Ton'ya

First appearing as early as the 12th century, ton'ya came to serve a crucial role in the economy of the Edo period (1603–1867).

The earliest record of a toi-otoko (問男) may be one from 1175, in which a number of Court officials hire an outside boatsman to transport them down the Yodo River.

The ton'ya of the Edo period were little different, essentially acting as independent agents for specific elements of the domestic trade; most often they were shippers, but many were local handlers, middlemen, or warehousers.

which operated out of one of the big cities to manage or handle the firm's goods in some other portion of the country.

Most of these groups would dissolve or evolve into something else entirely by the end of the Edo period, but they served an important role in facilitating the emergence of fully nationwide trade in early modern Japan.