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Chapter 3. The Government of Individual Streets and Their Inhabitants, as well as the Administration of the Surrounding Districts and Farmers by a Shogunal Official
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158 Chapter 3 The Government of Individual Streets and Their Inhabitants, as well as the Administration of the Surrounding Districts and Farmers by a Shogunal Official Here follows a description of the particular administration of each street. This has been organized to curb the liberties of the citizens to an extraordinary degree, greatly facilitating the duties of the government’s administrators. The following officials are employed by each street. Otona An otona, or ward headman, functions as the head or mayor of his street. He takes care of fires and guards and is responsible for the execution of orders from above. He keeps books and registers of all births, deaths, marriages, departures, removals, and arrivals, in addition to recording people’s names, date of birth, religion, and livelihood. He investigates and settles everyday incidents and disagreements, punishes petty crime with chains or imprisonment, has delinquents apprehended by his servants in his own district, and has them imprisoned until the authorities deal with them. He hands over to them all criminal cases, informs them of other important incidents, and is responsible for all occurrences in his street. This administrator of the street is elected by the inhabitants from their midst by common vote or written ballot. After the ballot papers have been opened, the names of those receiving the greatest number of votes are submitted by the nengyōji to the magistrate with the humble request to entrust one of them with the headship of the street. Their allowance consists of a tenfold allotment from the treasury of the street, or, what amounts to the same, of the money collected from foreign trade. Under each otona are three assistant ward headmen, the ōgumi oya or ōgumi gashira, the so-called fathers or heads of the great corporation, who, as second lieutenants or advisors, assist him in the government of his street and its inhabitants. For the sake of good order the inhabitants are divided into gonin gumi, that is, corporations of five men. Usually there are ten to fifteen in each street; sometimes more, sometimes fewer. These corporations consist of five men, occasionally more, and include only those who own their land. Those living with and under them are not included in this group of five but are placed under them as tenants. Sometimes there are more than fifteen of these subordinate families under one gonin gumi. They are not burdened with any official services or payments, except for taking their turn at the monban (night watch and rattle guard). But in return they are not allowed to vote, nor do they share in payments from the treasury of the streets. In spite of their poor location, the rents paid for the plots of these city dwellings are high and calculated monthly according to the number of mats covering the floor. In the worst locations each mat costs five condors, in the best ten. Among this group one man is placed above the other four as kogumi oya or kogumi gashira, that is, the elder or head of a little corporation. He has to watch the conduct of the others and, together with the other members of his corporation, pay a heavy penalty for crimes committed by any of them. In addition, each street employs a hissha, or scribe. He writes the orders of the otona, testimonials, discharges, and passes. He sets out requests, contracts, and oaths and keeps a variety of books for the ward on behalf of the otona, such as a register of all dwellings and their inhabitants, with the latter’s name, age, and religion, a list of all deaths together with testimonials that the person came to a natural, non-Christian end, a record of all passes issued, together with detailed notes stating reasons and times of departure and return, as well as a diary of daily occurrences in the street. Takara yaku, that is, “servant of the treasury,” is a citizen who keeps the financial accounts of the street and records incoming and outgoing monies. This fund consists solely of the money that the authorities deduct from the price the foreign traders are paid for their goods and is put aside for the support of the citizens and the payment of necessary expenses. The above post is staffed by the citizens themselves in annual rotation. Nichi gyōshi, meaning literally a delivery person who goes back and forth daily, that is, the street’s messenger. He informs the administration of changes of residence...