I have always had a soft spot for Kawagoe. It is very close to Tokyo, yet retains a small-town feeling. It is a town that has managed to preserve many of its older buildings and retain something of its dignity as an old castle town and trading-post. The splendid store houses that remain as rows of popular tourist shops today speak of the history of a town that grew wealthy from its trade. Kawagoe bears the nick-name Ko-Edo, little Edo, and it is easy to see why.

There are many ways in which the Edo period is tangible in Kawagoe, in its architecture, its local pickles and foods for sale, in its temples and shrines and even in its many festivals, many of which date back to the Edo period.

川越は東京から近いのにどこか遠くへ来たような不思議な感覚になる町です。小江戸とよばれる城下町であり、明治時代の蔵造りの建物が街並みとして保存されています。江戸以来の寺社も多く、伝統ある川越祭りなど暮らしのなかにも江戸時代が息づいています。

 ◆Ishikawa Silk Mill　石川組製糸

Kawagoe was a textile production site, as well as a trading town. In 1894, Ishikawa Ikutaro,

(石川幾太郎)who was born on a farm, but had failed at an export tea business, decided to embark on the silk business, as the government was trying to increase its silk exports. He built a steam-powered silk mill in Toyo-oka（豊岡）, Saitama, and he was successful. He went on to establish two more factories. The Kawagoe Silk factory was built in 1908 on the land where the Kawagoe post office and municipal library now stand. Ishikawa was a Christian and a philanthropist, who treated his workers well. They were paid much better wages than other girls in the silk industry, and many of them stayed for up to ten years. The factory took a hard blow in the depression on 1930, and it finally closed down in 1954, after nylon took over from silk as fabric for stockings. Kawagoe had been number one in Saitama for the production and quality of its silk.

川越は江戸時代から絹織物や生糸で栄えたまちでした。1908年には入間市豊岡の石川製糸が川越にも製糸工場を開業。現在の川越郵便局と中央図書館の場所にありました。石川製糸はキリスト教の精神で経営にあたり、女工さんの待遇も他社より恵まれていました。アメリカ女性のストッキング向けに輸出されていた日本の生糸は、ナイロンが開発されたためその需要が急激に減り打撃を受けました。埼玉県内でも高品質の生糸を生産していた石川製糸は1954年に閉鎖となりました。

◆Kawagoe-touzan　川越唐桟という織物

Cotton weaving was also produced in Kawagoe. It was called Tozan, originally San Tome from St. Thomas, the port in India from where the cotton was shipped. It was imported in the 14^th Century and was highly prized. From 1860, reeled cotton was introduced from Manchester, and being of high quality, it was used for making the striped cotton fabric. Tozan is still produced in small quantities and is made not only into cotton kimono, but also many small accessories and handicrafts.

唐桟という名前は出荷港のインドのセント・トーマスに由来します。日本には14世紀に海外からもたらされた木綿の縞模様の織物でした。大名に献上されたものが多く高価なものでした。それを幕末に川越の生糸商人が横浜で英国製の細い紡績木綿糸を見つけ

川越に持ち帰り織らせたのが川越唐桟です。安価に憧れの唐桟ができたので江戸で人気となりました。今に残る蔵造りの建物の多くは、この木綿の織物を扱った商家が建てています。一度は途絶えた織物ですが復刻され、きものだけでなく小物も作られ人気のお土産となっています。

＊川越唐桟についてはこちらでも紹介しています。

◆明治以降は薬も扱うように

Towards the end of the Edo period Yamada Ya started to sell medicines in addition to the footwear. A large pestle and mortar remain there, and many boxes with the interesting labels of medicines. They used many kinds of plants to make medicines, but also stranger things such as sharkskin, narwhale and rhino horn. In the Meiji period, the government began to regulate the industry and introduced a pharmacy license.

It was important as many new products were beginning to arrive from the west. Several text books on display show that Hattori’s were serious about understanding the medicines they were selling and getting qualified as a pharmacy.

明治期には薬の製造販売も始めました。漢方薬を扱い、鹿の角、ふかひれ、クジラのひげなどの材料も展示されています。薬箪笥や薬の看板もみることができます。化粧品の資生堂が薬を扱っていた時代の看板もあります。

Hattori’s other household goods are on display in the raised tatami area, where the shop keeper would have sat. There is a small desk and a tiny chest of draws, an abacus and various candle holders. Through these items one can get a glimpse into the everyday life that people lived in these great store house businesses. Whilst Kawagoe may have been a bustling and wealthy center, it appears that life was very much simpler than today.

帳場に座ると江戸から続く商家の女将さんになったようです。算盤や筆に硯などが整理されて机の上に並べてあります。豪商が並んだこの通りの生活を少しだけ味わうことができました。

服部民俗資料館　川越市幸町６－８

◆Castle Town Kawagoe and its Bell Tower  城下町・川越と時の鐘

Kawagoe was known as a trading center, rather than as a production site. Traded goods were shipped down river to Asakusa（浅草） and beyond. In the 17th Century, the Matsudaira clan（松平信綱）zoned the city for temples and shrines, samurai houses, craftsmen and traders. The trading　area largely remains intact because of the nature of the buildings. Rather than the normal　flimsy wooden buildings that people lived in, the storehouses were much more sturdy and　stronger against fire. They needed to protect the precious goods. Hattori’s store survived　the great fire of 1893（川越大火）. After that fire, when many buildings were lost, many people rebuilt　in what were considered modern styles; the Meiji period stone banks, and elegant lookingTaisho period houses were constructed. These are dotted around Kawagoe and many of　them are restaurants or cafes. What did not survive the great fire of 1893, was the famous　bell tower（時の鐘）. However, it was rebuilt the following year with donations from the silk traders in　Yokohama, who regularly did business with dealers in Kawagoe.

 時の鐘の再建・横浜の生糸商人が多額の寄付

川越は物資の集積地として栄えました。

周辺から集めた物資を舟運で江戸浅草に送ることで川越商人は江戸との交流を重ねました。川越藩主松平信綱は城下の町割りを行いました。江戸期にも裕福な商人は蔵造りの建物を建てていましたが、明治26年（1893）の川越大火では、町の大部分が焼失するなか蔵造りの商家が焼け残り、この火事以降火事に強い防火建築として蔵造りの建物が注目されました。山田屋服部さんの文庫蔵も焼失を免れました。今に残る蔵造りの建物の多くはこの明治の大火の後に豪商たちが防火建築として建てたものです。川越のシンボル時の鐘も焼失しましたが、川越のひとは自分の店よりも時の鐘の再建を優先したといいます。再建費用の寄付者には横浜の生糸商たち・原善三郎・平沼専蔵・茂木惣兵衛らが名を連ねているのも、川越と横浜の絹つながりを感じさせます。