このページでは、世界有数の百万都市へと発展した江戸をはじめ、大坂、京都といった三都、そして各地の城下町などが、どのような構造を持ち、どのようなインフラ（社会基盤）で支えられていたのかを見ていく。さらに、そこで暮らす町人たちが、どのような組織を作り、日々の生活を送り、そしてどんな生き生きとした文化（元禄文化・化政文化など）を育んでいったのか、そのリアルな姿に迫っていくぞ。「火事と喧嘩は江戸の華」なんて言葉もあるけれど、その賑わいの裏には、どんな工夫や苦労があったのだろうか？
【学術的豆知識】江戸の「粋（いき）」と「通（つう）」
江戸の町人文化を語る上で欠かせない美意識が「粋（いき）」と「通（つう）」だ。「粋」とは、洗練されていて、さっぱりとしていて、どこか色気も感じさせるような美意識。金銭や権力に執着せず、人情に厚く、身だしなみや振る舞いが垢抜けている様を指す。一方、「通」とは、特定の分野（例えば歌舞伎や吉原の遊里、あるいは蕎麦の食べ方など）について深い知識や経験を持ち、その道の事情に通じていることを意味する。これらは、町人たちが自らの価値観や遊び心を表現する言葉として、江戸の文化を豊かに彩ったんだ。現代でも「あの人は粋だね」なんて言うことがあるけれど、その源流は江戸時代にあるのかもしれないね。
(Click to listen) "Iki" and "tsū" are essential aesthetic concepts when discussing Edo's chōnin culture. "Iki" refers to a refined, unassuming, and somehow alluring sense of beauty. It describes someone unattached to money or power, compassionate, and sophisticated in appearance and demeanor. "Tsū," on the other hand, means being well-versed and knowledgeable in a specific field (e.g., Kabuki, Yoshiwara's pleasure quarters, or even how to eat soba noodles). These terms, used by townspeople to express their values and playful spirit, richly colored Edo culture. Even today, we might say someone is "iki," and its origins may lie in the Edo period.
This Page's Summary in English (Click to expand and listen to paragraphs)
This page explores the structure of cities and the vibrant life and culture of townspeople (chōnin) during the Edo period. Cities were not just residential areas but also centers of politics, economy, and culture, attracting diverse populations.
Various types of cities developed, including castle towns (jōkamachi), the "Three Capitals" (Santo) of Edo (political center and massive consumer city), Osaka (commercial hub, "Kitchen of Japan"), and Kyoto (cultural and imperial center), as well as post towns, port towns, and temple/shrine towns. Urban planning involved dividing areas into samurai districts, chōnin districts, and temple/shrine precincts. Infrastructure like Edo's advanced water supply systems (Kanda and Tamagawa Josui) and fire prevention measures (hirokōji, Hikeshi-gumi) were developed. Sanitation involved waste disposal and communal toilets.
Chōnin society had a degree of self-governance through town officials (machi-yakunin like machi-doshiyori) who managed local affairs, enforced town rules (machi-okite), and cooperated with authorities. The Gonin-gumi (five-household groups) system also operated in urban areas. Landlords (jinushi) and house managers (yamori) were common, with many ordinary people living as tenants (tanako) in cramped nagaya (row houses), fostering a communal lifestyle.
Daily life for chōnin was diverse, with various occupations (merchants, artisans, day laborers, peddlers). A sophisticated food culture, including widespread consumption of white rice and a thriving restaurant/street food scene (soba, sushi, tempura), developed. Cotton clothing was common, and a lively used-clothing market existed. Entertainment included Kabuki, Jōruri (puppet theater), sumo wrestling, festivals, and seasonal outings. Information spread through kawaraban (news broadsheets), kashihon'ya (book lenders), and yose (storytelling theaters).
Chōnin became key patrons and creators of culture, leading to two major cultural flowerings: the Genroku culture (late 17th-early 18th c., centered in Kamigata - Osaka/Kyoto, featuring Ihara Saikaku, Chikamatsu Monzaemon, Matsuo Bashō) characterized by realism and humanism; and the Kasei culture (late 18th-early 19th c., centered in Edo, more plebeian, featuring satire, humor, and popular entertainment with figures like Jippensha Ikku, Takizawa Bakin, Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige). The development of woodblock printing and lending libraries expanded cultural access. However, cities also faced problems like poverty, crime, frequent fires, and occasional riots (uchikowashi).
江戸の都市の喧騒と、そこに生きた町人たちの息吹を感じられただろうか？
次は、日本の人口の大多数を占めた「農民」たちが暮らした「村落共同体」の姿と、その生活の実態について詳しく見ていこう。