Vacant land - Kuukanchi

Under the ancient Ritsuryo system, uncultivated land was subject to reclamation. In the Yoro Code, the article on the devastation of fields (denryo) stipulated that kokushi could only reclaim land during their term of office. In addition, the Gunbo Code stated that land was provided to the Sakimori (defence officers) near their garrison areas for food production, which was cultivated as paddy fields or dry fields. It is unlikely that the term "vacant land" appeared in the Taiho Code's field code. Uncultivated land was thought to have been called "abandoned land" (kouchi), just as in the Tang Code. In 711 (Wado 4), an imperial edict was issued setting out procedures to allow the reclamation of vacant land in general, not just for government officials. In 722 (Yoro 6), a plan for reclamation of one million cho was issued, encouraging the cultivation of miscellaneous grains in "wastelands and vacant land."

[Takehiko Yoshimura]

"Research on the Social and Economic History of Ancient Japan" by Yanagisawa Teizo (1980, Iwanami Shoten) " ▽ "Society and the State of Ancient Japan" by Yoshimura Takehiko (1996, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "Certified by the Tenichikaku Museum and Others: The Tenshorei Edition of the Mingsho Book Housed in the Tenichikaku Collection" (2006, Zhonghua Book Company)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

古代の律令制において、開墾の対象となる未墾の土地。養老令では、田令(でんりょう)荒廃条に国司が任期中にかぎり開墾できる規定がある。また、軍防令には、防人(さきもり)に対し守衛地の近辺に食料用の土地として支給され、水田ないし陸田として営まれた。なお、大宝令の田令には空閑地の語が存在した可能性は少ない。未墾の土地は、唐令と同じように荒地(こうち)といわれたと考えられる。711年（和銅4）に、官人にかぎらず一般的に空閑地の開墾を認める手続きの詔が出された。722年（養老6）には百万町歩開墾計画が出され、「荒野・閑地」への雑穀栽培が奨励された。

［吉村武彦］

『弥永貞三著『日本古代社会経済史研究』（1980・岩波書店）』▽『吉村武彦著『日本古代の社会と国家』（1996・岩波書店）』▽『天一閣博物館他校證『天一閣蔵明鈔本天聖令校證』（2006・中華書局）』

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