How to Read “All the white walls in Edo are patrons”
Edo-jū no shirakabe wa mina danna
Meaning of “All the white walls in Edo are patrons”
This proverb describes how the merchant class became economically prosperous during the Edo period. The city was filled with wealthy people everywhere you looked.
White-walled storehouses were symbols of financial power. Seeing them throughout Edo meant many people had succeeded in business and lived comfortable lives.
This proverb is used to describe situations where the entire society is economically thriving. It captures times when many people are achieving success.
It’s not just about a few wealthy individuals. It describes a vibrant economic situation where ordinary merchants have also become prosperous.
Today, we might use this phrase when looking back at periods like Japan’s high economic growth era. It helps us understand the prosperity of commercial cities in historical contexts.
Origin and Etymology
Clear written records about this proverb’s origin are limited. However, it’s deeply connected to economic conditions from the mid to late Edo period.
During the Edo period, especially after the Genroku era, commerce developed and townspeople’s culture flourished. The samurai class stood at the top of society, but merchants gained power through economic strength.
“White walls” refers to the walls of storehouses and merchant houses plastered with lime. Owning a white-walled storehouse was a symbol of wealth at that time.
Being able to build a storehouse meant you had many goods and assets to store. This proved your business was thriving.
The word “danna” originally came from Buddhism, meaning someone who gives offerings. During the Edo period, it became widely used to refer to wealthy merchants and property owners.
So this proverb means: “Look around Edo and you’ll see white-walled storehouses everywhere. Everyone is a wealthy patron.”
People began using this expression to describe the prosperity of an era. Commerce thrived in the great city of Edo, and many merchants achieved success.
Interesting Facts
White-walled storehouses in the Edo period weren’t just warehouses. They were important buildings with fire prevention features.
Edo had so many fires that people said “Fires and fights are the flowers of Edo.” To protect valuable goods and property, merchants developed fireproof storehouses with thick earthen walls.
Storehouses finished with white plaster weren’t just beautiful. They had practical meaning, protecting merchants’ assets from fires.
From the mid-Edo period onward, “danna” became a term merchant wives used for their husbands. Servants also used it as an honorific for their masters.
This spread of the word reflects the rising social status of the merchant class.
Usage Examples
- During Edo’s prosperous period, merchants succeeded so much that people said “All the white walls in Edo are patrons”
- Looking at records from that time, the expression “All the white walls in Edo are patrons” doesn’t seem exaggerated at all
Universal Wisdom
This proverb teaches us about the special nature of eras when economic prosperity spreads throughout society. Looking back at history, many periods existed where only privileged classes monopolized wealth.
However, eras when ordinary people could enjoy prosperity are actually quite rare.
Human societies always have forces that concentrate wealth and forces that distribute it. Edo period merchants achieved economic success through business talent and effort, despite living under a rigid class system.
While the samurai were the ruling class, townspeople gained power through actual economic strength. This shows where society’s vitality comes from.
This proverb has been passed down through generations because people’s hearts hold a timeless longing. They desire societies where many people can become prosperous.
A society where many people can own white-walled storehouses offers more hope than one where a single king lives in luxury.
Prosperity doesn’t belong to just a few people. It means a state where many hardworking people are rewarded. This truth is the core of this proverb.
When AI Hears This
A plasterer looking at white walls throughout Edo and thinking “All of these are my job opportunities” demonstrates what network theory calls “overestimation of potential edges.”
An edge is a line connecting points in a network. It refers to connections between people, or between people and work.
In reality, hundreds of plasterers worked in Edo. The probability of actually getting work from any single white wall was extremely low. But to the craftsman’s eyes, every white wall appears as a “glowing point” with potential connection to himself.
This is an illusion created by information asymmetry. The craftsman knows his own skills and motivation perfectly—this is internal information. But he has almost no external information about other craftsmen, clients’ budgets, or existing business relationships.
This information gap makes him unconsciously draw a network diagram centered on himself.
Modern freelancers on social media fall into the same trap, thinking “all followers are potential customers.” The actual conversion rate is less than one percent, yet visible numbers like follower counts reinforce the illusion of “being connected to everyone.”
The psychology of believing you can become a hub actually causes you to misjudge your position in the market. Whether Edo craftsmen or modern people, accurately grasping our true position within a network is surprisingly difficult.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches us that society-wide prosperity is true wealth. Look around you. If only you succeed while society stagnates, that success becomes unstable and lonely.
Modern society sometimes struggles with growing inequality. However, as Edo period merchants showed, creating a society where many people can prosper through effort is possible.
This requires fair competition, educational opportunities, and above all, a peaceful society.
When you pursue success, think of it not as taking from others. Consider it as something achieved by expanding society’s overall pie.
Edo merchants competed with each other while expanding the market as a whole. This allowed them to prosper together.
What can you do today? Think not just about your own growth, but about ways for people around you to prosper too. That’s the first step toward true prosperity.
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