One Million Town Reclamation Plan

Japanese: 百万町開墾計画 - ひゃくまんちょうかいこんけいかく

A plan for reclamation of 1 million cho of fertile land was issued in 722 (Yoro 6). It stipulated that provincial governors would provide food to laborers (adult male citizens) for a maximum of 10 days, requisition tools from the government, and let them work on reclamation. The plan took a strict stance, stating that if provincial governors neglected reclamation, they would be dismissed and would not be forgiven even if they were pardoned. Furthermore, if peasants reclaimed vacant wilderness and harvested millet, they would be awarded a rank depending on the yield and exempted from labor for life. There are conflicting theories as to whether this law applied only to Mutsu Province or the whole country, and whether it covered only land that was cultivated or included rice paddies as well.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

722年(養老6)に出された良田百万町の開墾計画。国郡司が人夫(公民の成年男子)に食料を支給して10日を限度に徴発し，道具は官物を貸し出して開墾にあたらせることとした。国郡司が開墾を怠れば罷免し，恩赦にあっても許さないという厳しい態度でのぞんだ。また百姓が荒野閑地を開墾して雑穀を収穫すれば，その収量によって勲位を授けたり，賦役を終身免除したりした。この法令が対象としたのが陸奥国だけか全国か，また開墾の対象が陸田（りくでん）だけか水田をも含むかについては，諸説が対立している。

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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