《93》Early Modern Hakata and the Twin Cities (Part 4)

《93》Early Modern Hakata and the Twin Cities (Part 4)

《93》Early Modern Hakata and the Twin Cities (Part 4)...The Birth of the Twin Cities (Second Half)

 - Crossing the Nishinakashima Bridge over the Naka River to the east of the castle town, one comes to the Masugatamon Gate, and from here on the castle side was called the Fukuokabu (Fukuoka area), as previously mentioned. Fukuoka was located across the Naka River from Hakata, the commercial capital of Japan, which lay beyond. Thus, in the castle town of Kuroda 520,000 goku, the twin cities of Fukuoka and Hakata were born.

 - Hakata, which had flourished as a window for Japan's international trade since ancient times, and Fukuoka, a castle town that had just been established after Kuroda Nagamasa's entering the country, would prosper together as one of the castle towns of the Fukuoka domain during the Edo period (1603-1868). In the beginning, however, there was an underlying conflict between Hakata, a town of townspeople with a long tradition, and Fukuoka, a castle town of newly emerged samurai.

 - The biggest challenge for Kuroda after his entry into Chikuzen was to bring the Hakata townspeople under his control as quickly and completely as possible. However, the townspeople of Hakata had a strong sense of pride in their status as the " merchants of the land" under Hideyoshi. To the proud Hakata merchants, Kuroda was just a newcomer, a country samurai. This is why the twin cities of Fukuoka and Hakata had such conflicts.

*The photo shows a statue of Bori Tahei, a vassal of Kuroda Nagamasa. /

 

近世博多と双子都市(その4)…双子都市の誕生(後半)

 

- 城下町の東の那珂川に架かる西中島橋を渡ると枡形門があり、これから城側は福岡部と呼んだことは前にも述べました。福岡は那珂川を隔てて、その先の商都博多と相対することになりました。こうして黒田五十ニ万石の城下町では、福岡・博多という双子都市が誕生したのです。

 - いにしえより日本の国際貿易の窓口として栄えてきた博多と黒田長政入部以来のできたばかりの城下町福岡が、江戸時代には福岡藩の城下町の一つとしてともに繁栄してゆくことになるわけです。しかし当初は、長い伝統のある町人の町博多と新興の武士の城下町福岡とは水面下の対立がありました。

 - 筑前入部後の黒田氏の最大の難事は、なるべく早急に、かつ完全に、博多町人を自分の支配下におくことでした。しかし博多町人には、秀吉配下の天下の町人という強い自負がありました。誇り高い博多町人たちにとって、黒田氏は新参の、一介の田舎侍にすぎなかったのです。双子都市の福岡と博多にはこのような対立があったのです。