A Study of Labor Society in the Castle Town Area of Saigoku

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K00965
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 03020:Japanese history-related
• Research Institution: Yamaguchi University
• Principal Investigator: Morisita Toru 山口大学, 教育学部, 教授 (90263748)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 城下町

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study elucidated the state of the labor society in the farming villages in the suburbs of the castles in Edo period. Those villages are included in “castle town area” together with castle town itself. This is because the surrounding farming villages were connected to the castle town and had a unique role in sustaining the town. The methodology of this study can be applied to the studies of medium-sized castle towns　in Edo period. The result of this research can contribute to the recent sociology of local community.
This study, focusing on the castle towns in Saigoku such as Okayama and Hagi, examined the state of labor society in the relations within the local communities. The research on the contemporary state of Osaka is also done for the comparison with those in Saigoku area.

Free Research Field

日本近世史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

急速な社会の変貌にともなって、地域社会の歴史を全体として再現するという関心から地域史研究は近年盛んなわけだが、そこでは都市社会、在地社会、それぞれ別個に進められているのが現状である。それに対して、城下町と周辺農村に対象を絞ることで、都市と農村の双方を視野に入れた地域社会論の提起とすることができた。
あわせて、岡山県立記録資料館蔵の未整理史料の目録化も実施し、社会的な貢献も果たすことができた。