DOI Artikel:
Iinuma, Jirō: [Nômushi, Gyogyôshi (Fukuoka Shiryô), Survey of agricultural and fishing implements in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1873]
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49002#0061
REVIEW
59
writer limits his comments to the agricultural
aspect.
Graduates of the national agricultural colleges
endeavoured to unite the European and American
agricultural theory and the Japanese agricultural
techniques, and accomplished their purpose in
about 1893. Since then, Japanese scholars have
carried out researches and have taught agriculture
based on this new agricultural science. During
1881 to 1893 (the period of emphasis on tradi-
tional agriculture), the central and local govern-
ments surveyed the traditional agricultural imple-
ments. At present the survey books of the ag-
ricultural implements of only 19 prefectures have
been recovered.
The survey book of 1879 compiled by Fukuoka
is one of the oldest of these. It is especially im-
portant because the agriculture there was the
most progressive at that time. The original book
was brush-painted in colour and the existing vol-
ume is a copy in colour resembling the original.
On the first pages, 36 kinds of hoes are shown. At
that time, the hoe was the most important ag-
ricultural implement, and of course there was also
the plough, which seems to have been introduced
from China to Japan through Korea in the 7th or
8th century, and after that down to the 19th cen-
tury the Chinese plough was used by Japanese
farmers. North China is in the dry zone, and the
Chinese plough had a long sole suitable for this
climate, because the long sole prevents deep til-
lage and presses the surface of the soil to preserve
water. In Japan, the hoe was used not only for
hoeing but also for deep tillage in place of the
plough used in Europe and America. During the
16th to 19th centuries in Japan, the hoe was deve-
loped for deep tillage, and there were many kinds
of hoes to suit the various conditions of the soil.
In particular the bicchuguwa was the most useful
hoe for deep tillage. It was invented in the 17th
century and spread throughout Japan.
In the pages that follow, we can see groups of
rakes and spades. Our interest is attracted espe-
cially by the ganzume which has a short wooden
helve (about 20 cm) and 4 iron teeth for hoeing
and weeding. If a farmer uses it, a lot of physical
strength and training is needed, but hoeing and
weeding are done very effectively.
Next are shown three kinds of ploughs; a
Chinese plough (a long sole plough), a no sole
plough and a short sole plough. The no sole
plough does not have the sole which prevents
deep tillage, so it is possible to till deeply with it,
but requires much physical strength and training.
From the end of the 19th century, the no sole
plough spread from Fukuoka prefecture through-
out Japan, and became an element of the Japanese
agricultural revolution. The short sole plough can
be used more easily for deep tillage than the no
sole plough, so from the beginning of the 20th
century it was spread throughout Japan. The
short sole plough shown in this book is the origi-
nal of the type improved as the modern type.
There follow many kinds of thrashing tools
(sembakoki, mangokutoshi, uchidana, tomi, etc.),
the thrashing-mill, flail, sickle, harrow, mattock,
tub and winnower. The kambei in particular was
a kind of spade used to scoop mud out of ditches,
and the water-wheel carried by a farmer was used
to irrigate the water from the river to the paddy
field.
There are many emas at the end of this book as
a supplement. Among them there are 21 emas
concerning agriculture. The ema is a votive tablet
offered to the shrine as a token of petition. These
agricultural emas were offered to the shrines in
villages in the 17th to 19th centuries, and the
scenes of agriculture and village life in the 17th to
19th centuries are painted vividly in colour. These
are very important and interesting data for
learning about agriculture and village life at that
time.
Jzro linuma
59
writer limits his comments to the agricultural
aspect.
Graduates of the national agricultural colleges
endeavoured to unite the European and American
agricultural theory and the Japanese agricultural
techniques, and accomplished their purpose in
about 1893. Since then, Japanese scholars have
carried out researches and have taught agriculture
based on this new agricultural science. During
1881 to 1893 (the period of emphasis on tradi-
tional agriculture), the central and local govern-
ments surveyed the traditional agricultural imple-
ments. At present the survey books of the ag-
ricultural implements of only 19 prefectures have
been recovered.
The survey book of 1879 compiled by Fukuoka
is one of the oldest of these. It is especially im-
portant because the agriculture there was the
most progressive at that time. The original book
was brush-painted in colour and the existing vol-
ume is a copy in colour resembling the original.
On the first pages, 36 kinds of hoes are shown. At
that time, the hoe was the most important ag-
ricultural implement, and of course there was also
the plough, which seems to have been introduced
from China to Japan through Korea in the 7th or
8th century, and after that down to the 19th cen-
tury the Chinese plough was used by Japanese
farmers. North China is in the dry zone, and the
Chinese plough had a long sole suitable for this
climate, because the long sole prevents deep til-
lage and presses the surface of the soil to preserve
water. In Japan, the hoe was used not only for
hoeing but also for deep tillage in place of the
plough used in Europe and America. During the
16th to 19th centuries in Japan, the hoe was deve-
loped for deep tillage, and there were many kinds
of hoes to suit the various conditions of the soil.
In particular the bicchuguwa was the most useful
hoe for deep tillage. It was invented in the 17th
century and spread throughout Japan.
In the pages that follow, we can see groups of
rakes and spades. Our interest is attracted espe-
cially by the ganzume which has a short wooden
helve (about 20 cm) and 4 iron teeth for hoeing
and weeding. If a farmer uses it, a lot of physical
strength and training is needed, but hoeing and
weeding are done very effectively.
Next are shown three kinds of ploughs; a
Chinese plough (a long sole plough), a no sole
plough and a short sole plough. The no sole
plough does not have the sole which prevents
deep tillage, so it is possible to till deeply with it,
but requires much physical strength and training.
From the end of the 19th century, the no sole
plough spread from Fukuoka prefecture through-
out Japan, and became an element of the Japanese
agricultural revolution. The short sole plough can
be used more easily for deep tillage than the no
sole plough, so from the beginning of the 20th
century it was spread throughout Japan. The
short sole plough shown in this book is the origi-
nal of the type improved as the modern type.
There follow many kinds of thrashing tools
(sembakoki, mangokutoshi, uchidana, tomi, etc.),
the thrashing-mill, flail, sickle, harrow, mattock,
tub and winnower. The kambei in particular was
a kind of spade used to scoop mud out of ditches,
and the water-wheel carried by a farmer was used
to irrigate the water from the river to the paddy
field.
There are many emas at the end of this book as
a supplement. Among them there are 21 emas
concerning agriculture. The ema is a votive tablet
offered to the shrine as a token of petition. These
agricultural emas were offered to the shrines in
villages in the 17th to 19th centuries, and the
scenes of agriculture and village life in the 17th to
19th centuries are painted vividly in colour. These
are very important and interesting data for
learning about agriculture and village life at that
time.
Jzro linuma