Taichiro Nakai

Japanese: 中井太一郎 - なかい・たいちろう

Year of death: 1913
Year of birth: Tenpo 1 (1830)
Agricultural reformer of the Meiji period. Born into a landowning family in Ogamo Village, Kume County, Hoki Province (Kurayoshi City). He studied at a temple school at the age of nine, and later managed 5 cho 8 tan (approximately 5.7 hectares) of hand-cultivated land. In 1858 (Ansei 5), he became a middle village headman during the local reforms of the Tottori Domain. In 1877 (Meiji 10), he became head of household, but from this time he devoted himself to improving rice cultivation techniques, and in 1881 he handed over agricultural management to his son Masuzo, and devoted himself to traveling around the country to provide guidance on improving rice cultivation. In 1882, he invented a rice planting ruler necessary for regular row planting, and in 1892 he invented a rotary paddy field weeder (Taichisha), which he patented. This machine was superior in performance to conventional tillage weeders, and he worked to popularize it, so it was welcomed by farmers and spread throughout the country. The popularity of the Taichisha reduced the labor of tillage and weeding, and increased work efficiency. His books include "Rice Cultivation Improvement Experimental Record" (1883) and "The Basics of Rice Cultivation in Japan" (1888). <References> Hiroshi Shimizu, "A Stage in the Development of Agricultural Machinery" ("The History of the Development of Japanese Agriculture" Volume 4), Hisashi Horio, "Commentary on the Basics of Rice Cultivation in Japan" ("Complete Collection of Agricultural Books of the Meiji Era" Volume 11)

(Taguchi Katsuichiro)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：大正2(1913)
生年：天保1(1830)
明治期の農事改良家。伯耆国久米郡小鴨村(倉吉市)の地主の家に生まれる。9歳で寺子屋に学び,のち5町8反(約5.7ha)の手作地を経営。安政5(1858)年鳥取藩の地方改革で中庄屋となる。明治10(1877)年戸長となったが,このころから稲作技術の改良に心血を注ぎ,16年農業経営を子益蔵に譲り,もっぱら地方を巡回して稲作改良の指導に当たった。17年正条植えに必要な田植定規を考案,さらに25年には回転式水田除草機(太一車)を案出,特許を取る。これは従来の中耕除草機と比べて性能がすぐれ,普及に努めたこともあり,農民に迎えられて全国に広まった。太一車の普及は中耕除草の労働を軽くし,作業能率を高めた。著書に『稲作改良実験記』(1883),『大日本稲作要法』(1888)などがある。<参考文献>清水浩「農機具発達の一段階」(『日本農業発達史』4巻),堀尾尚志「『大日本稲作要法』解題」(『明治農書全集』11巻)

(田口勝一郎)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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