Shuza

Shuza (朱座) was the Tokugawa shogunate's officially sanctioned cinnabar monopoly or cinnabar guild (za)^[1] which was created in 1609.^[2]

Initially, the Tokugawa shogunate was interested in assuring a consistent value in minted coins; and this led to the perceived need for attending to the supply of cinnabar.

This bakufu title identifies a regulatory agency with responsibility for supervising the handling and trading of cinnabar and for superintending all cinnabar mining and cinnabar-extraction activities in Japan.^[3]

See also

• Bugyō
• Kinzan-bugyō
• Kinza – Gold za (monopoly office or guild).
• Ginza – Silver za (monopoly office or guild).
• Dōza – Copper za (monopoly office or guild)