Public Affairs - Lottery

In the Middle Ages, it was a major tax along with official goods (kanmotsu) and annual taxes (nengu). As originally read as "Oyakegoto," it referred to government affairs, ceremonies, and events at the Imperial Court, and the expenses necessary for these were supposed to be covered by the national treasury. In the late Heian period, due to financial difficulties, the expenses for "Oyakegoto" were collected separately as temporary miscellaneous duties (zoyaku). Thus, public affairs became common as a pretext for collecting materials necessary for the performance of public projects and duties. In addition to those imposed nationwide by imperial decree, such as the construction of the Imperial Palace, the Daijo-e ceremony, the Ise Shrine reconstruction, and the construction of official temples, there were also those imposed by the provincial government office (kokuga) within a province, such as the repair of Ichinomiya (first shrine) and provincial temples, and river improvement work, and the transportation and entertainment of government officials when they traveled to and from the country were also considered public affairs. Furthermore, central government offices, aristocrats, samurai families, temples and shrines also levied public duties on their own estates and manors, and managed the household economy, from the standpoint of being engaged in public duties. The expenses of ceremonies and events that were predicted in advance for a year were called regular public duties, and the items to be collected, the amount, and the due date were determined and levied in a planned manner. Furthermore, arbitrary collections were often forced through under the guise of extraordinary public duties when necessary. Government officials, manor officials, and lords also went to the site to collect public duties, but it was noteworthy that the collection was expanded and strengthened under the pretext of official duties, which ranged from travel expenses and living expenses to entertainment and banquets. The pretext of official duties was used frequently, and the items to be collected included everything from materials to labor, so they were often called miscellaneous public duties. In the late Middle Ages, smallpox was also called "kuji" (lottery) to convey the idea that it was inevitable. The reason why taxes were repeatedly collected under the pretext of public service throughout the Middle Ages is thought to be that the burden of public service was perceived as a matter of "public business" and therefore contained a symbolic meaning for being considered a citizen.

In the early modern period, the word "kuji" was used particularly in court cases among other "public matters."

[Kiyoto Tomizawa]

"Images of the Japanese People in the Middle Ages" by Yoshihiko Amino (Iwanami Shinsho)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中世、官物(かんもつ)、年貢(ねんぐ)と並ぶ主要な税目。本来「おおやけごと」と読まれたように、朝廷における政務や儀式・行事を意味し、それらに必要な経費は国庫でまかなうのがたてまえであった。平安時代後期になると財政難から「おおやけごと」の経費は臨時雑役(ぞうやく)として別途に徴収されるようになる。こうして公的な事業や職務の遂行に必要な物資を徴収する名目として公事が一般化する。公事には、内裏(だいり)造営、大嘗会(だいじょうえ)、伊勢(いせ)遷宮、官寺修造など勅命で全国的に課せられるもののほか、一宮(いちのみや)や国分寺の修理、河川改修など国衙(こくが)が一国内に課すものもあり、官人の往来に際しては送迎・接待も公事とされた。また中央官衙、貴族、武家、寺社も、それぞれ公的職務に携わっているとする立場から自己の所領・荘園(しょうえん)に対して公事を課し、家産経済を運営している。あらかじめ予想される1年間の儀式や行事の経費を恒例公事とよんで、徴収品目、量、納入期日を定め、計画的に賦課している。さらに必要に応じて臨時公事と称して恣意(しい)的な徴収もしばしば強行されている。官人や荘官・地頭(じとう)らも現地に臨んで公事を徴収したが、旅費、生活費から接待饗応(きょうおう)にまで及び、収取の拡大・強化が公事を名目に行われていることが注目される。公事の名目がしきりに用いられ、徴収品目もあらゆる物資から夫役(ぶやく)まで含まれることでしばしば万雑(まんぞう)公事などともよばれた。中世末期、いやでも避けがたいことといった意味で天然痘(てんねんとう)も「くじ」とよばれていたらしい。中世を通じて公事を名目とする徴収が繰り返されたのは、一方で公事を負担することが「おおやけごと」にかかわることと意識され、公民とみなされるための象徴的な意味合いが含まれていたものと考えられる。

　近世、公事は「おおやけごと」のなかでも、とくに裁判に用いられた。

［富沢清人］

『網野善彦著『日本中世の民衆像』（岩波新書）』

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