Order to buy rice - Okaimai Rei

...The reasons for issuing the edicts were varied, including financing the Shogunate's finances, rice price adjustment expenses, Edo Castle reconstruction expenses, coastal defense expenses, and procurement of military funds for the Choshu Expedition. The Gomai-rei and the Goyokin-rei for raising rice prices were almost identical in that they aimed to raise rice prices by reducing the amount of rice in circulation. However, there was a procedural difference between the former, in which wealthy townspeople purchased and held the amount of rice designated by the Shogunate, and the latter, in which the Shogunate itself purchased rice using the goyokin collected from townspeople and farmers.

*Some of the terminology that refers to the "Rice Buying Order" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…発令の名目は，幕府財政融通をはじめ米価調節費，江戸城再建費，海防費，長州征伐軍費の調達など，さまざまである。なお，御買米令と米価引上げのための御用金令とは，米穀の流通量を減少させることで米価の引上げをはかる点で，ほぼ同じ内容のものであった。ただし，前者は富裕町人らが幕府から指示された量の米を購入･保有するのに対し，後者は町人･農民から徴収した御用金を使って幕府みずからが米の買上げを行うという，手続上の違いがある。…

※「御買米令」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