A Study of Climate Change and Heavy Crop Cultivation in the Tenmei Period: The Case of the Kaga Clan

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K00874
• 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: University of the Ryukyus
• Principal Investigator: Takei Koichi 琉球大学, 国際地域創造学部, 教授 (60533198)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 天明期 / 気候変動 / 凶作 / 砺波平野 / 加賀藩

Outline of Final Research Achievements

During the Tenmei period (1781-89) in the latter half of the 18th century, the Tohoku region suffered from unprecedented famine. The purpose of this study is to reconstruct the climatic changes during the Temmei period and to examine the impact of these changes on the great famine, using the Kaga clan as a case study.
According to previous studies, the causes of famine have been discussed as "man-made" disasters, i.e., distortions created by the relationship between man and nature or between man and man. However, famine has been described as a "natural disaster" because a bad harvest, which is a precursor to famine, can be considered a natural disaster. In order to confirm famine research, it is necessary to verify whether a bad harvest is a natural disaster. Using the Kaga Clan as a case study, we will examine whether the bad harvests of the Tenmei period were natural disasters or not.

Free Research Field

日本近世史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

地球上の喫緊の課題の一つに、気候変動がある。このまま気温が上昇し続ければ、そう遠くない将来に食糧危機に陥る可能性もあるだろう。これを未然に防ぐためにも、歴史学という視点から、何らかの措置を講じなければならない。
日本列島の歴史上、未曽有の食糧危機に陥った時代があった。18世紀後半の天明期である。東北地方を中心に、30万人以上の餓死者を出したとみられている。この天明期の凶作に注目することにより、今日の気候変動と食糧危機の問題に関して、それを解決する糸口を見いだせる可能性がある。ここに、本研究の意義がある。