Tsuikahô 394: On gambling

Translated by Emily Warren

{A similar law was issued in the era of }En’ō. Motomasa ¹ and Kōren ² {served as magistrates} Item: Concerning the prohibition on gambling: Groups of thieves and arsonists have been emerging in great numbers. Because of this, there have been numerous strict prohibitions {against gambling}. But apparently there are still those who violate these laws. Precinct magistrates, military governors and stewards are ordered to enforce this once again. However, Go and shōgi are exempt from this ban. ³

A 17th century image of a sugoroku board. (Creative Commons)

Original Text

一　〈延応、基政、光蓮〉可停止博奕事

　盗賊放火之族、多以出来、因茲度々禁制殊以厳重也、而猶有違犯之輩云々、仰保奉

　行人并国々守護地頭等、重可被加禁遏、但囲碁象碁者、非制限矣、

　（中略）

Kundoku 訓読

〈延応えんおう、基政もとまさ、光蓮こうれん〉　 一、博奕ばくえきを停止ちょうじすべき事 盗賊とうぞく放火ほうかの族やから、多くもって出来しゅったいす。茲ここに因り、度々たびたびの禁制きんせい殊にもって厳重げんじゅうなり。而しかるになお違犯の輩ありと云々、保奉行人ならびに国々の守護・地頭等に仰せ、重ねて禁遏きんあつを加えられるべし。但ただし囲碁いご・象碁しょうぎは、制限せいげんにあらず、

Modern 現代語

〈延応、後藤基政、小野沢光蓮〉

一つ　博打を禁止すべきことについて

盗人・放火の集団が多く出没している。そのため、何度も禁制が出され、特に厳しく禁じられてきた。しかし、まだ違反者がいるという。保奉行人と諸国の守護や地頭に命じて、さらに禁止を行うべきだ。ただし囲碁と将棋は制限に含まれていない。

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

1. Onozawa Nakazane (仲実). Priestly name Kōren (光蓮). His name appears frequently in Kamakura documents as the responsible magistrate. The Onozawa family served as personal followers (被官) of the Hojo tokuso (main line). Chūsei seiji shakai shisō, p.112. ↩

1. Go and shōgi were played by people of higher status and had better reputations. ↩

Tsuikahô 393: On kidnapping and selling people

Translated by Emily Warren

{A similar law was issued in the era of } Kenchō. Renbutsu ¹ , Mitsunari ² , and Gyōbutsu ³ {served as magistrates} Item: Regarding the strict prohibition against kidnappers and selling people As for the aforementioned people, they shall be punished in accordance with royal law. ⁴ It is said that in the markets of Kamakura and the various provinces there are many calling themselves human traffickers who specialize in the selling of people. Henceforth, in Kamakura, order the precinct magistrates, to expel {these people from Kamakura}in compliance with the register of names ⁵ reported to Kamakura. In the various provinces, order the military governors and stewards that they are to harshly punish {the criminals}. ⁶

Original Text

一　〈建長、蓮仏、光成、行仏〉可令禁断人勾引并人売事

　件之輩等、任本条可被断罪、且称人商専其業之輩、鎌倉中并諸国市之間、多以有之

　云々、自今以後、於鎌倉中者、仰保之奉行人、随注申交名、可被追放之、至諸国者、

　仰守護地頭、固可令科断之矣、

Kundoku 訓読

〈建長けんちょう、蓮仏れんぶつ、光成みつなり、行仏ぎょうぶつ〉 一、人勾引ひとかどいならびに人売ひとうりを禁断せしむべき事 件のともがら等、本条に任まかせ断罪だんざいせらるべし。且かつがつ人商ひとあきないと称し、其の業なりわいをもっぱらするのともがら、鎌倉中ならびに諸国の市の間、多くもってこれありと云々。自今以後、鎌倉中においては、保の奉行人に仰せ、注申ちゅうしんの交名きょうみょうに随い、これを追放せらるべきなり。諸国にいたりては、守護・地頭しゅごじとうに仰せ、固く科断かだんせしむべし。

Modern 現代語

一つ 誘拐と人を売ることを禁断させるべきことについて

上記のような者達を朝廷の法に従い、罰するべきだ。また、人商といって、人を売買することを専門とする業者は、鎌倉中や諸国の市場に多いという。今後は、鎌倉においては、保奉行人に命じて、報告した名簿に従って、追放（ついほう）されるべきだ。諸国については、守護や地頭（しゅごじとう）に命じて、厳しくその罪を罰せさせるように。

1. Renbutsu 蓮仏 was the monk name of Suwa Morishige 諏訪 盛重 (d.u., fl. mid 13th C). Morishige appears frequently in Azuma Kagami 吾妻鏡. ↩

1. Onozawa Nakazane (仲実). Priestly name Kōren (光蓮). His name appears frequently in Kamakura documents as the responsible magistrate. The Onozawa family served as personal followers (被官) of the Hojo tokuso (main line). Chūsei seiji shakai shisō, p.112. ↩

1. Gyōbutsu 行仏 is a monastic name, but it is not clear from the text who exactly this person was. ↩

1. This refers to an earlier law. ↩

1. In this case, kōmyō refers a list of recorded offenders’ names. ↩

1. We do not know what this punishment would be exactly. ↩

Tsuikahô 392: On the night watch

Translated by Matthew Keller

Item: Regarding that the magistrates of the various precincts in Kamakura are to organize and facilitate the night watch. ¹ As the night watch exists to protect the town and prevent evil acts, it is an important duty. ² Thieves fear {the night watch}, and so cease their actions. Arsonists are deterred by {the night watch}, and cease {setting fires}. Therefore, order the various precincts’ magistrates that they are to strictly organize and facilitate {the night watch}.

