Suyama Donou

A Confucian scholar and agricultural politician in the mid-Edo period. His name was Nagau, and he was commonly known as Shoemon. He was also known by the names Donno, Shido, and Totsuan. He was born on November 28, 3rd year of the Meireki era, in Fuchu, as the son of a Confucian physician in the Tsushima domain. During the Kanbun era (1661-1673), he went to Edo to study under Kinoshita Junan, and later traveled to Yamato to study Shingaku. In 1673 (Enpo 1), he returned to Japan and served the domain, and in 1680 he inherited the family headship and was given a fief of 100 koku. In 1685 (Jokyo 2), he worked on compiling the "Sō Family Genealogy," and in 1698 (Genroku 11), he resolved a border dispute with the Kurume Domain over the Chikugo River, for which he was awarded an additional 50 koku of rice, and in the following year, 1699, he became a county magistrate. From 1700 (Genroku 13), he made efforts to eradicate wild boar damage, eliminating tens of thousands of boars over a period of more than 10 years, and worked to promote agriculture and increase trade with Korea. In 1708 (Hoei 5), he resigned from his position as county magistrate, and retired in March of the same year to pursue writing. He wrote over 120 books, including "Water Dialogue" (around 1722) and "Agricultural Policy Dialogue" (around 1716-1736). He died of illness on June 24, 1708. He was buried at Shuzenan in Fuchu, Tsushima.

[Nagano Shun May 19, 2016]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸中期の儒者、農政家。名は存(ながらう)、通称庄右衛門(しょうえもん)。鈍翁のほか、士道(しどう)、訥庵(とつあん)とも号した。明暦(めいれき)3年11月28日、対馬(つしま)藩の儒医の子として府中(ふちゅう)に生まれる。寛文(かんぶん)年中（1661～1673）江戸に出て木下順庵(きのしたじゅんあん)に学び、のち大和(やまと)に赴き心学を修めた。1673年（延宝1）帰国して藩に仕え、1680年家督を嗣(つ)ぎ100石を知行(ちぎょう)。1685年（貞享2）に『宗氏家譜』の編纂(へんさん)に従事、1698年（元禄11）久留米(くるめ)藩との筑後(ちくご)川境争いを解決し、その功により禄(ろく)50石を加増され、翌1699年郡奉行(こおりぶぎょう)となる。1700年（元禄13）より猪害(ちょがい)駆除に努力、10余年で数万頭のイノシシを除き、農業振興や対朝鮮貿易の増大に努めた。1708年（宝永5）郡奉行を辞し、同年3月に隠退し著述に従事。『水利問答』（1722ころ）『農政問答』（1716〜1736ころ）など120余の著書をなす。享保(きょうほう)17年6月24日病没。対馬府中の修善庵に葬られる。

［長野　暹　2016年5月19日］

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