Lucky leg - Unkyaku

In ancient times, laborers were engaged in transporting goods on foot. They were laborers engaged in transporting tributes from the provinces to the central government, and were also called kyakufu (foot laborers) or tanpu (bearers). Tributes under the Ritsuryo system were mainly transported by hand, except for some shomai (rice threshed by threshing) that was transported by sea or by horse. These are broadly divided into those collected as taxes from farmers, such as cho (tax) and yo (tax on laborers), and those purchased by kokuga (provincial offices) using regular taxes. For the former, the expenses such as food for the transporters were to be borne by taxpayers, while for the latter, food was generally provided by the government. In 720 (Yoro 4), food was provided for those who were transporting tributes such as rice sacks, which were intermediate between the two, except for the tax-paying crops, and food was provided for both the return trip and return trip after 724 (Jinki 1). In the Engishiki, there are three types of tributes: (1) those for which the taxpayers were responsible for the transportation costs (tax-paying crops and chunan crops), (2) those for which the footwork was covered by miscellaneous labor and food was provided to the footworkers (rice sacks, miscellaneous items from annual rent, etc.), and (3) those for which food and a reward were provided (miscellaneous items from trade, etc.). It is also said that the burden of labor involved in transporting such items was one of the causes of the impoverishment of ancient farmers.

[Tomoyasu Kato]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

古代において徒歩で物資の輸送に従事した人夫。地方から中央への貢納物の運送に従事した人夫で、脚夫(きゃくふ)、担夫(たんぷ)とも称される。律令(りつりょう)制下の貢納物は、海運や馬によった舂米(しょうまい)（舂(つ)いて脱穀した米）の一部を除き、主として人力によってその運搬が行われた。これらは、調(ちょう)・庸(よう)のように農民から租税として徴収されたものと、国衙(こくが)において正税(しょうぜい)などにより購入されたものとに大別されるが、前者の運送には、運脚の食料などの経費は租税負担者が負担することとされ、後者の運送には、食料が官給されるのが一般的であった。720年（養老4）に、調庸物を除く、両者の中間に位置する舂米などの貢納物の輸送に際し、帰郷の食料が支給され、さらに724年（神亀1）以後、往復とも食料が支給されることとなった。『延喜式(えんぎしき)』では、(1)運送経費が租税負担者の負担とされるもの（調庸、中男(ちゅうなん)作物）、(2)運脚を雑徭(ぞうよう)によってあて、脚夫に食料を支給するもの（年料舂米、年料別貢雑物など）、(3)食料と功賃が支給されるもの（交易雑物など）、の3種類に区分される。また、このような運脚という労役の負担は、古代の農民の疲弊の一因であったともされている。

［加藤友康］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例