noun
Historical term for a merchant who supplies goods to retailers or acts as a producer; now largely replaced by 卸売業者 or メーカー.
江戸時代、元方は問屋に商品を卸していた。
In the Edo period, the wholesaler supplied goods to the merchant.
noun
capitalist; financier; investor
Historical term for a person who provides capital for a business; modern equivalents are 資本家 or 投資家.
その事業には、地元の元方が資金を出した。
A local financier provided funds for that enterprise.
Compound of 元 (もと, 'origin, capital') and 方 (かた, 'person, side'), referring to the party that provides the original capital or goods. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.