Developement of commercial areas in Okinawan cities by native and emigration form Main island of Japan

Research Project

Project/Area Number	02610138
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	文化人類学(含民族学・民俗学)
Research Institution	National Museum of Jpanese History
Principal Investigator	ASAOKA Koji National Museum of Japanese History Department of Folkculture Ph.D.Professor, 民俗研究部, 教授 (60072162)
Project Period (FY)	1990 – 1992
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 1992)
Budget Amount *help	¥1,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000) Fiscal Year 1992: ¥300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥300,000) Fiscal Year 1991: ¥400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥400,000) Fiscal Year 1990: ¥800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000)
Keywords	commerce / market place / Naha city / Ishigaki-Shika / 沖縄 / 寄留民 / 移動 / 町形成 / 商工民 / 先島
Research Abstract	It's said according to this research that Naha city where is the capital in Okinawa prefecture, founded up by Shoushin who was one of the King of Ryukyu, had had commercial areas since ancient Shou dynasty, but thay were only market places at some corner of streets or vacant lands, where wormen gathered with and were dealing with foods and garments for daylife, in every afternoon. Those Okinawan traditional commercial place are called, in native language, Machiguh which means small market, and more larger ones called Machi. And at the next stage, city office founded public market place at Higashimachi and some other places around Naha. So, there had been no merchant shops in Naha-city until alienes came from Main Island of Japan, temporarily stayed at native's houses, and commerced commodity brought by from Main Island of Japan. This system of comerce is said Yamato-machiya which means Main Islander's shop, andafter that, Yanmato-machiya developed all over the centeral area of Naha. Same process was occured at Ishigaki Shika town in Yaeyama area. But It is said that there were a bit difference bitween them. Because two types of alianes are recognized at the town, one of witch was from Main Island of Japan, another from Okinawa Island. And following this, people from small islands around Ishigaki Island were emigrated, and dealt with trade.