Johirakura - Johirakura

Japanese: 常平倉 - じょうへいそう

A warehouse for storing grain was established during the Nara, Heian and Edo periods, primarily to regulate the price of rice. It originally developed in ancient China, and was established according to the common law of buying and storing rice in good years when the price was low, and releasing it in bad years when the price was high, thus stabilizing people's lives.

[Hirata Koji]

Japan

In Japan, under the government of Fujiwara no Nakamaro in 759 (Tenpyo Hoji 3), kugai (official rice offices) were established in each province, and the profits gained from them were used to supply food to the sick and hungry unkyaku (laborers who carried rice to the capital). At the same time, a heijunsho (leveling office) was established in the center to compare rice prices across the country, but it was abolished as early as 771 (Hoki 2), and it is thought that the regular rice storehouse was also abolished. However, in the Heian period, this system was often revived as a regular rice storehouse (joheisho) to regulate rice prices in the capital, but it does not seem to have been very effective. Later, during the Edo period, it was established in the domains of Tosa, Aizu, Satsuma, Mito, and Matsue as one of the three storehouses, along with the Shaso and Giso, but on the other hand, it also became the cause of uprisings due to the excessive burden it placed on peasants.

[Hirata Koji]

China

Official granaries were established in China for the purposes of regulating prices and providing relief to farmers. Grain prices fluctuated greatly depending on the harvest, causing hardship for farmers, so government capital was used to purchase grain when prices were low and store it in the Changping granaries, then release it below market price when prices were high, while also making a profit from the difference between the two. The name Changping granaries appears to date back to the time of Emperor Xuan of the Western Han Dynasty, but they first appeared in 268 during the Jin Dynasty as a price stabilization measure. Although their use fluctuated thereafter, they were established during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Sui, and Tang Dynasties. In 1006 during the Song Dynasty, they were established in every prefecture and county except for the border areas. Wang Anshi's Qingmiao Law utilized the coined grain stored in the Changping granaries as loan capital. After the New Law was abolished, the old system was restored, and they were also established during the Yuan and Ming dynasties, but they were not used much, and relief for farmers was provided by means of grant granaries and social granaries. During the Shunzhi period (1644-61) of the Qing dynasty, they were established in each prefecture and county, but due to frequent misappropriations, their original functions were lost. In Korea, they were established for the same purpose in 993 during the Goryeo dynasty, but there was no confirmation of their abolition after that.

[Setsuko Yanagida]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

奈良・平安時代および江戸時代に、主として米の価格を調節するために設けられた備荒貯穀の倉庫。元来は古代中国で発達したもので、豊年で米価が安いときには買い入れて貯蓄し、凶年で米価が高いときにはこれを放出して、人民の生活を安定させるという常平法によって設けられたもの。

［平田耿二］

日本

わが国では藤原仲麻呂(なかまろ)政権下の759年（天平宝字3）、諸国の公廨(くがい)（官稲）を割いて設置し、そこから得られる利によって、京で病や飢えに苦しむ運脚(うんきゃく)（調庸(ちょうよう)を都に運ぶ役夫）の食糧を補給した。同時に全国の米価を比較するために中央に平準署(へいじゅんしょ)が設けられたが、早くも771年（宝亀2）に廃止され、常平倉も同じく停廃されたと考えられる。しかし平安時代になると、京の米価調節のために常平所(じょうへいじょ)として、この制度はしばしば再興されたが、実効はあまりなかったようである。のち江戸時代にも、社倉(しゃそう)・義倉(ぎそう)とともに三倉の一つとして、土佐、会津、薩摩(さつま)、水戸、松江の諸藩で行われたが、逆に農民負担の過重により一揆(いっき)の原因ともなった。

［平田耿二］

中国

中国で物価調節や農民救済の目的で設けられた官倉。穀物の価格は豊凶によって変動が大きく、農民を苦しめたので、政府資本で穀価の安いときに買い入れて常平倉に貯蔵し、高いときに市価より安く放出し、かつ、その間の差額利潤を図った。常平倉の名は、前漢宣帝の時代にみえるが、物価安定策としては晋(しん)の268年に始まる。以後消長はあるが、南北朝、隋(ずい)、唐と設置された。宋(そう)の1006年、辺境を除く各州県に置かれた。王安石の青苗(せいびょう)法は、常平倉に蓄えられている銭穀を貸付資本に活用したものである。新法廃止後は旧制に戻り、元(げん)、明(みん)にも設置されてはいたが、あまり活用されず、農民救済は義倉、社倉などによった。清(しん)では順治(じゅんち)年間（1644～61）各州県に置かれたが、不正流用が多く、本来の機能は失われた。朝鮮でも高麗(こうらい)の993年に同様の目的で設置されたが、以後、廃置は定まらなかった。

［柳田節子］

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