Greengrocer - Yaoya

A merchant or shop that sells vegetables. Small merchants selling home-grown vegetables in towns could be seen as early as the 10th century. As the standard of living of city residents improved, stores began to sell vegetables in response to their demand in the 17th century. These stores sold all kinds of vegetarian side dishes, dried foods, seaweed, nuts, roots, and so on, and were called greengrocers. In the 18th century, the products were limited to vegetables, and only leafy vegetables (green vegetables), root vegetables (earthen vegetables), and fruit vegetables (planted vegetables) were sold in stores. Vegetables were collected from nearby farmers for sale in city vegetable markets. Greengrocers purchased them and sold them at retail. There were also vendors who carried vegetables, and these, many of which were supplied by nearby farmers in addition to greengrocers, and were called greengrocers. In the second half of the 19th century, retail greengrocers began to sell fruit as well, and became greengrocers. After World War II, as supermarkets and direct sales from producers became more common, greengrocers began to sell canned and bottled goods as well, and they could be said to have returned to the original form of greengrocers. Women selling vegetables can still be seen today.

[Motoo Endo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

野菜類を販売する商人または店。自家生産の野菜類を町で振売りする小商人はすでに10世紀ころからみられた。都市住民の生活向上に伴い、その需要に応ずる店売りは17世紀に始まった。そこではいっさいの精進(しょうじん)の調菜（副食物）、乾物、海藻、木の実、草根などを扱っていたので八百屋といった。これが18世紀に入ると、商品は野菜類に限られ、葉菜類（青物）、根菜類（土物(つちもの)）、果菜類（前栽(ぜんさい)物）だけが店頭で商われた。都市の青物市場へは近郊の農家から集荷された。八百屋はそれを仕入れて小売りをした。また、担売りもあり、これは八百屋のほかに近郊農家のものも多く、青物売りとよばれた。19世紀後半になると、小売りの八百屋は果物も扱って青果物商となり、また第二次世界大戦後はスーパーマーケットや産地直売の普及につれて、缶詰、瓶詰類も置く食料品店化しつつあり、成立当初の八百屋に戻っているといえる。なお、野菜を行商する女性は今日でもみられる。

［遠藤元男］

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