 100 doshin assigned to each from 1719 (Kyoho 4). The number of doshin increased towards the end of the Edo period. Yoriki had a stipend of 200 koku or less, and were given a total of 10,000 koku of land in Kazusa and Shimousa (Chiba Prefecture). Doshin were generally paid 30 koku for two people. Before the Kyoho era (1716-1736), the duties of yoriki and doshin consisted of three types: seasonal duty, prison patrol, and town patrol, but seven duties were added during the Kyoho reforms. Later, the three magistrates (Jomachi magistrate, Onmitsu magistrate, and Tobari magistrate) were established as duties reserved for the doshin. As time went on, the number of duties increased.

Because the magistrates were directly responsible for city administration, townspeople were very interested in them, and there were many rumors about the successive magistrates. Among them, Ooka Tadasuke and Toyama Kagemoto have created legends of great magistrates, which continue to this day. These legends were created by the desire of Edo townspeople for a magistrate, as well as their achievements.

[Kenichiro Yoshihara]

"Town Magistrate" by Tokoro Yoshio and Minami Kazuo (included in "Research on Edo Townspeople, Vol. 4" edited by Nishiyama Matsunosuke, 1975, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)

List of Edo Magistrates (1)
©Shogakukan ">

List of Edo Magistrates (1)

List of Edo Magistrates (2)
©Shogakukan ">

List of Edo Magistrates (2)

List of Edo Magistrates (3)
©Shogakukan ">

List of Edo Magistrates (3)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

江戸の町々を支配した幕府の役職。他都市の町奉行の場合には都市名を冠したが（大坂町奉行、伏見(ふしみ)町奉行など）、江戸の場合のみ単に町奉行と称した。寺社・勘定両奉行とともに三奉行という。

［吉原健一郎］

町奉行の沿革

1590年（天正18）の徳川家康関東入国以来、板倉勝重(いたくらかつしげ)・彦坂元正(ひこさかもとまさ)が町の「御代官」として町支配を担当していたが、彼らは同時に村方の支配も兼ねていた。1601年（慶長6）には徳川秀忠(ひでただ)の側近であった青山忠成(あおやまただしげ)・内藤清成(ないとうきよしげ)が町支配を担当したが、これも「関東総奉行」とよばれた広域行政官であった。町支配の専任行政官の最初は、1631年（寛永8）の加々爪忠澄(かがづめただすみ)・堀直之(ほりなおゆき)であるとする説、1638年の酒井忠知(さかいただとも)・神尾元勝(かみおもとかつ)（1640年とも）とする説の2説が有力である。

［吉原健一郎］

町奉行所の変遷

町奉行所は住居と役宅を兼ね、一般に「御番所」とよばれた。常盤橋(ときわばし)門内（千代田区大手町2丁目）にあった北番所は1707年（宝永4）に火災で類焼し、数寄屋橋(すきやばし)門内（中央区銀座4、5丁目）に移転したため、以後は幕末まで南番所と称された。常盤橋の南にあった呉服橋(ごふくばし)門内（千代田区大手町2丁目）の番所は当初は南番所であった。しかし、1698年（元禄11）に類焼し、鍛冶橋(かじばし)門内（千代田区丸の内1丁目）に移転した。さらに1702年に呉服橋門内の南側に新番所が建てられ、先の数寄屋橋門内の南番所が新設されたため、中番所(なかばんしょ)と称されたが、1719年（享保4）に廃止となる。上記の新番所は1717年に常盤橋門内へ移転、さらに1806年（文化3）に呉服橋門内に移転するが、数寄屋橋門内の南番所との位置関係は変わらず北番所とよばれた。

［吉原健一郎］

町奉行の職務

町奉行は老中のもとで町の支配に従事した。旗本のなかから人材が選ばれ、1666年（寛文6）に役料として米1000俵が支給されたが、1723年（享保8）には役高3000石となり、それ以下の者も在職中には差額が支給された。職務内容は江戸市中の町人地支配に関する全体的な業務である。町奉行のもとには、町人支配機構として町年寄以下の町役人、小伝馬町(こでんまちょう)牢屋敷(ろうやしき)の獄吏、本所奉行(ほんじょぶぎょう)（のち本所道役(みちやく)）などがある。さらに、寺社奉行・勘定奉行とともに評定所(ひょうじょうしょ)（幕閣の最高合議機関）に参加し、政策決定に参与した。執務は月番交代制で行われ、非番の月には表門を閉ざしていたが、継続している訴訟などの業務や相互の協議（内寄合(ないよりあい)）を行っている。業務は多忙であり、市中の治安維持をはじめ、裁判など民政全般にわたり、上水や新田開発業務に従事したこともある。大火にあたっては自身も出馬して現場の指揮にあたった。他の職に比して在職中の死亡率も高かった。

［吉原健一郎］

与力と同心

町奉行所の下僚である与力(よりき)・同心は、1719年（享保4）以降には南北奉行所に与力各25騎、同心各100名が配属された。幕末には同心の数が増加している。与力は禄高(ろくだか)200石以下で、上総(かずさ)・下総(しもうさ)（千葉県）でまとめて1万石の給地が与えられた。同心は30俵二人扶持(ぶち)が原則であった。与力・同心の分掌は享保(きょうほう)（1716～1736）以前には歳番(としばん)、牢屋見廻(みまわ)り、町廻りの3種であったが、享保の改革で7業務が加えられた。のちには同心のみの業務として三廻り（定町(じょうまち)廻り、隠密(おんみつ)廻り、臨時廻り）が確立した。時代が下るにつれて分掌は増加していく。

　町奉行は市政の直接担当者であったから、町人の関心も強く、歴代の町奉行に対する風評も多い。なかでも大岡忠相(おおおかただすけ)や遠山景元(とおやまかげもと)には名奉行の伝説が生まれ、現在も継続している。彼らの実績とともに、江戸町人の町奉行に対する願望が、こうした伝説を生み出した。

［吉原健一郎］

『所理喜夫・南和男著「町奉行」（西山松之助編『江戸町人の研究　第4巻』所収・1975・吉川弘文館）』

江戸町奉行一覧(1)

江戸町奉行一覧(2)

江戸町奉行一覧(3)

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