Tsuikahô 272 : Concerning the building of townspeople's houses

Translated by Dan Sherer and Emily Warren

An oxen in the Ippen hijiri e.

Kenchō 3rd Year (1251), 12th month, 3rd Day Tsuchi no e uma Concerning the building of townspeople’s houses and temporary shops ¹ in various districts in Kamakura, in the past it was decided that this should be forbidden. Today, the Shogun ordered that the places where such can be built be decided and that outside of these places, {construction} should cease completely, and that this be made known without fail. Fifth ranked third level manager of the Royal Police, The Governor of Sado (Gotō) Motomasa ² ; Fifth ranked third level manager of the Left Inner Palace Guard Onozawa initiate (nyūdō) Kōren ³ , were appointed to deal with these matters. At these locations in Kamakura, the townspeople’s houses may be built: Ōmachi ⁴ , Komachi ⁵ , Komemachi ⁶ , Kamegayatsu ⁷ intersection, Wakae, Ōkura ⁸ intersection, and the top of Kewaizaka. ⁹ Oxen should not be tethered on small streets. The small streets should be cleaned. Kenchō 3rd Year (1251), 12th month, 3rd Day

Original Text 原文

建長三年十二月三日戊午、鎌倉中在々処々小町屋及売買設之事、可加制禁之由、日来

　有其沙汰、今日被置彼所々、此外一向可被停止之旨、厳密触之被仰之処也、佐渡大

　夫判官（後藤）基政小野沢左近大夫入道光蓮等奉行之云云、

　鎌倉中小町屋之事被定置処々

　　大町　小町　米町　亀谷辻　和賀江　大倉辻　気和飛坂山上

　不可繋牛於小路事

　小路可致掃除事

　　　建長三年十二月三日

Kundoku 訓読 鎌倉中在々処々小町屋の売買設に及ぶの事、 制禁を加えるべきの由、日来其の沙汰あり、今日彼の所々を置かる、此の外一向停止ちょうじせむべきの旨、厳密にこれを触ふれて仰せらるの処なり、佐渡さど大夫たいふ判官ほうがん、（後藤）基政もとまさ、小野沢おのざわ　左近さこん大夫たいふ入道にゅうどう光蓮こうれん等奉行すと云云、 鎌倉中小町屋の事、定め置かるる処々、 大町おおまち　小町こまち米町こめまち　亀谷辻かめがやつのつじ　和賀江わかえ　大倉辻おおくらのつじ　気和飛坂山上 けわいざかさんじょう、 牛を小路に繋ぐべからずの事、 小路を掃除いたすべきの事、 建長三年十二月三日

Modern 現代語

建長三年十二月三日戊午

鎌倉中の所々の小町屋と仮設の店について、禁制すべき決定が以前よりある。今日、その場所を定めて、その外はまったく禁じられた事を必ずに伝えるようにという将軍の命令であった。佐渡大夫判官（後藤）基政・小野沢左近大夫入道光蓮たちが奉行として勤めるということである。鎌倉中小町屋を置かれる場所は

大町・小町・米町・亀谷辻・和賀江・大倉辻・仮粧坂山上

牛を小路で繋いではいけない事

小路を掃除すべきの事

建長三年（1251）十二月三日

Note: Some information on Wakaeshima and pictures.

1. Komachiya, the word used in this document, were basically the same as machiya. ↩

1. Gotō Motomasa(1214-1267) was a shogunal commander and the eldest son of Gotō Mototsuna. ↩

1. Also called Onozawa Nakazane. Chūsei shakai seiji shishō, 112. ↩

1. This refers to a neighborhood in central Kamakura, at the northeast corner of the intersection of the Ōmachi Avenue and the Komachi Avenue. (Gendaigoyaku Azuma Kagami, Bekkan, 205) ↩

1. This refers to a neighborhood in central Kamakura, on the east side of the Komachi Avenue roughly halfway between Ōmachi Avenue and Wakanomiya palace. (Gendaigoyaku Azuma Kagami, Bekkan, 205) ↩

1. This refers to the intersection of the Musashi Avenue and the Kamegayatsu zaka street in northeast Kamakura. (Gendaigoyaku Azuma Kagami, Bekkan, 205) ↩

1. This refers to a neighborhood on the eastern end of Kamakura’s coastline, facing the moorings on Wakaeshima Island. (Gendaigoyaku Azuma Kagami, Bekkan, 205). ↩

1. This refers to the neighborhood at the intersection of Nikaidō Avenue and Roku’ura street in Northern Kamakura. It is so named because of it’s proximity to the Ōkura palace. (Gendaigoyaku Azuma Kagami, Bekkan, 205). ↩

1. Ａneighborhood in northwestern Kamakura west of Musashi Avenue. (Gendaigoyaku Azuma Kagami, Bekkan, 205) ↩