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【中世都市に集う異形の人びと〜草戸千軒2023再訪-14】



ことしはわたし自身にとって節目の年になったのですが、現代人はさまざまなステージでの生き方というのが必然的な「対応力」として求められていくことでしょう。そういうことを強く実感した。
一般的には「老後の人生」みたいなことですね。まだまだそういう着地点には到達できませんが、しかしこれまでを土台にして、現役の時には気付く余裕がなかった部分に思惟を巡らす、ということにだんだん、惹かれてきております。
必ずしも「やり残した」心理ではないのですが、そんな気分に導かれ自分なりの探索をしたい。
この草戸千軒の探訪みって、まだ自分自身でも整理がついていないことがら。どうして自分自身が強く惹かれるのか、その意味合いはよくわからない段階です。でも興味を強く持っている。
そんなことで少しマーケティング的に調査もしてみたのですが、読者のみなさんからも興味深い反応が得られてきております。たぶん先人の「生き様」みたいな部分で共有できるモノがあるのでは?
上の図版は草戸千軒の街並み復元模型と、同時代1417年に描かれた室町中期の「融通念仏縁起絵巻(東京国立博物館蔵)」の一部。中世都市というアジールには多様な人びと、世間的には「異形」と見なされる人びとの人間痕跡が描かれる。現代ニッポン人は非常に従順に企業・資本主義社会と関係しながら正しく生きているけれど、先人はもうちょっと多様だった。

こちらは右側画面の詳細拡図。画面右上には集団で狼藉を働いていると目される「悪党」の3人組。日本社会では最近「チンピラ」という存在は見かけなくない。未曾有の「人手不足」社会でこういった「はみ出し」的存在は淘汰されているのか。よく見ると結構な年齢のようで一種職業的でもある。今回シリーズでみた足駄屋さんに特注したような「高下駄」を履いての肩衣姿。右の人物は「みせ鞘」の腰刀をさしている、とされていた。
その画面下には、乞食が描かれている。体位の表情に必死さが表現される。その乞食の左側には「覆面」の人物も。歴史家の網野善彦氏によるとこういう覆面姿という装束をあやしげに着こなす生き様の人びとが中世社会には多数存在したとされていた。氏によると「非人」ではないかとのこと。

こちらは左側画面の拡大。やや上のふたりの男性は「鉦叩き・鉢叩き」とされていた。それって「チンドン屋」という宣伝マンということか。鳴り物入りというコトバがあるけれど、中世都市で参集する大衆に対して宣伝するのに、こういう手法が編み出されたのか。市女笠姿の杖を突いた女性や、子どもを背負った女性の姿も確認できる。右上のような悪党もいるけれど、中世都市では「他人の目」という治安効果も発生したモノだろうか。どうもわたし、こういう歴史的な多様性社会、人間存在のありようと住宅とか建築・都市の関係性にどんどん導かれていっているような気がしています(笑)。

English version⬇

The Different Kinds of People Gathering in a Medieval City – Kusado-Senken 2023 Revisited – 14
I am going to be drawn to the area of historical diversity society, the state of human existence and housing, architecture and cities. What shall I do (laugh) …

This year was a milestone year for me personally, and I believe that people today will inevitably be required to live in various stages of life as a way of “coping. I strongly felt that way.
Generally speaking, it is something like “life after old age. I have yet to reach such a landing point, but I am gradually becoming more and more attracted to the idea of building on what I have done so far and thinking about things that I did not have time to notice when I was in active service.
It is not necessarily something that I have “left undone,” but I would like to explore in my own way, guided by such a feeling.
Things like this exploration of Senken Kusado are things that I have yet to sort out for myself, and I am not sure why I am so strongly attracted to them or what their implications are. But I am strongly interested.
So I have done a little marketing research, and I am getting some interesting responses from readers. Perhaps there is something we can share in the “way of life” of our predecessors?
The illustration above is a part of the “Yutsu Nenbutsu Emaki” (scroll depicting the Buddha) from the middle Muromachi period (mid-Muromachi period), which was probably drawn in 1417, the same year as the reconstruction of the streetscape of Kusado-Senken. In the asylum of the medieval city, human traces of diverse people, people who are considered “deformed” by the world, are sometimes depicted. Although modern Japanese people are living a proper life in relation to the corporate and capitalist society in a very docile manner, their predecessors were a bit more diverse.

