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. ↩