Changes

Like other prominent merchants of his time, Ryôi was quite often employed by leaders such as Hideyoshi and Ieyasu for a variety of administrative tasks, or to oversee or put into motion various projects, including public works projects as follows, as well as the expansion of trade and other such efforts. Wealthy merchants such as Ryôi also arranged for the provision of supplies for these powerful leaders, and acted as a representative in major financial transactions (in rice)<ref>Totman, Conrad. ''Early Modern Japan''. University of California Press, 1995. p157.</ref>.

Like other prominent merchants of his time, Ryôi was quite often employed by leaders such as Hideyoshi and Ieyasu for a variety of administrative tasks, or to oversee or put into motion various projects, including public works projects as follows, as well as the expansion of trade and other such efforts. Wealthy merchants such as Ryôi also arranged for the provision of supplies for these powerful leaders, and acted as a representative in major financial transactions (in rice)<ref>Totman, Conrad. ''Early Modern Japan''. University of California Press, 1995. p157.</ref>.

Though Kyoto was a major commercial center in the Edo period, as it had been since the [[Heian period]], in the opening years of the 17th century the city's merchants did not have easy access to any ports; the lumber industry likewise had trouble transporting materials to the city. Around [[1600]], [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]] had Ryôi and his son [[Suminokura Soan]] organize bands of corvée laborers to clear sections of several rivers,<ref name=totman72>Totman. p72.</ref> and in [[1607]], Ryôi oversaw projects which helped make the upper stretches of the [[Katsuragawa]] more conducive to the transport of timber and lumber to the Arashiyama area. Two years later, in [[1609]], he connected the port at Fushimi to the [[Kamogawa]], making the heart of Kyoto's commercial districts accessible by riverboat from Osaka.<ref>Röpke, Ian Martin. ''Historical dictionary of Osaka and Kyoto''. Rowman & Littlefield, 1999. pp133-134.</ref> The Takasegawa canal, begun in 1608 with the permission of [[Toyotomi Hideyori]], was completed in 1611, further improving Kyoto's accessibility by riverboat<ref name=totman72/>. Though many of these projects were done at the request of the shogunate, Ryôi enjoyed the privilege of charging fees for use of certain canals or sections of rivers, and for the use of certain warehouses along the routes, adding to his revenues.<ref name=kotobank/>

Though Kyoto was a major commercial center in the Edo period, as it had been since the [[Heian period]], in the opening years of the 17th century the city's merchants did not have easy access to any ports; the lumber industry likewise had trouble transporting materials to the city. Around [[1600]], [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]] had Ryôi and his son Suminokura Soan organize bands of corvée laborers to clear sections of several rivers,<ref name=totman72>Totman. p72.</ref> and in [[1607]], Ryôi oversaw projects which helped make the upper stretches of the [[Katsuragawa]] more conducive to the transport of timber and lumber to the Arashiyama area. Two years later, in [[1609]], he connected the port at Fushimi to the [[Kamogawa]], making the heart of Kyoto's commercial districts accessible by riverboat from Osaka.<ref>Röpke, Ian Martin. ''Historical dictionary of Osaka and Kyoto''. Rowman & Littlefield, 1999. pp133-134.</ref> The Takasegawa canal, begun in 1608 with the permission of [[Toyotomi Hideyori]], was completed in 1611, further improving Kyoto's accessibility by riverboat<ref name=totman72/>. Though many of these projects were done at the request of the shogunate, Ryôi enjoyed the privilege of charging fees for use of certain canals or sections of rivers, and for the use of certain warehouses along the routes, adding to his revenues.<ref name=kotobank/>

After surviving a shipwreck in [[1609]] on a return trip to Japan, Ryôi turned over overseas business to his son, and focused on public works projects and other undertakings. He died in 1614, a few years after the Takasegawa canal was completed, and is buried at the Nison-in in Saga, Kyoto.<ref name=kotobank/>

After surviving a shipwreck in [[1609]] on a return trip to Japan, Ryôi turned over overseas business to his son, and focused on public works projects and other undertakings. He died in 1614, a few years after the Takasegawa canal was completed, and is buried at the Nison-in in Saga, Kyoto.<ref name=kotobank/>