Early rice - Hayamai

Japanese: 早米 - はやまい

This refers to early-ripening rice, i.e. wase (early rice), or early rice that was browned and delivered to the feudal lord within a certain period of time as annual tax. It can also be read as soumai. The ancient Ritsuryo system also distinguished between early and late rice, but in the Middle Ages, the term nakate (middle rice) appeared, and the distinction between early, middle, and late rice was established. The harvest season for early rice is thought to be mid-August to mid-September in the solar calendar, for middle rice early to mid-October, and for late rice early to mid-November. It can be tentatively thought of as those who deliver early rice to the feudal lord being early rice, those who deliver middle rice being middle rice, and those who deliver late rice being later rice.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

早熟の稲すなわち早稲（わせ），または，その早稲を玄米などにして領主に一定期限内に年貢として納入したものをいう。〈そうまい〉とも読む。古代律令制でも早･晩の区別があったが，中世成立期になると，〈なかて(中稲)〉が現れ，早稲･中稲･晩稲（おくて）の区別が成立する。早稲の収穫期は，陽暦で8月中旬～9月中旬，中稲は10月上旬～中旬，晩稲は11月上旬～中旬ごろとみられる。早稲を領主に納入するものが早米，中稲を納めるものが中米，晩稲を納めるものが後米であると，一応考えられよう。

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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