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→Edo Period: - some standard prices
Silver and copper also existed in the form of coins. However, these were generally counted not by number of coins, but rather by weight, in ''momme''. One hundred ''momme'' were worth roughly one ''momme'' of silver, and one thousand ''momme'' was called one ''kanme''.
Silver and copper also existed in the form of coins. However, these were generally counted not by number of coins, but rather by weight, in ''momme''. One hundred ''momme'' were worth roughly one ''momme'' of silver, and one thousand ''momme'' was called one ''kanme''.
===Prices===
Though prices varied widely, of course, over time, from place to place, and depending on the quality of the goods or other factors, the following figures might provide a rough idea of prices (i.e. the value of the ''ryô'') in the "high" Edo period (18th to early 19th centuries).
*2 or 3 ''momme'' - a cheap ''[[ukiyo-e]]'' print<ref name=screech>Screech, Timon. "Owning Edo-Period Paintings." in Lillehoj, Elizabeth (ed.) ''Acquisition: Art and Ownership in Edo-Period Japan''. Floating World Editions, 2007. p26.</ref>
*20 ''momme'' - an ''ukiyo-e'' print of good quality.<ref name=screech/>
*32 ''momme'' - the cost of seeing a play at [[Ryogoku|Ryôgoku]] in 1820.
*75 ''momme'' - the cost of the journey from Osaka to Nagasaki by boat (roughly 14-20 days).<ref name=screech/>
*90 ''momme'' - the cost of a multi-volume illustrated book, such as ''[[Soga Monogatari]]''.<ref name=screech/>
*1000 ''momme'' or 1/4 ''ryô'' - the cost of sending a child to ''[[terakoya]]'' (temple school) for a year
*1 ''ryô'' - the cost for a man's formal ''kamishimo'' outfit, including ''[[hakama]]'', ''[[haori]]'', and ''[[kosode]]''.
*2-3 ''ryô'' - the cost of hiring a maid for a year (i.e. the income made by a maid in a year)
*6 ''ryô'' - a typical annual wage for a laborer<ref name=screech/>
*6 ''ryô'' - the fee to commission a major artist for a single set of lavish ''byôbu'' (folding screen) paintings<ref name=screech/>
*10 ''ryô'' - the cost of a first visit to a [[Yoshiwara]] establishment, including tips for the ''[[nakai]]'' and ''[[taikomochi]]''.<ref>Segawa Seigle, Cecelia. ''Yoshiwara''. University of Hawaii Press, 1993.</ref>
*200 ''ryô'' - A month in the Yoshiwara could cost as much as this.<ref name=screech/>
*360 ''ryô'' - the cost of buying a small room (80 sq yards) in Edo.
*483 ''ryô'' - The annual salary of a typical ''[[hatamoto]]'' in [[1711]].<ref name=leiter>Leiter, Samuel. “Edo Kabuki: The Actor’s World.” ''Impressions'' 31 (2010). pp114-131.</ref>
*500 ''ryô'' - The cap on [[kabuki]] actors' salaries, imposed by the [[Kansei Reforms]] in [[1794]].<ref name=leiter/>
*800 ''ryô'' The salary of kabuki actor [[Ichikawa Danjuro I|Ichikawa Danjūrō I]] ([[1660]]-[[1704]]) peaked at this amount.<ref name=leiter/>
*1000 ''ryô'' - [[Yoshizawa Ayame I]] ([[1663]]-[[1729]]) was the first kabuki actor to attain an annual salary of this much.<ref name=leiter/>
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==References==
<references/>
==See Also==
*[http://homepage3.nifty.com/~sirakawa/Coin/J029.htm 一文と一両の価値] (The Value of a ''Mon'' and a ''Ryô''). Lists and charts of incomes and typical costs for goods and services in the Edo period. (In Japanese)
*[http://freett.com/sukechika/ishin/keizai/ishin06-3.html 装備品] (Equipment). Costs for typical goods in the Edo period. (In Japanese)
[[Category:Economics]]
[[Category:Economics]]
[[Category:Resource Articles]]
[[Category:Resource Articles]]