Tsuikahô 428: On Building in the City

Translated by Chris Bovberg

(Bun’ei 2nd year (1265), 3rd month,) 5th day; kinoe inu. Townspeople’s houses shall be prohibited throughout Kamakura; nine locations shall be exempted. ¹ Further, digging up an avenue in front of one’s house to build an addition is similarly prohibited. ² Today, the land magistrate ³ Onozawa Fifth-ranked third-level manager of the Left Inner Palace Guard Initiate {Nakazane} was commanded to convey this to {the residents of} the various precincts. 　Regarding the permitted places for the construction of townspeople’s house One place: Ōmachi One place: Komachi One place: Uomachi One place: Kokumachi ⁴ One place: Musashi no Ōji no shita ⁵ One place: Sujikaebashi One place: Ōkura tsuji

Original Text 原文

　（文永二年三月）五日甲戌、鎌倉中被止散在町屋等、被免九ケ所、又掘上家前大路造屋、

　同被停止之、且可相触保々之旨、今日、所被仰付于地奉行人小野沢左近大夫入道也、

　　町御免所之事

　一所大町　一所小町　一所魚町　一所穀町　一所武蔵大路下　一所須地賀江橋　

　一所大倉辻

Kundoku 訓読

　（文永二年（１２６５）三月）五日甲戌きのえいぬ。鎌倉中散在さんざい町屋等を止められ、九ケ所を免ぜらる。又家の前の大路を掘り上げ屋を造ること、同じく之を停止せらる。且つ保々に相触るべき之旨、今日、地奉行人じぶぎょうにん小野沢左近大夫入道に仰せ付けらるる所也。 　　町御免所之事一所、大町　一所、小町　一所、魚町うおまち　一所、穀町こくまち　一所、武蔵大路下　 一所、須地賀江橋すじかえばし 一所、大倉辻

Modern 現代語訳

（１２６５年三月）五日。鎌倉中あちこちに立っている町家を禁止され、九ヵ所が許可された。また、家の前の大路を掘って家を拡大することが禁止された。今日は、これを諸保の一般人に伝えるようにと地奉行人の小野沢仲実に命令があった。

　町家を許可されている所々について

    大町、小町、魚町、穀町、武蔵大路下、須地賀江橋、大倉辻

1. Only seven places are listed here. ↩

1. Digging an avenue involved filling and diverting the drainage ditch (mizo) that ran parallel , diminishing the breadth of the avenue. These ditches varied in size and sophistication, with grander versions running along Wakamiya Avenue roughly three meters across, supported with wooden walls and crossbeams and traversed with short bridges. ↩

1. Land magistrates (jibugyōnin) served under the Board of Councilors, managing affairs related to the land of the city of Kamakura (e.g. houses, transportation etc). There were typically two land magistrates serving together. ↩

1. Most likely the same as Komemachi as seen in Tsuika-ho #272 ↩

1. Kamegayastu ↩