Zeniya Gohei

Zeniya Gohei was a merchant and trader of the Edo period (1615-1868) who was born in Kaga province (now Ishikawa prefecture) into a family engaged for several generations in the money-changing business. He developed a successful business transporting goods between what is now Hokkaido and Fukushima prefecture, owning over 20 ships that plied various routes. His wealth grew as he began lending money even to the government of Kaga. Subsequently his wealth made him unpopular with officialdom.

In the summer of 1851, Zeniya Gohei started a land reclamation project on Kahoku inlet, which lies about three miles northwest of Kanazawa upon the Sea of Japan. Early in the eighth month of 1852, a large number of dead fish floated to the surface of the inlet near the construction site. Within weeks, there were reports of several local residents who apparently died from having eaten the dead fish. In the ensuing flurry of accusations, speculations, and indictments Gohei and his family members were deemed responsible and imprisoned with his assets confiscated. By the end of the eleventh month of 1852, the eighty-year old Gohei succumbed to ‘urinary blockage’ and died in captivity.