(Voice actor) Mr.Akira Daniel Duncan

Nihonbashi-Tomizawacho, Chuo ward, Tokyo. Along with the surrounding Nihonbashi-hamacho and Ningyocho, the flavor of the Edo period still remains in this town. There are many textile companies in Nihonbashi-Tomizawacho. There is a reason for this. Around 1600, in now-Nihonbashi-Tomizawacho, there were many second-hand clothes store. At the time, only the rich could afford to buy new clothes. Stores like Uniqlo that carry huge amounts of ready-made clothes didn’t exist, so new clothes were usually tailor-made from scratch. Therefore, the common people of Edo would just buy second-hand clothes. People gathered to Nihonbashi-Tomizawacho because there were many stores that carried second-hand clothes. The leader of these thrift stores was a man named Jinnai Tobisawa. He had originally served the Hojo clan as a samurai. The Hojo clan was a feudal lord that controlled the Kanto region before it became Ieyasu Tokugawa’s territory. However, they lost a war to Hideyoshi Toyotomi, who was the in power before Ieyasu Tokugawa, and were destroyed. The Hojo clan’s samurais, who lost a clan to serve, immediately had trouble living. If there were wars, they could go to battle and live as vassals for a feudal lord. However, Ieyasu Tokugawa brought a peaceful world, and there were almost no wars. So, the samurais who made a living by fighting in wars lost their jobs and had trouble living. Jinnai Tobisawa coordinated those samurais who used to serve the Hojo clan and made them steal things in the town of Edo. One day, Jinnai Tobisawa was captured by the officials. Considering the damage he had caused, execution was inevitable. When facing execution, many criminals beg for their life, but Jinnai Tobisawa held his head high. Ieyasu Tokugawa, impressed by this attitude, arranged an opportunity to meet him face-to-face. Ieyasu Tokugawa thought Jinnai Tobisawa was too good to kill, so he tried to save him. Ieyasu offered to save his life if he would cooperate to maintaining public order. Jinnai Tobisawa did not wish to continue being a thief, so he said he would cooperate if Ieyasu would save the Hojo clan’s samurais, who admired and followed him, as well. Jinnai Tobisawa also made an offer to Ieyasu Tokugawa. Ieyasu accepted that offer. And so, Jinnai Tobisawa started cooperating with Ieyasu Tokugawa. What was the offer that Jinnai Tobisawa made? What did that offer mean? Find out the origins of Nihonbashi-Tomizawacho.