Funatsu Denjihei

Japanese: 船津伝次平 - ふなつ・でんじへい

Year of death: June 15, 1898
Year of birth: Tempo 3.11.1 (1832.11.22)
He is known as one of the Three Elder Farmers of the Meiji Era, along with Nakamura Naozou and Nara Senji. He was born into an old family in Haranogo Village, Seta County, Kozuke Province (Gunma Prefecture). His childhood name was Ichizo. His father was a village headman and taught at a temple school in addition to farming. As a boy, he worked in sericulture under his father. In 1850 (Kaei 3), at the age of 19, he studied Seki school Japanese mathematics under Saito Yoshiyoshi, and three years later he was fully trained in the same school. It was around this time that he became passionate about sericulture. In 1857 (Ansei 4), upon his father's death, he succeeded to the family headship and took the name Denjihei. The following year, he became a village headman and worked to plant trees on about 400 hectares at the foot of Mount Akagi and cultivate water resources. In 1868 (Meiji 1), he was appointed by the Maebashi Domain as the head representative of Haranogo and 35 other villages. After the abolition of the domains and the establishment of prefectures, he became an official official in Kumagaya Prefecture, where he implemented land tax reforms and provided guidance on the sericulture industry. In 1875, he was recommended by Kumagaya Prefecture as someone with extensive knowledge of agriculture, and in 1876, he moved to Tokyo. He became an official adviser to the Ministry of Home Affairs and worked at Komaba Agricultural School. For the next eight years, he supervised students as a farm supervisor and trained many agronomists. His farming method, which combined the advantages of Western farming with traditional farming methods, is known as mixed farming. In 1876, he transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce and traveled around the country as an agricultural instructor, working hard to spread improved agricultural practices at agricultural discussion meetings and gatherings. His lectures were published in the public relations magazines of each prefecture and had a great influence. His books include "The Method of Folding Mulberry Seedlings" (1873), "A List of Cultivation on the Solar Calendar" (same ministry), "Teachings on Sericulture" (1875), and "Admonitions on Rice Cultivation" (1890). <References> Susuda Reikichi, "Annotation of 'Funatsu Kobu Itinerant Teacher's Speech Notes'" (Meiji Agricultural Book Collection, Vol. 2), Ishii Taikichi, "The Achievements of Funatsu Denjihei" (History of the Development of Agriculture in Japan, Vol. 4), Oshima Kiyoshi et al., "Portraits of Old Farmers" (Meiji Ideologues)

(Taguchi Katsuichiro)

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

Japanese:

没年：明治31.6.15(1898)
生年：天保3.11.1(1832.11.22)
中村直三,奈良専二と共に明治三老農と称された。上野国(群馬県)勢多郡原之郷村の旧家に生まれる。幼名市蔵。父は名主で農事のかたわら寺子屋で教えた。少年時代父のもとで農蚕に従う。嘉永3(1850)年19歳のとき斎藤宜義につき関流和算を学び,3年にして同流和算の皆伝を受ける。このころより農蚕に熱を入れる。安政4(1857)年父の死により家督を継ぎ伝次平を襲名。翌5年名主となり赤城山麓約400haに植林,水源涵養に努める。明治1(1868)年前橋藩より原之郷ほか35カ村の大総代を命じられる。廃藩置県後熊谷県の御用掛となり,地租改正実施や養蚕業の指導に当たる。8年農事に精通する者として熊谷県より推挙され,10年上京。内務省御用掛となり,駒場農学校に勤務。以後8年間農場監督として学生を指導,多くの農学者を育てた。彼の農法は在来農法に西洋農法の長所を取り入れたもので,混同農法と呼ばれる。19年農商務省に転じ,農事巡回教師としてその足跡は沖縄を除く全国におよび,農談会,集談会で改良農事の普及に尽力。その講話は各府県の広報誌に掲載され,大きな影響を与えた。著書に『桑苗簀伏法』(1873),『太陽暦耕作一覧』(同),『養蚕の教』(1875),『稲作小言』(1890)などがある。<参考文献>須々田黎吉「『船津甲部巡回教師演説筆記』解題」(『明治農書全集』2巻),石井泰吉「船津伝次平の事蹟」(『日本農業発達史』4巻),大島清他「老農の群像」(『明治のイデオローグ』)

(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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