Study for relationship between merchant group in agricultural villages and the area which has urban character in the Edo period in Japan

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K03097
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Japanese history
• Research Institution: Yokohama National University
• Principal Investigator: Tawada Masayasu 横浜国立大学, 教育学部, 教授 (10528392)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 地方史 / 流通史 / 在方市 / 商人 / 日本史 / 都市史 / 近世史 / 都市と農村の関係

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study set up two areas. One is the northern area of Shinano　( Nagano prefecture), another is the central and western area of Sagami (Kanagawa prefecture). In both areas, there were many small cities, or villages which had urban character. About Shinano studies, I could examine the urban character about Nakano village, and cralify the distribution of merchants living in agricultural villages around Nakano. And I studied about the constructional character of the houses and shops built in Zenkouji Temple city, and examined the distribution of merchants , craftsmen and workmen(and women) living there. And, in Obuse village, I discovered historical documents about a fish merchant who came from Echigo (Niigata prefecture).About Sagami studies, I got a lot of information about cities and merchants. I could get detailed information about Kubosawa and Kamimizo, both were market place at the area. And I wrote the article about the urban character of many little cities in Sagami.

Free Research Field

日本近世史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

日本近世史研究では農村史研究、都市史研究ともに古くからの伝統を持ち、多くの研究蓄積があるが、都市と農村の関係の研究、あるいは都市と農村を統一的に捉えた研究については、蓄積が足りないのが現状である。近世は「都市の時代」とも呼ばれ、全国に中小規模の都市群が農村に入り混じって多く存在ており、かかる研究状況は打開する必要がある。本研究は商人集団の活動形態に注目することで、この問題に一石を投じようとしたものである。都市と農村の関係に関する問題は、たんに歴史研究のみならず、一極集中や地方都市の衰退といった現代社会の現状から見てもきわめて重要な課題であり、本研究はその意味でも意義を持つということができる。