Hunter - Ryoushi

A person who makes a living by hunting. They were also called "hunters". They sold the meat, feathers, fur, hides, leather, and horns of the birds and animals they caught to various retailers and wholesalers. In the 10th century, these prey were in general demand. The main birds were hawks, ducks, and pheasants, and the main animals were deer, wild boar, bears, and antelope. Most of them were seasonal side jobs for people in rural and mountain villages, and when hunting bears or antelopes, multiple hunts were conducted. Around the 14th century, hunters and hunters supported the economy of feudal lords, along with merchants, craftsmen, fishermen, and ama (women divers). In rural areas, birds were hunted with hawks and nets, and in mountain villages, animals were hunted with traps. In the 17th century, gun hunting began, but gun hunting was more common for animals. Before the use of guns, bows and arrows, spears, and swords were used, accompanied by hunting dogs. The guns were matchlock guns, but they were strictly controlled and possession was prohibited for anyone other than hunters, who had to carry a license to own a gun. Since 1662 (Kanbun 2), the shogunate has frequently investigated gun ownership and cracked down on illegal possession. Guns used to prevent damage from wild boars and deer were called 'odoshi-teppo' (threatening guns) and were loaned to villages for a certain period of time. In contrast, guns used by hunters were called 'ryoshi-teppo' (hunter's guns). Group hunting was carried out in mountain villages in the Tohoku, Hokuriku, Shikoku, and Kyushu regions. When hunting animals such as bears and antelopes, a so-called big game hunter would form a group of about 5 to 20 people as the hunter leader and lead them. Such group hunting seems to have been carried out around the 14th century and continued until the 1920s. In the 18th century, the hunting tools used to capture bears varied by region, from bamboo spears, spears, naginata (halberds) to guns. These hunters worshiped the mountain gods, owned scrolls that explained the origins of their freedom to enter any mountain, and had special hunting practices and rituals. It is said that these were connected to Shugendo (mountaineering ascetics). In the second half of the 19th century, new repeating guns began to be used for hunting, and gun hunting became popular with the enactment of the Firearms Control Regulations in 1872 (Meiji 5), and the number of hunters increased. In 1963 (Showa 38), legal restrictions were put in place, such as a hunting license system, restrictions on hunting seasons to protect birds and animals and prevent overhunting, the establishment of hunting-prohibited areas, restrictions on designated hunting tools and gun hunting, and restrictions on the number of catches, restricting the range of activities of hunters as a profession, and it has become difficult to distinguish between so-called hunters and hunters. However, today's occupational classification still includes net hunters, gun hunters, falconers, etc.

[Motoo Endo]

"Introduction to Hunting" by Kunihiko Shirai (1962, David Publishing) " "Hunting Traditions" by Tokuji Chiba (Cultural History of Things and Humans 14, 1973, Hosei University Press)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

狩猟を職業とするもの。狩人(かりゅうど)ともいった。とった鳥や獣の肉や羽・毛・皮・革・角などをそれぞれの小売店・問屋に販売した。10世紀にはこうした獲物が一般に需要されてきた。鳥ではタカ、カモ、キジ、獣ではシカ、イノシシ、クマ、カモシカなどがおもな獲物であった。多くは農村・山村の人々の季節的な副業の個人猟で、クマ、カモシカなどのときは複数での猟も行われた。14世紀のころでは、商人・職人や漁師・海女(あま)とともに猟師・狩人は領主経済を支えるものとなっていた。農村では鳥の黐(とりもち)猟・網(あみ)猟、山村での獣の罠(わな)猟、それに17世紀になってから鉄砲猟が始まったが、鉄砲猟は獣のほうが多かった。鉄砲使用の前は弓矢あるいは槍(やり)・刀が使われ、これに猟犬がついた。鉄砲は火縄銃であるが、統制が厳しく、猟師以外の所持は禁止されており、猟師は鉄砲所持の鑑札を持っていた。1662年（寛文2）以来、幕府はたびたび鉄砲所持の実態調査をして不法所持を取り締まっている。イノシシやシカの被害を防ぐための鉄砲は威(おど)し鉄砲（威し筒）といわれ、一定期間、村に貸し付けていた。これに対して猟師のものは猟師鉄砲（猟師筒）といった。集団猟は東北・北陸・四国・九州の各地方の山村で行われていた。クマ、カモシカといった獣をとらえる際は、いわゆる大物猟師が猟師頭(がしら)として5人から20人くらいの集団をつくり仲間を指揮していた。14世紀ころにこうした集団猟は行われていたらしく、1920年代まで続いていた。18世紀のころ、クマをとらえる猟具は竹槍、槍、薙刀(なぎなた)、鉄砲と、地域によって違っていた。こうした猟師仲間は山の神を祀(まつ)り、どこの山でも立入り自由の由来を書いた巻物を所有し、特殊な狩猟慣行と狩猟儀礼をもっていた。これには修験(しゅげん)者とのかかわりあいがみられるという。19世紀後半になって、新式の連発銃を狩猟に使うようになり、1872年（明治5）の銃砲取締規則によって銃猟は大衆化し、狩猟人口は増加してきた。1963年（昭和38）には法的規制、たとえば狩猟免許制、鳥獣保護・乱獲防止のための猟期の規制、狩猟禁止区域の設定、猟具の指定と銃猟の制限、捕獲数の制限などが行われ、生業としての猟師の活動範囲は制約されてきており、いわゆるハンターと猟師との区別がつけにくい情況になってきている。しかし、今日の職業分類でもなお、網猟師、銃猟師、鷹匠(たかじょう)などがあげられている。

［遠藤元男］

『白井邦彦著『狩猟入門』（1962・ダヴィッド社）』▽『千葉徳爾著『狩猟伝承』（『ものと人間の文化史14』1973・法政大学出版局）』

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