text: Merchants thronged to the large cities that were growing up around the castles at Edo ( population already 1 million in the 18th century ) , Osaka ( 400,000 ) , and Nagoya and Kanazawa ( each 100,000 ) all huge in comparison with European cities of the time .
  
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  Merchants thronged to the large cities , because they could sell their wares easily and for higher prices .