A Study of Stolen Goods Investigations Conducted by the Osaka Pawnbrokers’ Guild

Abstract

In early modern Osaka, members of the so-called “three trades” (sansho) of pawnbroking, secondhand goods dealing, and used metal and tool selling performed stolen goods investigations under the direction of police officials from the Osaka City Governor’s Office. Thieves posed a serious problem for the city of Osaka. In response, the city authorities established a series of professional organizations, including the Pawnbrokers’ Guild, to perform the official duty of investigating the sale of stolen goods. The official duty performed by these organizations formed the core of their existence. Accordingly, it is essential to examine the content of the stolen goods investigations performed by the members of Osaka’s “three trades”. This article focuses specifically on stolen goods investigations conducted by early modern Osaka’s Pawnbrokers’ Guild. It examines how members of the guild were mobilized to participate in official stolen goods investigations and how police officials from the City Governor’s Office carried out such investigations. The article analyzes a specific investigation from start to finish, beginning with the report filed by the victim and ending with the punishment of the perpetrators. It also includes an examination of how investigative methods varied depending on the specific stage of the investigation. Furthermore, the article elucidates the important role that the Pawnbrokers’ Guild Office (Shichi kaisho) and functionaries hired by the Guild played in official stolen goods investigations.