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The old Jesuit city was comprised of six wards, or ''machi'', which formed the core of the city and which were later re-divided into twenty-three ''machi''. Each of these was self-governing under the authority of ''machi toshiyori'' (town elders), and was exempt from land taxes. The outer city, meanwhile, consisted of three villages which were absorbed by the growing city as 43 new ''machi''; taxes paid by the residents of these areas helped pay the salaries of the ''daikan'' and ''machi toshiyori'' throughout the city. Despite the huge volume of trade passing through the city, the tax base was fairly small, amounting to just under 3,500 ''[[koku]]'' at the end of the 17th century.<ref>Jansen, 10-11.</ref>

The old Jesuit city was comprised of six wards, or ''machi'', which formed the core of the city and which were later re-divided into twenty-three ''machi''. Each of these was self-governing under the authority of ''machi toshiyori'' (town elders), and was exempt from land taxes. The outer city, meanwhile, consisted of three villages which were absorbed by the growing city as 43 new ''machi''; taxes paid by the residents of these areas helped pay the salaries of the ''daikan'' and ''machi toshiyori'' throughout the city. Despite the huge volume of trade passing through the city, the tax base was fairly small, amounting to just under 3,500 ''[[koku]]'' at the end of the 17th century.<ref>Jansen, 10-11.</ref>

The city grew out of being a small fishing village in the early 16th century to a population of roughly 25,000 by [[1609]]. The city continued to grow over the course of the 17th century, peaking at around 64,500 in [[1696]], but then declined over the remainder of the Edo period, fluctuating along with the volume of trade. By [[1715]], the population had already fallen to 42,500. Within this, the Chinese population was generally around 2,000, reaching a peak of 5,000 at times.<ref>Jansen, 13.</ref>

The city grew out of being a small fishing village in the early 16th century to a population of roughly 25,000 by [[1609]]. The city continued to grow over the course of the 17th century, peaking at around 64,500 in [[1696]], but then declined over the remainder of the Edo period, fluctuating along with the volume of trade. By [[1715]], the population had already fallen to 42,500. Within this, the Chinese population was generally around 2,000, reaching a peak of 5,000 at times.<ref>Jansen, 13.</ref> By the late Tokugawa period, the Chinese community may have comprised as much as one-fifth the total population of the city.<ref>Gary Leupp, ''Interracial Intimacy in Japan: Western Men and Japanese Women, 1543-1900'', A&C Black (2003), 259n63.</ref>

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