Ministry of the Civil Service - Minkan Seiyo

A representative local book from the Edo period. Written by Tanaka Kyugu (Kyusumi, Kyuzo, Hyogo). Published around 1721 (Kyoho 6). Three volumes and 15 volumes. Kyugu was from Hirasawa Village, Hachioji, Musashi Province (Akiruno City, Tokyo), and was later adopted by Tanaka Hyogo, headman of Kawasaki-juku (Kanagawa Prefecture). After his adoptive father's death, he took over as headman and worked hard to rebuild the finances of the inn. He also traveled to Edo during the Shotoku era (1711-16) to study and learned sutras from Ogyu Sorai and Narushima Dochiku. This book is a record of the author's opinions and observations on 77 topics, including taxation, flood control, and station systems, from the perspective of a village official, and was presented to the shogunate via his teacher, Narushima Dochiku. One of the characteristics of this book is that it is filled with frank and candid expressions such as, "As the Emperor's reign continues, the officials become increasingly arrogant, and none of them can help but experience the hardships of the common people," and "The officials generally take pride in their imperial authority."

Furthermore, due to his writings on agricultural policy and water use, and his achievements in carrying out flood control works on the Arakawa, Sakawagawa, and Tamagawa rivers, the author Okazumi was appointed as a magistrate with control over 30,000 koku of rice within Musashi Province in 1729. This work is included in Volume 5 of "Japanese Economic Encyclopedia" edited by Takimoto Seiichi, and Volume 1 of "Japanese Economic Collection" edited by the same author.

[Chiaki Iijima]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸時代の代表的な地方書(じかたしょ)。著者は田中丘隅(きゅうぐ)（邱隅、休蔵、兵庫）。1721年（享保6）ごろの成立。三編15巻。丘隅は武蔵(むさし)国八王子平沢村（東京都あきる野市）の出身で、のち川崎宿（神奈川県）の名主田中兵庫の養子に入る。養父没後は名主を継ぎ宿財政の再建に尽力した。また、正徳(しょうとく)年間（1711～16）には江戸に遊学し、荻生徂徠(おぎゅうそらい)、成島道筑(なるしまどうちく)から経義を学んでいる。本書は、このような経歴をもつ著者が村役人の立場から、税制、治水、駅制など77項目について意見・見聞を記したものであり、師成島道筑の手を経て幕府にも献上された。「御治世の長久に随(したがい)て段々官人威勢高く、心ならず民下卑賤(ひせん)の辛苦を知る人なし」、「惣(そう)じて官者は君威に誇り」など率直かつ忌憚(きたん)のない表現が随所にみられるのも本書の特徴の一つといえよう。

　なお、農政・水利などに関する著作活動、荒川・酒匂(さかわ)川・多摩(たま)川などの治水工事遂行の功により、1729年著者丘隅は、武蔵国内3万石を支配する代官に取り立てられた。瀧本(たきもと)誠一編『日本経済大典』第5巻、同編『日本経済叢書(そうしょ)』第1巻所収。

［飯島千秋］

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