History
Brief history of Edo Era Japan:
Farmer's Lives in the Twelve Months screen
Edo Era Japan (AKA The Tokugawa Period) was a period when the Tokugawa family ruled from the years 1603 until 1868. They resided in the city of Edo (hence Edo Era) which is now modern-day Tokyo.
Edo Era had a four-tier hereditary class system:
- Samurai
- Farmers
- Artisans
- Merchants
The Edo Era ended when the last shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, returned his authority to the imperial court after a brief civil war.
Key Factors:
Centralized Feudalism - a system where lords (landowners) grant land to vassals (people who receive the land) in exchange for loyalty, military service, and other obligations
Rice Production - During this time, the feudal lords measured their wealth by how much rice they owned.
Cultural growth - Kabuki Theater, Ukiyo-e paintings, Woodblock prints, licensed brothel quarters, sumo wrestling
Farmers:
During this period, farmers were viewed as the foundation of Japan and were granted a social standing right below the samurai class. They made up about 80% of the population, but the government made their lives oppressed, not allowing them to engage in non-agricultural activities in order to ensure a stable and continuing source of income for the daimyos (lords) and the shogun. Their daily routines were dictated by the seasons and the demand of their crops; however, they were unable to keep much of what they grew due to heavy taxes. Most of the time, they survives off of wheat and millet due to poverty. Their ability to travel was also restricted by the government to keep the farmers in the fields and away from the urban centers. The clothes they wore, who they married, and what activities they could participate in were also regulated by the shogun.
Edo Era Famines:
The Kyōhō Famine (1732-1733)
The cause of this famine is widely speculated with theories of widespread locust infestations, poor harvests due to heavy rain, and poor harvests due to a disastrous rice crop. There were many rice insects that invaded that affected all except 10% of the fields.
The Great Tenmei Famine (1782-1788)
This famine was the deadliest of the three. It was marked by catastrophic crop failures and widespread starvation triggered by a combination of natural disasters (persistent frost/heavy rain/volcanic eruptions). Compared to the other famines, the shogunate responded poorly to it, failing to provide necessary food aid or financial assistance. This significantly contributed to the depopulation of rural areas with the approximate overall death of around 130,000 people
The Tempo Famine (1833-1837)
The unusually cold spring planting and abnormal autumn early snow falls resulted in general crop failure, affecting rice, wheat, barley, and even bamboo shoots. This famine wasn't as bad as the others, making this one more of an irritation than a tragedy.
My story takes place during the deadliest of the famines, the Tenmei Famine.
https://www.worldhistory.org/Edo_Period/
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/44674
https://www.studentsofhistory.com/tokugawa-japan
https://www.historyskills.com/classroom/year-8/edo-period-daily-life/?srsltid=AfmBOorOuCqT61_ULmNdwj8yr8htShlwKsfHyeSz0ztWwdodnixRcEP8
https://www.pbs.org/empires/japan/enteredo_5.html
https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/tenmei-famine
https://www.alanmacfarlane.com/savage/A-JAPFAM.PDF