Farmers' representative - Hyakushodai

Japanese: 百姓代 - ひゃくしょうだい

A village official in the Edo period. Along with the village headman (chief official, village chief) and group leader (senior councilor, chief farmer, etc.), they are one of the three village officials, and are also called murametsuke (village inspector), yokome (side inspector), etc. depending on the region. They were established much later than the village headman, and were sometimes established in response to issues such as the headman's continued tenure or village turmoil, and are said to have become common after the mid-Edo period. There were about one or two village headmen in each village, and they did not receive a salary or rice. They signed petitions and applications together with the village headman and group leader on behalf of the peasants, but also monitored the village headman's duties, and were present when taxes, duties, and village expenses were allocated, and sometimes came into conflict with the village headman over these matters.

Source : Heibonsha Encyclopedia About MyPedia Information

Japanese:

江戸時代の村役人。庄屋（肝煎・名主）・組頭（年寄・長百姓など）とともに村方三役人の一つで，地域により村目付・横目などとも称する。その成立は庄屋などからかなり遅れ，名主の留任問題や村方騒動などを契機に設置する例があり，江戸時代中期以降に一般化したとされる。１村に１〜２名ほどが置かれ，給金・給米(きゅうまい)はなかった。百姓を代表して庄屋・組頭とともに訴状・願書などに署名する一方，庄屋らの職務を監視する性格をもち，年貢・諸役や村入用(むらにゅうよう)の割当に立ち会い，時にそれをめぐって庄屋らと対立する場合があった。

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