1995 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
The Form of Business Activities Performed by Machiya Carpenters in the Modern Age
| Project/Area Number |
06650709
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
Architectural history/design
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| Research Institution | KYOTO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY |
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Principal Investigator |
HYUGA Susumu KYOTO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Professor, 工芸学部, 教授 (60111994)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1994 – 1995
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| Keywords | KYOTO TOWN HOUSES / TRADITIONAL CARPENTERS / RECORDS OF CARPENTERS BUSINESS ACTIVITIES |
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| Research Abstract |
Tanaka Kichitaro belonged to the lineage of carpenters of Omiya Kichibei. The Tanakas had many literary possessions, one of which was entitled Daifuku Kosucho composed of over 20 volumes and written between Bunka/Bunsei Eras and the beginning of Meiji Era. Its content were records of patrons, types of work employed, names of artisans, number of workers who worked in specific days, kinds of materials, modulation measures and so on. The main content was to clarify the actual condition of business and construction activities performed by the Omiya family. Besides, there was also records of 100 old plans of machiya (town houses) showing also their structure, measures of their different parts and number of carpenters who worked in them.
There were also other books entitled Kosu Nikkicho totaling 120 volumes in which were recorded the number of carpenters employed by the same family. Some were written in the Tenpo 7 (1836), Ansei 5 (1856) and Meiji 30 (1894). Other records were not clearly dated, but they were very probably written during the same period, meaning end of Edo and early Meiji Eras. If one compares both records, the Daifuku Kosucho with the Kosu Nikkicho, one can probably better understand the form of business activities performed by the Omiya family. The Kosu Nikkicho was found though only in the end of the period of investigation, therefore I hope to continue performing a further analysis of it from now on.
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