Original Text 原文

一　可令催勤鎌倉中諸保夜行事

　夜行者警衛止悪之要也、盗賊之族、恐之可拘、放火之類、憚之可止、然則仰諸保奉

　行人等、厳重可令催勤之也矣、

Kundoku 訓読

一　鎌倉中諸保の夜行を催勤さいきんせしむびき事 　夜行は警衛止悪けいえいしあくの要かなめなり。盗賊どうぞくの族やから、これに恐れ拘こだわるべし。放火ほうかの類、これを憚はばかり止むべし。然らば則ち諸保の奉行人等に仰せ、厳重にこれを催勤せしむべきなり。

Modern 現代語訳

一つ　鎌倉中保々の夜行（の仕事）を催促して勤めさせることについて

夜行は、街の警備と悪行の防止において、重要な点である。盗賊の集団は夜行を恐れて、思いとどまるであろう。火をつける者は夜行に遠慮して、（放火を）中止するだろう。従って、 保々の奉行人たちに命じて、厳重に夜行をさせるように。

1. Other legal documents suggest that the people were often lax in performing their night watch duties. See for instance tsuikahō #249. ↩

1. ～之要也 (~no kaname nari) -- this simple phrase designates the foregoing clause as something of importance or priority. ↩

Tsuikahô 391: On street peddlers

Translated by Matthew Keller

Item: Regarding the prohibition of street peddlers ¹ Those who wander around to the entrances of homes, or those who stop in the middle of busy streets, or those who sell things to people and deceive them — command the precinct magistrates that from now on they are to ban these people.

Original Text 原文

一　可停止立商人事

　或徘徊在家門戸、或停立往反路頭、致売買犯奸詐之輩、仰保之奉行人、自今以後、

　可制止之矣、

Kundoku 訓読

一　立商人たちあきびとを停止すべきの事 　或いは在家門戸ざいけもんこを徘徊はいかいし、或いは往反路頭おうへんろとうに停立し、売買を致し、奸詐かんさを犯すの輩、保之奉行人に仰せ、自今以後、これを制止すべし。

Modern 現代語

一つ　行商人を禁止すべき事について。

家々の玄関の前を徘徊し、または、人々が行き来する道のほとりに立ち止まり、売買をして悪だくみをする人々については、保の奉行人に命じて、今から、禁止するように。

1. The term translated here as “street peddler” is 立商人(たちあきびと). It appears that the bakufu wants to ban the below groups both to maintain order on the streets and to prevent people from participating trading activities which disrupt the economic order or civil order. ↩

Tsuikahô 390: On out-of-market sales

Translated by Lisa Kochinski

[Shōka era (1257–1259), ¹ Renbutsu, ² Mitsunari, ³ Gyōbutsu ⁴ ] Item: Regarding the prohibition in Kamakura of coerced out-of-market sales. ⁵ Order the magistrates to strictly restrain {this activity}.

Original Text 原文

（中略）

〈正嘉、蓮仏、光成、行仏〉

一　可停止鎌倉中迎買事

　仰奉行人等、固可令加制止矣、  

Kundoku 訓読

（中略） 〈正嘉しょうか、蓮仏れんぶつ、光成みつなり、行仏ぎょうぶつ〉 一、鎌倉中の迎へ買いを停止すべきの事 　奉行人等に仰せ、固く制止せいしを加えしむベし Modern 現代語 〈正嘉しょうか、蓮仏れんぶつ、光成みつなり、行仏ぎょうぶつ〉 一つ、鎌倉中において、市場へ運んでいる商品を途中で無理やり買うことを禁止することについて。 奉行人に命じて、厳密げんみつに禁止されるように。

1. Supplementary Law 390 refers to a previous ban dating from the Shōka era. ↩

1. Renbutsu 蓮仏 was the monk name of Suwa Morishige 諏訪 盛重 (d.u., fl. mid 13th C). Morishige appears frequently in Azuma Kagami 吾妻鏡. ↩

1. Antō Mitsunari 安東光成 (d.u., fl. mid 13th C). ↩

1. Gyōbutsu 行仏 is a monastic name, but it is not clear from the text who exactly this person was. ↩

1. Mukaegai 迎買 refers to the practice of forcing someone to sell their merchandise before it reached the market. ↩