Governance System of Flood Control in Tokugawa Japan: as the case study of local society along the Shinano-River

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25380419
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Economic history
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Hasebe Hiroshi 東北大学, 経済学研究科(研究院), 教授 (50164835)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): Yoshihara Naoki 大妻女子大学, 社会情報学部, 教授 (40240345) ; MURAYAMA Yoshiyuki 山形大学, 教育実践研究科, 教授 (10210072) ; YAMAUCHI Futoshi 京都産業大学, 経済学部, 教授 (70271856)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 治水 / 共同性 / 村落 / 上塩尻 / 信濃川 / 千曲川 / 村組 / 水害対策

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The Shinano River is the largest river in Japan, with branching streams in the upper streams. The form of flooding differs greatly between the upper and lower stream. The upper stream, in the Ueda region, is the typical river which the 'short-term match' flood occurs. Therefore the peasant farmers' flood countermeasures were taken by the concerned in the Tokugawa Era.The lower stream, in the Echigo Kanbara region, is completely different from the upper stream. The floods that occurred in this area formed rather slowly, and lasted for several ten days. Therefore, the flood control efforts were devoted in the construction of facilities to drain the accumulated waters called‘bad water’and as expected, irrigation facilities for the utilisation of water had to be constructed simultaneously to the drainage facilities. The flood control system was complicated and consisted of many village communities (Mura-Gumi).

Free Research Field

日本経済史