Woodworker - Somadakumi

Japanese: 杣工 - そまだくみ

In ancient and medieval times, a person who cuts down trees and processes lumber in a forest. It can also be read as "somakou" or "somaku." A large amount of lumber was constantly needed for the construction of cities such as Heijo-kyo and Heian-kyo, and for the construction of temples. For this reason, many trees were cultivated in the mountainous areas of Yamashiro, Yamato, Tamba, Omi, Iga, and other areas in the Kinai region and nearby provinces by powerful aristocrats, temples, and shrines. Woodcutter The forest workers who worked there were called lumberjacks or woodsmen. For example, in the case of the Todaiji Temple land's Itabei woodworking division, the woodworkers' group was organized into an organization consisting of a woodworker betto (head of the woodworking office), a supervisory office, and a chief.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

古代，中世において，杣山で伐木･造材を行う者。〈そまこう〉〈そまく〉とも読む。平城京，平安京などの都市建設や寺院の造営などのために，恒常的に大量の木材が必要とされていた。そのため山城，大和，丹波，近江，伊賀などの畿内近国の山地には，権門貴族や寺社によって多くの杣が設定されたが，そこで働く山林労働者が杣工や杣人（そまびと）と呼ばれた。杣工集団には，例えば東大寺領板蠅杣の場合，杣別当，専当，頭領などの組織があった。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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