参勤交代で各藩の大名たちは1年交替で地元と江戸を往復した。
77万石の薩摩・島津藩でその1回の費用が17,000両、大工手間賃とのレート換算で
現代の貨幣価値として51億円と推計してみた。
全国は幕末時期でおおむね3000万石といわれた。
参勤交代義務のない徳川宗家や皇室寺社など800万石を除くとその他2200万石。
単純比較はできないけれど、島津藩をモノサシにすると
全国で参勤交代の経済規模は500,000両と計算できるけれど
薩摩は飛び抜けて移動距離が長かっただろうから、
全国総計はおおむねその半額程度、現代貨幣換算では600億円規模となる。
江戸や大坂といった貨幣経済先進地域以外での商業としては
本陣というビジネスは重要な貨幣経済機会であったことは間違いない。
江戸幕府開設以来、この経済活動誘因は変わることなく存在した。
当然その「市場」を狙って多くの参加者が活動したことだろう。
わが家系は江戸後期にこの「本陣」市場に積極的に関わっていた。
本陣家・河本氏に奉公勤めしたあと独立自営者へと変化して
220-230年前頃から160年前ころまでは家業は順調に推移している。
英賀屋という屋号で隣の宿場町・尾道の本家英賀屋と繋がりながら独立自営し
こちらの河本本陣家との強い関係性で生き残ってきていた。
たぶん本陣ビジネスそのものは英賀屋の商い全体では小額だったが
その「暖簾」に強い信用力を生み出す事業分野だったのだろうか。
「当家は今津宿本陣の用向きを務めさせていただいています」という口上。
「ほう、そういうことならばいろいろ機微な情報も・・・」
「いえいえそんな大それた事は(笑)」
実際に甲子夜話を書いた大名・松浦静山と言葉を交わした一節も紹介した。
大名本人や有力家臣たちとの接遇の折に会話は普通にあっただろう。
わが家には幕末の知識人、頼山陽の書があったと伝わっている。
かれは幕末期の尊王倒幕イデオローグとして反幕府勢力に影響力があった。
頼山陽は尾道の有力商家・福岡屋の娘で有名画家の平田玉蘊とは愛人関係。
尾道には頼山陽が長期間寄宿していた時期があり、隣町8kmほどの今津の
わが家の先祖のひとりもかなり濃厚な接触をしていた形跡がある。
頼山陽の尾道での「サロン」に深く係わっていたようなのです。
尾道の商家とはいくつかの婚姻関係の記録もある。
西国大名家にとってやがて明治維新に連なっていく政治動乱要因の情報は
さまざまに情報価値を持っていたに違いない。
あるいは頼山陽を今津の宿泊大名に引き合わせるというようなことも
あった可能性はあると推測しています。
長州の反幕府勢力などはもっとも可能性が高いのではないか。
ひとつの状況証拠として、反幕府活動で刑死した頼山陽の子「三樹三郎」に対し
ほぼ同時代のわが家の先祖名に「美之三郎」という特異な名付けがある。
相当濃厚な頼山陽グループとの接触があった痕跡。
ただし本陣での密議として幕府に目をつけられ詮議されていた可能性も高い。
やがて長州征伐などの政治動乱に時代は突入していく。
・・・本陣での武家との接触機会は諸刃の刃の側面が強かったに違いない。
<写真は脇本陣「蓮華寺」門と交通手段「駕籠」資料写真in屋島>
English version⬇
[Traces of contact with Sonno thinker Rai Sanyo Edo period "Honjin" study 3]
The daimyo of each clan took turns for one year to go back and forth between the local area and Edo.
At 770,000 stones of Satsuma and Shimazu clan, the cost of one time is 17,000 cars, converted to the rate of carpenter's labor fee.
I estimated it to be 5.1 billion yen as a modern monetary value.
It was said that the whole country was about 30 million stones at the end of the Edo period.
Excluding 8 million stones such as the Tokugawa sect and the imperial temple, which are not obliged to change attendance, there are 22 million stones.
I can't make a simple comparison, but if I make the Shimazu clan a monosashi
The economic scale of the change of attendance can be calculated as 500,000 cars nationwide.
Satsuma would have traveled a long distance by far,
The national total is about half the price, which is about 60 billion yen in modern monetary terms.
As a commerce outside the advanced monetary economy areas such as Edo and Osaka
There is no doubt that the business of the headquarters was an important monetary economic opportunity.
Since the establishment of the Edo Shogunate, this incentive for economic activity has remained unchanged.
Naturally, many participants would have worked toward that "market".
Our family was actively involved in this "main camp" market in the late Edo period.
After working as an indentured servant for the head family, Mr. Kawamoto, he changed to an independent self-employed person.
From 220-230 years ago to 160 years ago, the family business has been doing well.
Under the name of Eigaya, he is self-employed while being connected to the head family Eigaya in Onomichi, the neighboring post town.
He has survived because of his strong relationship with the Kawamoto Jin family.
Perhaps the main business itself was a small amount for the entire business of Eigaya
Was it a business field that created strong creditworthiness for the "goodwill"?
"Our family is serving as the main camp of Imazu-juku," he said.
"Well, if that's the case, there's a lot of sensitive information ..."
"No, that was such a big deal (laughs)"
I also introduced a passage that exchanged words with the daimyo Matsuura Seizan who actually wrote the Kasshi Yawa story.
Conversations would have been normal when dealing with the daimyo himself and influential vassals.
It is said that there was a book by Rai Sanyo, an intellectual at the end of the Edo period, in my house.
He had an influence on the anti-Bakufu forces as the ideologue of the defeat of the King of the late Tokugawa period.
Rai Sanyo is a mistress of Onomichi's leading merchant, Fukuokaya's daughter and famous painter, Skandha Hirata.
There was a time when Rai Sanyo was boarding in Onomichi for a long time, and in Imazu, about 8km from the neighboring town.
There is evidence that one of our ancestors also had a fairly strong contact.
It seems that he was deeply involved in the "salon" in Onomichi, Rai Sanyo.
There are also some records of marriage with Onomichi merchants.
For the Western Daimyo family, information on the factors of political upheaval that will eventually lead to the Meiji Restoration
It must have had various information values.
Or you could bring Rai Sanyo to the lodging daimyo of Imazu.
I'm guessing it might have happened.
The anti-Bakufu forces in Choshu are most likely.
As one circumstantial proof, for Rai Sanyo's child "Mikisaburo" who was sentenced to death in anti-Bakufu activities.
There is a peculiar name "Minosaburo" in the ancestor name of my family at almost the same time.
Traces of contact with the Rai Sanyo group, which is quite rich.
However, it is highly possible that the shogunate was noticed and debated as a secret discussion at the headquarters.
Eventually, the times will enter into political turmoil such as the conquest of Choshu.
... The chance of contact with the samurai in the main team must have been strong on the side of the double-edged blade.