近江商人正野玄三家の合薬流通

Abstract

The Hino Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd is headquartered today in Hino-Cho, Gamo-Gun, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. The medicine Shono Manbyo Kannohgan, produced by this company, originally derives from Shinnoh Kannohgan, a traditional medicine that was manufactured for generations by the Shono Genzo family. This family had been engaged in the business of drug manufacture (called awasegusuri in Japanese in those days) since the Genroku era (1688-1704). During the Edo period (1603-1868), distribution of awasegusuri was strictly controlled by as well as dependent on the policies of Shogunate regime. Thus, after the Shogunate collapsed, many pharmaceutical companies could not maintain their businesses. Despite the collapse of the economic system under the Shogunate, however, some of them, such as the Shono family, survived and continued their traditional trade until this day as a company, During the Edo period, the awasegusuri sales network of the Shono family consisted of special agencies that were each assigned a specific sales territory. Ohmi merchants were dominant among these agencies. The Shono family's success is due to its feature of modernity, which is a distinct characteristic of the Ohmi merchants' management style.The reason why the awasegusuri business was accepted by many Ohmi merchants was because the Shono family was a family of high repute. The fact that the Shono promoted the pharmaceutical industry in the Hino area contributed to this family's fame.