Town slave - Machiyakko

They are also called otokodate (men of style) or kabukimono (men who play with women). In the early Edo period, they were wandering ruffians who roamed the streets of Edo. After the fall of Osaka Castle, the Genna Enbu era began, and hatamoto slaves emerged in rebellion against the shogunate's policies, roaming the streets in narrow-minded clothing and behaving tyrannically. In particular, in the mid-17th century, hatamoto slaves formed many groups, and under the leadership of Mizuno Jurozaemon, they are known for committing acts of violence and mayhem against the common people. To counter these acts of violence, town slaves arose as allies of the townspeople, and were active in defending the common people. Following the motto of "help the weak and defeat the strong," they worked for the sake of chivalry. Its founder was Banzuiin Chobei, who fought fiercely against the leader of the Hatamoto slaves, Mizuno. This is said to be the beginning of the gangsters.

They employed many laborers and recruited them into samurai families, but this required leadership skills, and they were proud of their loyalty, their kindness, their respect for promises, their integrity, and their willingness to sacrifice their lives if asked. They also served as bodyguards for townspeople and arbitrated fights. However, many of them did not have permanent jobs, and they were also outlaws who wandered around pleasure quarters and theater towns, gambling and fighting. They imitated the customs of hatamoto slaves, with flashy plucked foreheads, kimonos with flying red silk linings, and a unique language called hexagonal rakugo, which sometimes tormented honest citizens, and so they were shunned by the common people. Because of these problems, the shogunate began to take measures to improve public order in Edo, and from 1654 (Shoo 3) began to repeatedly wipe out town slaves, and in 1686 (Jokyo 3) a large-scale crackdown led to the disappearance of town slaves.

[Fumio Inagaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

男伊達(おとこだて)、かぶき者ともいう。江戸初期、江戸市中を横行した遊侠(ゆうきょう)無頼の徒。大坂落城後、元和偃武(げんなえんぶ)の時代となり、幕府の政策に不平を抱き反抗して出現した旗本奴が、偏狭な異装で市中を闊歩(かっぽ)し横暴なふるまいをした。とくに17世紀中ごろ、旗本奴が多くの組をつくり、水野十郎左衛門を首領として庶民に乱暴狼藉(ろうぜき)を行ったことは有名。これらの暴虐行為に対抗するため町人の味方として発生し、庶民擁護のため活躍したのが町奴である。「弱きを扶(たす)け強きを挫(くじ)く」の標語に従い、仁侠(にんきょう)のために働いた。始祖は幡随院長兵衛(ばんずいいんちょうべえ)で、旗本奴の首領水野と激しく対立抗争した。これが侠客の初めとされる。

　大勢の人夫を抱えていて、武家への人入れ業を行ったが、そのためには統率できる器量が必要で、義理人情に厚く、約束を重んじ節操を尊び、頼まれれば命を捨てても顧みざる気概をもつことを誇りとした。そのほかに町家の用心棒、喧嘩(けんか)の仲裁などの役割も果たした。しかし多くは定職がなく、博奕(ばくち)と喧嘩を事として、遊里や芝居町を徘徊(はいかい)する無頼の一面をもっていた。旗本奴の風俗をまねて、はでに抜きあげた額(ひたい)や、紅絹裏(もみうら)の裾(すそ)のはねる着物、六方詞(ことば)という独特のことばを使い、良民を苦しめることもあるので、庶民から敬遠されたりもした。これらの弊害のため、幕府も本腰を入れて江戸市中の治安を整えるべく、1654年（承応3）からたびたび町奴の掃討に乗り出し、1686年（貞享3）の大検挙により町奴の姿は消えた。

［稲垣史生］

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