Aoe Blacksmith - Aoe Kaji

...Niimi Manor was originally the Imperial domain of Saishokoin (the lord's position was held by the Ozuki clan, a family of government officials), and was donated to Toji Temple at the end of the Kamakura period. In terms of the number of related documents, it is on a par with Yano Manor in Harima Province, which was a Toji Temple domain. In particular, the complete set of documents, including the lord's inspection record from 1271 (Bun'ei 8) and the land steward's inspection record from 1325 (Shochu 2), are valuable, even though they are only drafts (copies). In addition, the Toji Hyakugo Documents contain many detailed letters from the prolific Jikimu magistrate Yusei and Kanago Hirauji (formerly a vassal of the Yasutomi clan, Furuya Danjozaemonnojo Hirauji), which show the hardships that the manors faced during the period of dissolution. The Teikininourai lists "Bicchu iron" as a famous product of medieval Bitchu, and there was a swordsmith called Aoe Kaji in Bitchu Aoe. The Yoshioka Copper Mine was known as one of the leading copper mines in Japan, and paper production was thriving in the mountainous areas, with "Bicchu Danshi" being famous from around the end of the Kamakura period.

*Some of the terminology that refers to "Aoe Blacksmith" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…なかでも新見荘はもと本所職（ほんじよしき）を最勝光院(領家職は官務家小槻（おづき）氏)とする皇室領で鎌倉末期に東寺に寄進された荘園であるが，その関係文書の多いことでは東寺領播磨国矢野荘と双璧をなし，とくに1271年(文永8)の領家方正検帳，1325年(正中2)の地頭方実検取帳が案文(写し)ではあるがそろっている点は貴重であり，また筆まめな寺家の直務（じきむ）代官祐清（ゆうせい）や田所金子衡氏（かなごひらうじ）(もと安富氏の被官古屋弾正左衛門尉衡氏)の多数の詳細な書状が〈東寺百合（ひやくごう）文書〉に含まれていて，解体期荘園の苦難に満ちた実情をよく示してくれる。　中世備中の名産としては《庭訓往来（ていきんおうらい）》に〈備中鉄〉があげられており，備中青江には青江鍛冶と呼ばれる刀鍛冶がいた。吉岡銅山は日本有数の銅山として知られ，山間部では紙生産が盛んで，鎌倉末期ごろから〈備中檀紙（だんし）〉の名が高かった。…

※「青江鍛冶」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報