What do you think of when you hear the words “fishmongers of the Edo period”? You can imagine the following.
The chic and dashing elder brother who sells fish has appeared in various creations and works, including Isshin Taisuke.
You may have only imagined a man who carried fish on his back and sold them in town, but how did they purchase their products (=fresh fish)? In this article, I will introduce a little of the purchasing system of the Nihonbashi fish market at that time.
At that time, there was a fish market in Nihonbashi. The river still runs through it today, and in the old days, boats lined up here, and fish from all over Japan were unloaded. Near the fish market in Nihonbashi, there was a place called Shinagawa-cho (Shinagawa Town). This area was dotted with Chaya(teahouse).
Chaya was a place where fish vendors temporarily put their goods. When a botefuri (a fish vendor) wanted to purchase at the fish market, he would first go to a Chaya he knew well. They would leave their scales and other items there and head for the market. They did not carry a pole. The roads in Nihonbashi Fish market needed to be bigger to have such a thing, which would be in the way.
At this time, they receive a “chaya-fuda” (a small note indicating the shop’s and vender’s names). On this is written the name of the chaya. He goes around to fish wholesalers with several “chayafuda” in his pocket. When a fish deal is settled at a fish wholesaler’s store, the chayafuda is put for along with the price. The wholesaler then delivers the fish to the Chaya.
When the vender returns to the chaya after purchasing the fish and sipping tea, the wholesalers’ messengers arrive one after another, and the fish to be carried that day are all sold out. They pay for the chaya and go out to sell the fish.
The words “chaya” and “chaya-fuda” and the system are still alive today (although the meaning has changed). Now you know what to expect when you are transported back to the Edo period and become a fishmonger. Next time, I want to talk about what kind of fish we sold and how we sold them. Please look forward to it.