Page 156 - Changing Living Spaces

Miyuki Takahashi

Peasants and Horses (I): The Case of Asaka County
in Nihonmatsu Domain
In the Nihonmatsu Domain, located in the northeastern part of Japan
around the Nakadōri area in Fukushima Prefecture, horse breeding was
an important industry. Therefore, the domain government encouraged its
residents to raise horses, which was one of the few businesses that suc-
ceeded in this domain. The domain government appointed two officers to
manage the horses, who were called komabugyō. The komabugyō took care
of affairs in each district, assisted by local staff (komatsuki). The domain
conducted a district-wide survey (uma-aratame) every year. Some of the
high-quality horses raised in the Nihonmatsu Domain were purchased
by samurai; not only the lord of Nihonmatsu Domain but Tokugawa
shogun bought them, and sometimes they were taken to the ranch of
Koganemaki. Other horses were used to transport passengers and loads
between villages and towns, especially on the highway from post town to
post town. The Tokugawa shogunate required each post town to maintain
a certain number of couriers and horses at all times. Neighbouring farm-
ing villages shared the burden (sukegō system); therefore, horses were
raised in every village and household.
This leads us to ask three questions:
1. Did horse production create income for farmers?
2. What determined the number of horses kept in each village or
household?
3. What kind of household was involved in horse production?
Some benefits of producing or using horses would be: (1) carrying loads
(both for personal use and for revenue from customers); (2) horse manure
(both for personal use and for sale); (3) selling horses in the market; and
(4) horse oil, meat, and leather.
Sales at the market were handled by bids. The average price for a horse
was about one ryō,4 but high-quality horses sometimes sold for 5.5 ryō
(Nukazawa 2010). It is assumed that 10 ryō would be enough to support
the livelihood of one individual for a year. So, if one could raise a good
horse, one could make enormous profits.
Next, the author explores the question of what determined the num-
ber of horses to be raised. The table shows the number of horses raised in
the Nihonmatsu Domain in 1857. We can see that of the three kumi of the

4 Units of the monetary system in Japan during the Edo period.

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