GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS ON ROADS DURING THE EARLY AND MIDDLE EDO PERIOD AS SEEN IN TOKUGAWA JIKKI —A STUDY ON ENTRIES ON BRIDGES—

Abstract

 This research examined the entries related to bridges listed in Tokugawa Jikki among those that touched on the government regulations regarded roads that were issued by the Edo Shogunate in Japan. A total of 6 items were obtained from categorizing the 188 entries mentioned in the document according to the policies implemented by the Edo Shogunate. The category of “legal regulations” was the largest, at 116 items, and touched on such topics as the “duties” of building and repairing bridges, as well as “maintaining and managing” them by patrolling. regularly to detect any defects. This was followed by the 68 items that touched on “replacement and repairs,” followed by “building of new bridges,” which had about 40% the number, at 28 items. This information shows that focus was given to maintenance and management of bridges during the early and middle Edo period, and that their new construction was controlled.