[Takase River and Kyoto]

Many of you may know the Takase River from the novel “Takasebune” by Ogai Mori. In the novel, the Takase River is portrayed in a sad and gloomy image, escorting criminals from Kyoto to Osaka, but in reality the Takase River is a canal that brought prosperity to the water transportation business from Kyoto. Takaseboats were flat-bottomed boats that could navigate shallow waters, and were pulled by human hands to and from the Takase River, which was only a few dozen centimeters deep.

The Takase River was opened in 1611, soon after the start of the Edo period. In modern times, the opening of a large-scale canal would undoubtedly be a national project, but Ryoi and Soan, a son and daughter of the wealthy Suminokura family, personally petitioned the shogunate for permission, bought the land, and financed this major undertaking. The Suminokuras were originally a family of doctors who had been in the shogunate's service since the Muromachi period (1336-1573), but they made their fortune by running the Tokura business (financial business) and furthermore acquired enormous wealth through the Nanban Trade (Japan's trade with Portuguese and Spanish merchants during the 16th and early 17th centuries) and the red-lacquered ships. Backed by ample funds, Suminokura and his son spent approximately 15 billion yen in today's terms on the Takase River. It is surprising that a public works project of this scale was undertaken by a private company, but the fact that the cost was quickly recovered by the Takase River tolls after the project was completed is a testament to their business acumen.

However, I believe that it is too early to regard this project as an investment with a view to making a profit. The Kamo River, which had been used for water transportation, had long been a raging river that flooded whenever there was a heavy rainfall, so much so that even Emperor Shirakawa lamented, “The water of the Kamo River does not do what I want.” The people who suffered great damage every time the river flooded desperately needed a canal that could carry goods in a stable manner. It is also said that Ryoki had a sense of crisis about the decline of the capital because the center of politics had shifted to Edo. Securing a transportation route between Kyoto and Osaka was a matter of life and death not only for merchants, but also for Kyoto as a whole.

The “Boat Rules” prepared by Soan Suminokura for merchants boarding the Suminokura family's vermilion-inked ship, Suminokurabune, give us an insight into the Suminokura family's business management stance, so here is an excerpt.

In the first place, the business of trade is one in which what you have and what you do not have are mutually beneficial to each other and to yourself. It is not for one's own benefit by inflicting loss on another. If we both benefit, even if the benefit is small, the gain is great. If you do not share in the gain, the gain may seem great, but it is small.

Although the customs and language of a foreign country may be different from those of ours, there is no difference in the nature of man, which is given to him from heaven. Forgetting that we are the same, we should not scorn, mock, or ridicule each other's differences. Even if the other is ignorant of the reason, it does not mean that you can be ignorant of it.”

These words show the great perspective of not only pursuing one's own interests, but also respecting others and emphasizing the overall good of the company. When the Takase River was opened to traffic, the company made a pledge in advance to the residents along the riverbank that if the construction work were to be halted, all the land would be restored and returned to its original state. When the Takase River was opened and goods could be transported by water, the exchange of people and goods became more active, and lumber merchants lined the riverbanks, from which the name “Kiyamachi” is said to have derived. The area was crowded with teahouses and ryotei restaurants frequented by masters, and the Hanamachi culture of Gion, known for its maiko (apprentice geisha), also developed from here.

The Takase River, which began with the desire of Suminokura and his son to bring benefits to the people of Kyoto and continued to create a prosperous flow, supported the distribution of goods in Kyoto for about 300 years until it ended its role as a canal in the Meiji era (1868-1912). Later, plans were made to culvert the river and run streetcars along it, but the residents of the area opposed the plans, and the river was left standing.

The Takase River runs through the city of Kyoto, nestled alongside the Kamo River. The river's babbling brook is beautiful in each of the four seasons: cherry blossoms in spring, fireflies in early summer, and autumn leaves in fall. A 15-minute walk northeast from the Sanjo Showroom will take you to the Ichino Funairi Ato (Ichino Funairi Site), the starting point of the river. We hope you will take a stroll through the area.

Sanjo Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/sanjo.html
Ganko Nijoen (Ryoi Suminokura's villa site)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/CSXMWE3C79fX4RwZA

References
『京都 高瀬川 ―角倉了以・素庵の遺産―』（石田孝喜著、思文閣出版、2005年）
https://core.ac.uk/reader/236037210
https://florist-westvillage.com/kiyamachi-kyoto/%E6%9C%A8%E5%B1%8B%E7%94%BA%E9%80%9A%E3%81%AE%E6%AD%B4%E5%8F%B2/