View source for Tekiya

{{Italic title|reason=[[:Category:Japanese words and phrases]]}}
[[File:Tekiya09.jpg|thumb|Tekiya on the grounds of [[Shimogamo Shrine]] in [[Kyoto]]]]
[[File:Toshinoichi.JPG|thumb|Tekiya selling talismans and decorations]]
'''''Tekiya''''' ({{lang|ja|的屋}} or {{lang|ja|テキ屋}}; "[[peddler]]s") are itinerant [[Japan]]ese merchants who, along with the ''[[bakuto]]'' ("gamblers"), historically were predecessors to the modern ''[[yakuza]]''.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Dubro|first1=A.|last2=Kaplan|first2=David E.|title=Yakuza: The Explosive Account of Japan's Criminal Underworld|date=1986|publisher=Da Capo Press|isbn=978-0-201-11151-4|pages=18–21}}</ref>
A loose American equivalent of the ''tekiya'' could be seen in [[Carny|carnies]].
==History==
''Tekiya'' ranked as one of the [[Four occupations|lowest social groups]] during the [[Edo period]]. As they began to form organizations of their own, they took over some administrative duties relating to commerce, such as stall allocation and protection of their commercial activities.<ref>Joy, Alicia. "A Brief History of the Yakuza Organization". Culture Trip. Last modified 31 October 2016. https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/a-brief-history-of-the-yakuza-organization/.</ref> During [[Shinto]] [[Japanese festivals|festivals]], these peddlers opened stalls and some members were hired to act as security. Each peddler paid rent in exchange for a stall assignment and [[Protection racket|protection]] during the fair.
The ''tekiya'' were a highly structured and hierarchical group with the ''oyabun'' (boss) at the top and ''kobun'' (gang members) at the bottom.<ref name="kyotojournal.org">Raz, Jacob. "Insider Outsider: The Way of the Yakuza." Kyoto Journal. Last modified 17 April 2011. https://kyotojournal.org/society/insider-outsider/.</ref> This hierarchy resembles a structure similar to the family – in traditional [[Culture of Japan|Japanese culture]], the ''oyabun'' was often regarded as a surrogate father, and the ''kobun'' as surrogate children.<ref name="kyotojournal.org"/> During the Edo period, the government formally recognized the ''tekiya''. At this time, within the ''tekiya'', the ''oyabun'' were appointed as supervisors and granted near-[[samurai]] status, meaning they were allowed the dignity of a surname and two swords.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dubro |first1=A. |last2=Kaplan |first2=David E. |title=Yakuza: The Explosive Account of Japan's Criminal Underworld |date=1986 |publisher=Da Capo Press |isbn=978-0-201-11151-4 |page=22 }}</ref>
Unlike the ''[[bakuto]]'' who gamble (gambling was and still is illegal in Japan), the ''tekiya''<nowiki/>'s line of work was generally legal. However, they also engaged in illicit activities such as the creation of [[protection racket]]s and would sometimes engage in [[gang warfare]] with other groups.  In addition, their itinerant lifestyle often attracted fugitives to join their ranks.
Although the ''tekiya''/''bakuto'' lines have been blurred with the emergence of the modern Japanese ''[[yakuza]]'' in the 20th century, many of today's yakuza still identify with one group over the other.
==References==
{{reflist}}
==Further reading==
* Kaplan, David E., and Alec Dubro. [https://books.google.com/books?id=W1vi31vifg0C ''Yakuza: Japan's Criminal Underworld'', exp. ed.] Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003. {{ISBN|0-520-21561-3}}, {{ISBN|0-520-21562-1}}.
[[Category:Yakuza]]