【Reading】ふちょう

【English Name】Trade Code

Fucho refers to a system of jargon and signals understood only within an industry or group. At sushi restaurants and fish markets, it has a history of being utilized over many years as a means for insiders to share prices, quality, and work instructions while being mindful of customers' ears.

From a classificatory standpoint, three main types can be cited: "moji-fucho" (written jargon), in which codes are written on paper; "kosho-fucho" (spoken jargon), in which jargon is spoken aloud; and "teburi-fucho" (gesture jargon), in which intentions are conveyed through the movements of fingers and hands. Words often heard at sushi restaurants, such as "agari" (tea), "murasaki" (soy sauce), "gari" (sweet-vinegared ginger), and "neta" (ingredients), are also said to be representative examples of fucho that originally began as exchanges among artisans and eventually spread to the general public.

At the scene of auctions in fish markets, finger signals called "teyari" are still used today to indicate desired prices and quantities. The seafood and produce sections of the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market each have their own independent teyari methods, adopting a system in which the auctioneer determines the successful bidder by watching the participants' finger signs. That said, at the same market, guidance has also been given urging restraint in the use of fucho from the standpoint of ensuring the transparency and fairness of transactions.

Before the display of list prices and price tags became commonplace, moji-fucho was an important device for keeping purchase prices and grades hidden from customers, but in the modern era where fixed-price selling has taken hold, it is hardly used anymore. The only one still surviving today is kosho-fucho, which barely maintains its lineage as jargon peculiar to the industry.