Texian Traditions and Family Memories: Apprenticeship and Musuji Culture (Late Showa Period)

Texian Traditions and Family Memories: Apprenticeship and Musuji Culture (Late Showa Period)
In the world of street vendors from the postwar period to the mid-Showa period, it was not enough to have the tools to set up a stall; apprenticeship to an existing organization was essential. Apprenticeship functioned not only as a way to pass on skills, but also as a social roadmap for entering the local order, and was an important process for understanding local unwritten rules and territory rather than a permit. The apprentice learned the set-up of the stall, purchasing, bargaining with customers, and seasonal tours with his body, while at the same time learning about the righteousness and hierarchical relationship with the master. The most important thing was to be reasonable. Whenever an apprentice wanted to do business in a different area, he was required to obtain the approval of his master, and failure to do so could result in loss of trust. Many families were involved in the business as a family, and children grew up amidst the noise of the festival and the scene of
preparation, naturally acquiring the spirit of the business. From administrative data and the records of the street vendor associations, we can read that this world was not just a group of traders, but functioned as a community to maintain the harmony of the local community. The traditions of the tekiya were an important source of wisdom that supported the open-air culture of the Showa period, when technology and human relations were combined.