"Goldfish Subscription" Bloomed in the City of Edo. The Form of Abundance in Not Owning.
"Subscription" and "Sharing" are words we hear often lately.Did you know that actually, such a modern and free way of enjoying existed in the world of goldfish in the Edo period ? Juane * here.Hello.
This time, let's take a peek at the light and chic "Goldfish Life" of Edo people.
A new pleasure of renting whole bowls
"I want to keep goldfish, but preparing seems difficult..." Often thinking so might be the same now as in the past.
In the Edo period, there was a business like rental or subscription today, where goldfish were not only sold but "rented out with the bowl".Decorating the entrance or storefront with a bowl containing beautiful goldfish only during festivals or summer festivals.Admiring their most beautiful appearance only when necessary... Such a smart way of enjoying was established.
Wisdom of goldfish sellers to share the seasons
Especially during the period called "Bon Goldfish", goldfish sellers were very busy.
Maintenance of the bowl and changing the water were basically left to the professional goldfish seller.Cherishing the "coolness" and "sense of the season" of that moment rather than "owning".Edo people may have felt that tasting the "rich time" there was more luxurious than obtaining tangible things.
It's wonderful, isn't it ?
Not just buying and selling "things", but sharing "experiences" and "memories" through goldfish.When you think so, doesn't the goldfish seller look like a creator delivering happiness to the city, not just a merchant?
Lightly, handing over beauty
"By not owning, you can enjoy more freely." What Edo goldfish rental teaches us might be such a sustainable spirit that leads to modern times.
We, Jun * Juane, also deliver the "most beautiful moment of goldfish" to your daily life through photos and art.So that you can always let glittering goldfish swim in your heart without holding a heavy bowl.We would be happy if we could continue such light and warm "sharing of beauty".
Custom of Bon Goldfish: Memoirs of the Meiji and Taisho periods and records of the late Edo period describe the custom of renting goldfish with bowls and decorating them during the Bon festival.
Descriptions in "History of Japanese Horticulture", etc.: It has been confirmed that peddlers of that time conducted a rational business of renting out not only goldfish but also vessels(such as ceramic pots) as a set and collecting them when the season was over.
Edo Sharing Culture: Not limited to goldfish, in the Edo period, a business type called "Sonryoya" that rented everything from kimonos and loincloths to pots and pans developed, and goldfish lending existed as part of that culture.
