Since 1596

鏡開きと豊島屋

江戸時代、上方から江戸までの酒の輸送に使われた酒樽は、航海中に破損しないよう、稲わらを巻いて守られていました。これが菰樽(こもだる)です。この菰樽の表面には、それぞれの酒蔵が自蔵の意匠(マーク)を描き、広告効果も狙いました。この菰樽の上蓋部分を「鏡」と呼んだことから、酒樽を木槌で叩いて開けることを鏡割りといいます。「ヨイショ、ヨイショ」と掛け声をかけながら、皆で蓋を割ってお酒を汲み出す。この慣習もお目出た好きの造り酒屋・豊島屋が始めたこと。新たな門出や物事の成就を祝し、幸せを祈念する。鏡割りは、いわば祝い酒の象徴となる幸せな行事です。

KAGAMI-WARI (KAGAMI-BIRAKI)

In the Edo era, when sake taru were transported by ship to Edo from the main producing regions in the western part of Japan, there were wrapped in rice straw to keep them from breaking. Such casks were called “komodaru,” and the lid was called a “kagami,” or “mirror.” Breaking open a cask by hitting the lid with a wooden mallet is called “Kagami-wari.” Revelers would call out “Yoisho! Yoisho!” and break open the lid, then scoop out the sake within. This custom also began at Toshimaya. It was done when something big was begun or accomplished, as a kind of praryer for happiness. Kagami-wari is a ceremony in which the celebratory sake, called Iwai-zake, is a symbol for our happiness.

居酒屋のはじまり

初代・豊島十右衛門が豊島屋を創業したのは、慶長元年(1596年)。天下統一を果たした家康が江戸幕府を開いたのは、慶長８年(1603年)。江戸城改築が始まった当時、江戸の町には工事のために約十万人もの人夫が働いていたという記録があります。この人夫たちの食欲を満たすため、食糧調達の舞台となったのが神田の魚河岸と青物市場でした。食材豊富な神田の地で、豊島屋が出す酒とつまみで人夫たちは労働の疲れを癒し、活力を得ました。これが現在に続く神田の居酒屋のルーツであると言われています。

IZAKAYA (SAKE PUBS) OF EDO

Our founder, Toyuemon Toshima, founded the company Toshimaya in 1596. Ieyasu Tokugawa unified Japan in 1603. Records show that when the reconstruction of Edo castle began, there were about 100 thousand laborers in Edo. Much of the fish used to feed these laborers came from the canals and markets of the Kanda neighborhood. In this Kanda neighborhood, with its plentiful food, the sake and nibbles served up by Toshimaya provided these laborers with relief from the fatigue of their work, and gave them strength. It is said that this is the origin of sake pubs in Kanda today.

酒樽

酒を漏らさぬよう木目の詰まった杉材で作られる酒樽。江戸時代には、各地の酒を遠方まで運ぶための運搬器具でした。上方の酒を江戸まで取り寄せ、人々にふるまったのが神田に居酒屋を開いていた豊島屋です。当時の豊島屋では、酒代は仕入れ値のまま一切上乗せされることはありませんでした。酒樽を醤油蔵・味噌蔵へ卸すリサイクルで本業は潤っており、酒代で儲ける必要はなかったからです。仕入れ値そのままで提供された酒は、庶民の味方。多くの人々を喜ばせていたそうです。御先祖さまのなんとも粋な振舞いでした。

SAKE TARU

A sake taru is a cask made of sugi wood with the seams sealed so that the sake does not leak. Such vessels were used in the Edo era (17th to 19th century) to transport sake from various regions across long distances. Toshimaya ran a sake pub in the Kanda district of Edo that brought in and sold sake from the main producing regions in the western part of Japan. Back then, Toshimaya did not mark up the price of sake at all but sold it at the same price for which they bought it. This was because they did not need to make money selling sake since the company also made a good profit by reselling the sake casks to shoyu (soy sauce) or miso producers. Sake sold without a price markup was indeed a friend to the townspeople, and it is said this made many people very happy. Indeed, our ancestors were engaged in some very cool things.

お雛まつり

旧暦の3月3日が桃の季節であったことから、桃の節句とも呼ばれる雛まつり。女子のすこやかな成長を祝う年中行事です。そのお雛まつりを祝う宴に欠かせないのが、雛あられ、三色の菱餅、ちらし寿司、はまぐりのお椀。そして白酒です。この白酒を女子も飲める優しい甘口の低アルコール酒として最初に売り出したのが、江戸のアイデアマン・豊島屋十右衛門でした。風味がよくて飲みやすい白酒は、大人気商品となり、旧暦二月の発売日には、1400樽が昼までに売り切れたという記録が残っています。江戸中から人々が押し寄せる様子は、江戸の風物詩ともなり、「山なれば富士、白酒なれば豊島屋」と詠われた程でした。

OHINA-MATSURI

A sake taru is a cask made of sugi wood with the seams sealed so that the sake does not leak. Such vessels were used in the Edo era (17th to 19th century) to transport sake from various regions across long distances. Toshimaya ran a sake pub in the Kanda district of Edo that brought in and sold sake from the main producing regions in the western part of Japan. Back then, Toshimaya did not mark up the price of sake at all but sold it at the same price for which they bought it. This was because they did not need to make money selling sake since the company also made a good profit by reselling the sake casks to shoyu (soy sauce) or miso producers. Sake sold without a price markup was indeed a friend to the townspeople, and it is said this made many people very happy. Indeed, our ancestors were engaged in some very cool things.