[論文] 江戸住大商人の信仰と「行動文化」論 : 「御仏勅」の実践から

江戸の商人研究は、史料的な制約と流通史研究の関心から、長らく上方に本拠をおく他国住商人の江戸店、とくに呉服など限られた職種の問屋の分析に限られてきた。近年、江戸住商人をとりあげた論考も蓄積されつつあるが、とくに彼らの信仰の検討は不十分である。そこで、本稿では、質屋・古着商売の大店美濃屋加藤家を素材として、江戸住商人の大店の信仰を検討した。加藤家の信仰の基調は浄土宗であり、「陰徳」を積んで浄土に旅立つことに目的があった。そのため、自身の家の先祖供養を行うとともに他者を救済し、さまざまな講を組織し、また家としても寄進を行ってきた。「陰徳」や、「名聞ケ間敷」行為を避けるという点に、多くの商家が規範とした心学との整合性も認められることが注目される。とくに信仰の対象となったのは、甲斐善光寺と菩提寺の哲相院である。甲斐善光寺については、宝暦四(一七五四)年の火災からの再建にあたって莫大な寄進を行い、また江戸の旅宿を通じてその後も寄進を続けた。また、哲相院については先祖供養のみならず、最終的には甲斐善光寺の江戸の旅宿を設けている。このほか、信州善光寺、高田善導寺、江戸の十八檀林の一つである本所霊山寺、といった有力な浄土宗寺院にも寄進が及んだ。さらに浄土宗寺院にとどまらず、高野山での先祖供養、浅草観音や清涼寺への寄進など、信仰は他宗派の寺院、神社にも及んだ。こうした信仰の上に立って、加藤家では家族の人生儀礼のみならず、経営においても判断基準として「霊夢」や「御告」を用い、さらには「御仏勅」を求めた。その信心の実際は判断できないが、少なくとも納得する手段として重要な役割を果たしたのである。さらに、非日常的に行われる参詣や、開帳への参加も、こうした信仰と次元を異にするものではなかった。その参加にあたっても、「御仏勅」が働いたのであり、加藤家の信仰の一角を形成したのである。これまで江戸商人の信仰については、「行動文化」論の中で、いわば観光の要素を持つ参詣や祭礼の参加などがとりあげられてきたが、日常の信仰と合わせてその全体像を検討していく必要があろう。Due to limitations in terms of historical documents and interest in research of the history of commerce, research on Edo merchants has for a long time been limited to analysis of the Edo branch stores of foreign merchants whose headquarters were in Kyoto, and especially of only certain types of stores, such as those dealing in drapery. In recent years, there has been a growing number of studies on Edo-based merchants, but examinations of their spiritual beliefs have been lacking. This paper looks at the large-scale merchant Minoya Katō family, who worked with pawned and second-hand goods in order to examine the beliefs of large-scale Edo-based merchants.Since Pure Land Buddhism was the basis for the Katō family’s faith, it’s goal was to accumulate intoku (secret acts of good) and journey to the Pure Land. Therefore, it performed services for his family’s ancestors, gave aid to others, and organized various Kō (religious association), in addition to making donations as a family organization (merchare Dōzoku). Avoiding celebrity and secretly doing good(Intoku) are line with Sekimon-Shingaku’s belief on which many merchants based their faith.Particular objects of it’s faith included Kai Zenkō-ji and it’s bodaiji (a Japanese Buddhist temple for a family’s dead), named Tessō-in. Regarding Kai Zenkō-ji, it donated large sums of money for its restoration after fires that occurred 1754, and it continued these donations afterwards through Edo ryoshuku (house of worship). Regarding the bōdaiji, it not only held services for it’s ancestors there but in the end also built an Edo ryoshuku at Kai Zenkōji. It’s donations even went as far as influential Pure Land temples like Shinshū Zenkō-ji, Takada Zendō-ji, and Honjo Reizan-ji, which was one of the important 18 Pure Land temples of Kantō recognized by the shogunate. It did not limit itself to only Pure Land temples; it’s faith extended to temples in other sects as well as Shinto shrines, leading it to hold services for it’s ancestors at Mount Koya and to make donations to Asakusa Kannon (Sensō-ji) and Seiryō-ji.Due to this faith, the Katō family relied on revelatory dreams and messages not from the Buddha only for familial rites of passage but also for standards of judgment in business. Though it is impossible to know what it truly believed, at the very least, these methods were accepted and played an important role. Furthermore, visits to various temples and participation in public exhibitions of religious objects ー that is, events outside the scope of daily life- did not change it’s level of faith. It’s participation in them was the result of messages from the Buddha, which formed part of the Katō family’s faith.Faith among Edo merchants has been addressed in behavioral culture studies about temple visits with elements of tourism, and participation in religious festivals. However, these should be examined as part of a bigger picture that includes faith practices in everyday life