Origin of Jicho _??__??_, Uneme _??__??_ and Mecho _??__??_

Abstract

In the Ritsuryo period when codes of laws named Ritsu and Ryo were in force, there were three kinds of servitude at the central Government of Japan. They were called Jicho, Uneme and Mecho. The people were obligated to work in the employ of the Central Government agencies. Jicho, Uneme and Mecho were mentioned already in the historical records of the time of Emperor Nintoku and Emperor Yuryaku (313-479 A. D.). In China, it was the time of East Chin and Sung (one of the southern dynasties). Namely, the reigns of these Emperors preceded the T'ang dynsty of China by 160 to 200 years. Some servitudes similar to Jicho, Uneme and Mecho are described in Chou-li _??__??_ and the same servitudes existed also under the reign of Ch'in _??_ Han _??_ and other dynasties before T'ang. Therefore, it is concluded that Japan learned from China the form of servitudes described above before the reception of the T'ang culture.