Asakusa Okura - Asakura Okura

This rice storehouse managed by the Edo Shogunate boasted the largest storage capacity in Japan, and its main role was to provide rice allowances and subsidies to the Shogunate's direct vassals, the Hatamoto and Gokenin. It is said to have been founded in 1620 (6th year of Genna), and was built by filling in the banks of the Sumida River and using timber and paving stones cut from Mt. Tanzawa. From the Kansei to Tenpo eras, it maintained a size of 54 buildings and 270 households (total site area was 121,000m², total storehouse floor area was 26,000m²), and various officials including the Magistrate of the Storehouse (Asakusa Magistrate of the Storehouse), were in charge of handling the accounts. The number of storehouse magistrates was between 4 and 12, but because the rice collected as tax had a strong character as military rice, especially in the early Edo period, all storehouse magistrates were appointed by the oban (deyaku), who were the guards. After 1687 (Jokyo 4), about half of the storehouse magistrates were appointed by officials such as the accounting office officials, but the oban deyaku form continued throughout the Edo period. In addition to Asakusa Gokura, Honjo Gokura was also under the control of the storehouse magistrate, and the total amount of rice stored in these two storehouses averaged more than 466,000 koku over the five years from 1837 (Tenpo 8) to 1841, with a shipping tax of more than 428,000 koku.

[Chiaki Iijima]

"A Study of the Edo Shogunate's Finances" by Chiaki Iijima (2004, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

幕府直臣団(じきしんだん)である旗本・御家人に対する切米(きりまい)・扶持米(ふちまい)の支給を主な役割として、日本最大の収容量を誇った江戸幕府管理の米蔵。1620年（元和6）の創建といわれ、隅田川川端を埋め立て、丹沢(たんざわ)山の材木や敷石が切り出されて建造された。寛政期から天保期にかけては54棟270戸前(とまえ)の規模を保ち（敷地総面積は3万9088坪、御蔵総建坪は8060坪）、蔵奉行（浅草蔵奉行）、蔵手代をはじめとする諸役人が出納の任にあたった。蔵奉行は、4～12人程度が任命されたが、収納された年貢米が、とりわけ江戸前期にあっては兵糧米(ひょうろうまい)としての性格を強く持っていたため、蔵奉行の全員が番方である大番(おおばん)から任命された（大番出役(でやく)）。そして、1687年（貞享4）以降におよそ半数が勘定所役人などの役方から任命されるようになるが、大番出役の形態は江戸期を通して継続された。蔵奉行が支配した米蔵は、浅草御蔵のほかに本所(ほんじょ)御蔵があったが、この2つの米蔵の合計収納米量は1837年（天保8）から1841年の5か年の平均で46万6000石余、渡り高は42万8000石余であった。

［飯島千秋］

『飯島千秋著『江戸幕府財政の研究』（2004・吉川弘文館）』

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