27 : Regulation of Seiryusha

Presented here are materials that document Shimizu Port’s transition to the modern era and the lives of those who worked along its waterfront. The first is the Regulation of Seiryusha, the corporate rulebook of Seiryusha, a company established with capital from local shipping agents to operate a steamship route between Shimizu and Yokohama as steam navigation opened new routes beyond traditional wasen traffic. On view are the company’s articles (regulations) and records concerning shareholdings.

With the formation of the corporate organization, the regulations were issued in printed form, and the shareholder roll reached 124. Tea merchants in Shizuoka comprised the largest cohort of subscribers, while trading firms in Yokohama—though only seven in number—held the largest block of shares and therefore exercised significant influence. Taken together, these documents reveal tea as Shimizu’s principal cargo and illuminate the dynamics of Yokohama’s role as a key node in distribution.

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