昨日に引き続き広島県福山市松永の「松永はきもの資料館」探訪記。
　いまから2-300年昔の歴史的な事跡を掘り起こす旅路というのは、こうした資料館・博物館などのミュージアム施設での丹念な事実発見を必要とする。逆に言うと過去を保存してくれている公的施設というものは本当にありがたい。人間のいとなみは世に連れていくので世自体が変容していく中で、現実から人の痕跡が消えていく方がはるかに多い。
　塩業や下駄産業がこの松永の地域でいかに貴重な存在であった過去があったとしても、現代社会の中で現実に「用を果た」していなければ容赦なく消え去ってしまうのだ。この資料館はたまたま下駄産業を興した家系が、かろうじて後世にその「実相」を伝える役割を果たされている。深くその理念に感謝するところであります。わたし自身の家系の足跡も随伴的に記録保存されていると感じられる。
　上の図は江戸中期1660年頃にこの松永の浜辺で入浜式塩田を創始した様子を「絵伝」として表現されたもの。本庄重政という人物が、当時最新の塩田技術を持っていた播州赤穂藩で塩業を学んで、そのノウハウを福山藩にスカウトされてこの松永で塩田造営に当たったのだという。
　地図はこの松永塩田の発展の様子を表したもの。寛文年間（1661〜1673年）と記された「松永新涯」や「富江新涯」がかれの事跡に当たるのではないか。
　わが家系は芸州豊田郡で庄屋・所務役を務めていたが、1718年の百姓一揆で屋敷・家財などを打ち壊されたあと、この備後松永の地に移って来て塩浜つくりをしていたとの伝承。江戸期のなかでの庶民の社会流動ぶりが伝わってくる。創始者の本庄重政以降、塩浜造成は藩の命運を賭けた連綿とした事業で、その流れの中でわたしの家系は運営主体たる塩田造営者だったワケだ。
　その後ここから産出される塩の広域流通権益の主体者として、尾道の商家株を入手していくことになる。
　そういった事跡の明示的な「証拠」を確認することができる。
　「屋敷・家財などを打ち壊され」たことで家系記録が灰燼に帰したはるかな後世に生きる一統としては、まことに貴重な体験機会。まさに「時間紀行」追体験〜記録まとめの、このブログ記述の日々。

●お知らせ
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English version⬇　

A Journey Through Time Tracing the History of Salt Production in My Ancestral Land
A pilgrimage uncovering traces of my family lineage from the mid-to-late Edo period. DNA resonates deep within my psyche. Truly a journey through time. …

　Continuing yesterday’s visit to the Matsunaga Kimono Museum in Matsunaga, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture.
　Journeys to unearth historical events from 200-300 years ago require meticulous fact-finding at museum facilities like these archives and museums. Conversely, public institutions that preserve the past are truly invaluable. Human endeavors are carried by the world, and as the world itself transforms, traces of people vanish from reality far more often than they endure.
　No matter how valuable salt production or the geta sandal industry once were to this Matsunaga region, if they no longer serve a practical purpose in modern society, they vanish without mercy. This museum happens to be run by the family that pioneered the geta industry, barely fulfilling the role of conveying its true nature to future generations. I deeply appreciate their philosophy. I also feel that the footprints of my own family lineage are incidentally preserved and recorded here.
　The illustration above depicts, as an “illustrated chronicle,” the founding of the inlet-style salt fields on this Matsunaga beach around 1660, during the mid-Edo period. A man named Honjo Shigemasa, having learned the salt industry using the latest salt field techniques at the time in the Banshu Akō domain, was recruited by the Fukuyama domain to oversee the construction of salt fields here in Matsunaga.
　The map depicts the development of these Matsunaga salt fields. The entries labeled “Matsunaga Shinkai” and “Tomie Shinkai,” dated to the Kanbun era (1661-1673), likely correspond to his achievements.
　Our family lineage served as village headmen and administrative officials in Toyoda District, Aki Province. After our residence and possessions were destroyed during the 1718 peasant uprising, tradition holds we relocated to this land of Matsunaga in Bingo Province to engage in salt field construction. This conveys the social mobility of commoners within the Edo period. Following founder Honjō Shigemasa, salt field development became a continuous, high-stakes endeavor for the domain. Within this flow, my lineage served as the salt field builders—the operational core.
Later, as the primary holders of the rights to distribute the salt produced here across wide areas, we acquired merchant shares in Onomichi.
We can now confirm explicit “evidence” of these deeds.
　For us, living in a distant future where our family records were reduced to ashes when “our residence and household goods were destroyed,” this is a truly precious opportunity for experience. These days of writing this blog are precisely a re-experience of a “journey through time”—a compilation of records.

●Notice
My book “Writers and Living Spaces” published as an e-book by Gentosha
Available on Amazon.

Posted on 12月 27th, 2025 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 未分類