Port town - Minatomachi

A settlement with port facilities and a distribution function was a base for water and land transport. Under the Ritsuryo system of ancient Japan, Naniwa and Hakata were designated as bases for domestic and foreign trade, and government-run trade was conducted there. Local provincial capitals were established in key locations for water and land transport, which were convenient for connecting with the central government, and some had kouzu (kunizu) as their outer ports. As manors developed, the tributes paid from them were often transported by water, and in the Kamakura period, the manor-level headman class became toimaru and managed the transport. Obama in the Hokuriku region and Onomichi and Hyogo in the Seto Inland Sea were known as national water transport bases. Direct ports were established in castle towns built in the early modern period, and a national military service system was established. Furthermore, at that time trade with foreign countries, including trade with the West, was taking place, and as part of domestic policy, storehouses (kurairichi) were established and rice was forced to be sent to the central government, leading to the rapid development of port towns. As new rice fields were developed in the plains throughout the country from the beginning of the early modern period, inland port towns (kuramachi) developed along the banks of rivers that flowed through deltas and alluvial fan plains, with feudal warehouses and riverbanks being established as transport bases for the various feudal domains' rice tribute and daily necessities. Eventually, at the end of the Edo period, the opening of ports led to the formation of large modern port cities such as Yokohama, Hakodate, and others, which received large amounts of capital.

[Yukio Asaka]

"Medieval Settlements and Early Modern Cities" by Asaka Yukio (included in "New Geography Lectures Vol. 7", 1953, Asakura Publishing)" ▽ "Distribution History 1" edited by Toyoda Takeshi and Kodama Kota (Systematic Japanese History Series 13, 1969, Yamakawa Publishing)" ▽ "Transportation History" edited by Toyoda Takeshi and Kodama Kota (Systematic Japanese History Series 24, 1970, Yamakawa Publishing)" ▽ "Study of the Shipping History of the Kaga Domain" by Takase Tamotsu (1979, Yusankaku Publishing)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

港湾設備をもち、流通機能を果たす水陸交通の拠点集落をいう。古代日本の律令(りつりょう)制下では、内外交易の拠点として難波(なにわ)・博多(はかた)の両津を定めて、官営の交易を行っていた。地方の国府は、中央との連絡に便利な水陸交通の要地を選んで設けられ、その外港として国府津(こうづ)（国津(こづ)）をもつものがあった。荘園(しょうえん)が発達すると、それから納められる貢租は水路によって輸送されることが多く、鎌倉時代に入ると荘官級名主(みょうしゅ)層が問丸(といまる)となって輸送を管理していた。北陸の小浜(おばま)や瀬戸内海の尾道(おのみち)・兵庫などは全国的な水路の輸送基地として知られた。近世に建設された城下町には直属港湾がつくられて全国的な軍役体制がつくられていた。また当時南蛮貿易をはじめとして外国との交易が行われ、内政策のため蔵入地(くらいりち)を設けて中央への廻米(かいまい)納入を強制したりしたので、港町は大きく発展した。近世初頭から全国の諸平野で新田開発が進められると、三角州や扇状地平野を流れる川々の沿岸には、諸藩の貢米や日用貨物の輸送基地として藩倉や河岸(かし)が設けられて内陸の港町（蔵(くら)町）が発達していった。やがて幕末には開港を契機として横浜、函館(はこだて)その他の大資本を投入した近代的大港湾都市が形成されることになるのである。

［浅香幸雄］

『浅香幸雄著『中世の集落・近世の都市』（『新地理講座　第7巻』所収・1953・朝倉書店）』▽『豊田武・児玉幸多編『流通史1』（『体系日本史叢書13』1969・山川出版社）』▽『豊田武・児玉幸多編『交通史』（『体系日本史叢書24』1970・山川出版社）』▽『高瀬保著『加賀藩海運史の研究』（1979・雄山閣出版）』

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