Employment of Samurai

The Meiji government's samurai policy. After the Boshin War and the return of the domains and peoples to the Emperor, the samurai's stipends (also called chitsuroku) underwent major changes. They were finally abolished in 1876 (Meiji 9) by the Ordinance for the Issuance of Gold-Rock Bonds, but this caused many samurai to lose the basis of their livelihood. On the other hand, because samurai lost their regular jobs due to the abolition of the feudal domains and the establishment of prefectures and the implementation of the conscription law, it was necessary to have samurai work in some industry and maintain their livelihood in order to prevent social unrest. This policy was called samurai employment. First, in 1871, the government allowed women, samurai, and soldiers to work in agriculture, industry, and commerce, and from 1873 onwards, the government provided employment funds to those who returned their stipends to the Emperor, sold off land at low prices, and recruited samurai to serve in the Hokkaido Tondenhei, but from 1878 onwards, it implemented a larger-scale employment policy. These included the national reclamation project in the Asaka Plains in Fukushima Prefecture, planned in 1979, and the encouragement of the establishment of a national bank through public bond certificates issued to samurai. As a measure against the intensification of anti-government movements around 1980, the government expanded the granting of industrial promotion capital to samurai, spending over 3 million yen from 1982 onwards, part of which was also used to protect samurai who emigrated to Hokkaido. The effects of these employment policies were not very noticeable apart from those related to emigration and the silkworm industry, but they did indirectly result in aiding the development of modern industry. During the 1980s, the samurai issue lost importance as a social and political issue, and in 1989 the employment policy was also terminated.

[Hideo Nagai]

"Completely revised edition of 'Study on Employment of the Samurai' by Yoshikawa Shuzo (1942, Yuhikaku)" ▽ "'History of Social Policy in the Meiji Era' by Wagatsuma Tosaku (1940, Mikasa Shobo)" ▽ "'History of Employment of the Samurai' by Wagatsuma Tosaku (1942, Mikasa Shobo)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治政府の士族政策。戊辰(ぼしん)戦争、版籍奉還以降、士族の家禄(かろく)（秩禄ともいう）は大きな変動を受けた。これは1876年（明治9）の金禄公債証書発行条例によって最終的に廃止されるが、これにより多くの士族は生活の基礎を失った。一方、士族は廃藩置県と徴兵令の施行によって常職を失ったから、士族をなんらかの産業につかせ、その生活を維持させることが、社会不安を防ぐためにも必要であった。この政策を士族授産という。まず1871年に政府は華・士・卒に農・工・商の各業に従事することを許し、73年以降、家禄奉還者には就産資金を与え、土地の廉価払下げや北海道屯田兵への士族募集などの処置を講じたが、78年以後より大規模な授産政策を行うようになった。79年に計画された福島県安積(あさか)原野の国営開墾事業や、士族に交付した公債証書による国立銀行設置の奨励などはそれであるが、80年前後の反政府運動の激化への対策として、士族に対する勧業資本金の交付を拡大し、82年以降300余万円を支出し、その一部は北海道移住士族の保護にもあてられた。これらの授産政策の効果は、移住や蚕糸業に関するものを除けばみるべきものは少なかったが、間接的には近代産業の発達を助ける結果をもたらしている。80年代のうちに、士族問題は社会問題、政治問題としての重要性を失い、89年をもって授産政策もまた打ち切られた。

［永井秀夫］

『吉川秀造著『全訂改版　士族授産の研究』（1942・有斐閣）』▽『我妻東策著『明治社会政策史』（1940・三笠書房）』▽『我妻東策著『士族授産史』（1942・三笠書房）』

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