DOI Artikel:
Horio, Hisashi: Farm tools in the "Nôgu-Benri-Ron": intense hoe-farming during the Edo period in Japan
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.48999#0180
170
H. HORIO
Fig. 1. The Japanese plough type: the long-sole plough
(Hirobe 198-199).
Japanischer Pflugtyp: Langsohlentyp.
lacquer tree seedlings, visiting many districts
of Kinai, the five provinces near Kyoto, where
advanced and commercialized farming was
commonly seen. Then he moved to Edo (To-
kyo), wrote books and was frequently employ-
ed as an adviser to the government or to the
several feudal clans (Hayakawa 135-244).
His first book was published in 1802. Its
title, Noka-Eki, means family profit - the ma-
jor theme of his life’s work. His books num-
ber over 30, published and unpublished, and
Fig. 3. The Japanese plough type: the sole-less plough
Kakaemottate-Suki (Hirobe 198-199).
Japanischer Pflugtyp: sohlenloser Pflug Kakaemot-
tate-Suki.
cover a wide spectrum of topics from farm-
ing technology to management practice and
economies, home management, and ethics.
They cover three categories: the rice crop,
cash crops and farm processing techniques, and
guidance with regard to good farm living in-
cluding both material and mental problems
(Hayakawa 21-32, 119-132).1
The ideology that predominated in the farm-
ing sector under the feudal system was based
on Confucianism and moralism. According to
this ideology, mental profit was considered to
be the main yield of industry, and economic
profit was a by-product (Adachi). On the other-
hand, Nagatsune recognized technical progress
as the premise for economic profit, and the
improvement of farm tools as a major objective
in the technical development of agriculture.
Fig. 2. The sole-less plough Okinokuni-Suki (N. B. R.
vol. 12, 15) sizes are in mm.
Sohlenloser Pflug Okinokuni-Suki in N.B.R. Grossen
in mm.
The Nogu-Benri-Ron was finished in 1817
and published in 1822, in three volumes. It
deals with many kinds of hoes in various di-
stricts, weeding tools, cultivating implements
for cotton growing, harvesting implements,
domestic tools etc. His business travels took
him to most parts of Japan and made it pos-
sible for him to observe many kinds of farm
tools and operations. Wherever he went, he
made detailed sketches of them. He described
the genesis of this book as follows.
“I had travelled over many districts and observ-
ed many kinds of farm tools, here and there.
I had seen useful tools and unuseful ones.
H. HORIO
Fig. 1. The Japanese plough type: the long-sole plough
(Hirobe 198-199).
Japanischer Pflugtyp: Langsohlentyp.
lacquer tree seedlings, visiting many districts
of Kinai, the five provinces near Kyoto, where
advanced and commercialized farming was
commonly seen. Then he moved to Edo (To-
kyo), wrote books and was frequently employ-
ed as an adviser to the government or to the
several feudal clans (Hayakawa 135-244).
His first book was published in 1802. Its
title, Noka-Eki, means family profit - the ma-
jor theme of his life’s work. His books num-
ber over 30, published and unpublished, and
Fig. 3. The Japanese plough type: the sole-less plough
Kakaemottate-Suki (Hirobe 198-199).
Japanischer Pflugtyp: sohlenloser Pflug Kakaemot-
tate-Suki.
cover a wide spectrum of topics from farm-
ing technology to management practice and
economies, home management, and ethics.
They cover three categories: the rice crop,
cash crops and farm processing techniques, and
guidance with regard to good farm living in-
cluding both material and mental problems
(Hayakawa 21-32, 119-132).1
The ideology that predominated in the farm-
ing sector under the feudal system was based
on Confucianism and moralism. According to
this ideology, mental profit was considered to
be the main yield of industry, and economic
profit was a by-product (Adachi). On the other-
hand, Nagatsune recognized technical progress
as the premise for economic profit, and the
improvement of farm tools as a major objective
in the technical development of agriculture.
Fig. 2. The sole-less plough Okinokuni-Suki (N. B. R.
vol. 12, 15) sizes are in mm.
Sohlenloser Pflug Okinokuni-Suki in N.B.R. Grossen
in mm.
The Nogu-Benri-Ron was finished in 1817
and published in 1822, in three volumes. It
deals with many kinds of hoes in various di-
stricts, weeding tools, cultivating implements
for cotton growing, harvesting implements,
domestic tools etc. His business travels took
him to most parts of Japan and made it pos-
sible for him to observe many kinds of farm
tools and operations. Wherever he went, he
made detailed sketches of them. He described
the genesis of this book as follows.
“I had travelled over many districts and observ-
ed many kinds of farm tools, here and there.
I had seen useful tools and unuseful ones.