割符のしくみとその革新性 : 割符の割印を手がかりにして
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概要
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The document known as saifu 割符 in medieval Japan was a bill of exchange drawn up in the form of a tally with a seal affixed across its two parts. This article begins with a discussion of those saifu that were sent from Niimi Estate in the province of Bicchu to Toji Temple in Kyoto during the 15th century. The research to date is divided into two possible explanations about the mechanism of the document, which contains a monetary exchange clause (kawase-mongon 為替文言), based on the tally's seal and what is referred to as "the other document." One explanation holds that "the other document" was in fact an original ledger recording the transaction; the second explanation argues that "the other document" was a shipping label affixed to the goods sent from Bicchu to the Kinai region. The ledger explanation seems plausible in confirming the authenticity of the saifu, while the shipping label explanation conforms to the historical fact that the payment made by the bill's drawee (acceptor) was related to the arrival of the maritime cargo. However, the ledger explanation cannot account for the connection of the cargo's arrival to the payment of the bill, nor explain why a saifu drawn in the 12th month of 1467 arrived in Kyoto from Niimi earlier than a saifu drawn in the 1st month of that year. On the other hand, the shipping label explanation is not persuasive because since the remitter of the saifu at Niimi would have had to bear all the risk for the transport of the goods, he would not have used such a negotiable instrument. Furthermore, it cannot explain the connection between the holder of the saifu and its acceptance, nor the difference between the earlier practice of kaezeni 替銭 bills of exchange purchased from traditional drawers and the innovative use of saifu. Given such weaknesses in the arguments to date, the author offers a new explanation that "the other document" is connected more directly to the saifu itself. If so, first, given the fact that "the other document" arrived at the drawee aboard the ship of the drawee's client, the normal drawing of a saifu in Bicchu could be confirmed; and if the seal of the part of the saifu carried to the drawee matched the seal of "the other document," the drawee would be able to confirm that the saifu was authentic. Such a hypothesis helps better understand both the relationship between the saifu and its related cargo and how the saifu could be accepted with trust. The author then turns to a discussion of another type of saifu containing a "custody clause" (azukari-mongon預り文言). While the money transfer function of the custody-clause saifu is identical to that of the exchange-clause saifu, the former is superior in that in a region where a merchant did not enjoy sufficient interpersonal connections, he could utilize those of the drawee. The exchange-clause saifu would be superior in that 1) it would alleviate insufficient funds wherever the merchant may be trusted and 2) it would reduce the risk involved in the transfer of the bill. The author argues that this is the reason for the coexistence of two types of saifu in medieval Japan.
- 2011-08-20