幕末における大井川上流山村の生活 「信茂日記」 から見た井川村の状況

抄録

What was the life in a mountain village a century ago like? -a village in Akaishi Mountains where even today there lacks sufficient means of communication and transport with outside plains densely populated.
Last year (1958), at the Aoi Library, the central library of Shizuoka Prefecture, the author had the opportunity of looking into the diary of Unno Nobushige for the years 1856, 1860, 1862 and 1867. Nobushige was Onanushi (the headman) of Ikawa, and popularly named “Ikawa no Tonosama” (Lord of Ikawa).
Based on this diary, interesting facts have been revealed in the following aspects:-
1) General features of Ikawa Village.
2) Social life in Ikawa Village as seen in Nobushige's diary.
a) Deep-rooted feudal mentality.
b) Education for the youth.
c) Mujin (the mutual financing association) and Ko (the confraternity, savings club)-difficulty of the villagers' finance.
d) Amusement and gifts.
e) Annual celebrations and functions.
f) Items of gifts sent to and from Fuchu (Shizuoka).
3) Communication and trade.
a) Communication with Shizuoka.
b) Merchandise trade with Shizuoka.
c) Communication with other villages.
d) Postal service.
e) Health and medicine.
What is surprising is that Ikawa was not dependent upon the Oi river for its communication with outside, except for the transportation of timber, its product of speciality, and that communication and trade with Fuchu (Shizuoka) situated on the lower Abe river, was brisk through Dainichi Pass to the east of the village. It is proved that Ikawa was not an isolated mountain village even a century ago.