This is a detailed zoomed-in view of the right side of the screen. In the upper right corner are three “thugs” who are believed to be committing gang violence. In Japanese society, “hoodlums” are not so common these days. In a society of unprecedented “labor shortage,” are such “outcasts” being weeded out? The figure on the right is wearing “mise-saya,” a type of geta custom-made by a geta shop, and is dressed in a shoulder-length robe. The figure on the right is said to be holding a “mise-saya” (waist sword).
Below this screen, a beggar is depicted. The expression on his body expresses his desperation. To the left of the beggar is also a “masked” figure. According to historian Yoshihiko Amino, there were many people in medieval society who wore such masked costumes in a dubious manner. According to Yoshihiko Amino, they may have been “non-humans.

This is an enlargement of the screen on the left. The two men slightly above were considered to be “gong-tappers and bowl-tappers”. Does that mean they were “chindon-ya,” or publicity men? The word “ringo” is used to describe this kind of publicity, and I wonder if this kind of technique was developed in medieval cities to advertise to the masses who gathered there. A woman with a walking stick in a straw hat and a woman carrying a child on her back can also be seen in the scene. There are also rogues like the one on the upper right, but I wonder if the “eyes of others” also had a security effect in medieval cities. I feel that I am being led more and more to this kind of historical diversity of society and the relationship between human existence and housing, architecture, and the city.

【農耕生産と人新世的な地形変容〜草戸千軒2023再訪-13】


ここまで草戸千軒の「市」としての側面を見て来たけれど、そうした「市場経済」社会の生成はその前提として、社会総体としての農耕生産性の増大ということが前提だったことは言うまでもない。
縄文以来の「伝統的社会」としての狩猟採集ライフスタイルが、大きく変化していったのにはこうした継続的な人為的地形改造、人新世の基盤的な「自然改造」を前提とした農耕的土地利用が、すべてを革新したのだろう。単位面積あたりの人口維持効率では、稲作中心の土地利用こそが日本社会では決定的に重要だったのだと言える。
こうした農業土木を持続的に可能にするために不可欠な集団作業について、支配と被支配という関係性が生まれ、より強力で効率的な権力機構の必然性が高まっていったのだろうと思っています。最初期の権力誇示装置として、巨大土木作業が不可欠な「古墳」造営が日本列島各地で進展したのには、そういう権力構造の基本原理が反映したのだろう。
日本列島社会ではこうした農業土木集団労働の指揮命令権、その妥当性・社会的な「納得感」についての集団間での競争関係があって、それがやがてアマテラス系の人びとによって歴史的に収斂されていったということのように思われるのですね。天皇の伝統的行為の中に農業的営為が幾重にも積層していることは、そういった経緯を表しているのではないか。



この草戸千軒遺跡の展示説明でも、上のような農業土木についての解説画像が提示されていた。もっとも基本的な道具として土を運搬する木製道具「もっこ」と呼称される原形的な運搬具が発掘されていた。こういった運搬具と動員された大量労働力によって、芦田川水系などの天然の水利を有為に改造して、稲作適地を新造成させていった。
日本政治社会の最初期体制として律令的「公地公民」制が導入されたけれど、そうした社会主義的体制では人びとの「やる気」、もっとも基本的な社会発展への活力を創造することができず、やがて荘園公領制(荘園および公領を土台とした重層的土地支配構造。荘園は寄進地系荘園に由来し公領は国衙領に由来する。歴史学者の網野善彦が提唱した学説に基づく)が日本に最適な体制として社会進化させる動因になっていく。この草戸千軒周辺地域でも「沼田荘」という荘園が成立して活発な生産活動の発展のベースになって、やがてこの中世的市場都市が成立していった。
はるかな後年、北海道でもやや違う国家体制のもと人新世的な自然改造が活発に行われて、札幌のような大都会も形成されるに至るプロセスは、わたしの人生時間でも体験できた。案外大事なのは、そうであってもそういう自然改造と本来の自然環境との「調和」ということなのではないか。
北海道は日本の地域の中でも有数の農業生産地域になったにも関わらず、世界の人びとにとっても魅力的な自然風土として愛され続けてきている。聖徳太子が「和を以て貴しとなす」とはるかに日本の国是として政治統治宣言したことは、非常に示唆的と思える。

English version⬇

[Agricultural Production and the Anthropocene Topographic Transformation – Kusado-Senken 2023 Revisited – 13
Agriculture necessitated the modification of nature as agricultural engineering. The political system was tested in conjunction with this so that it could have legitimacy. …

Although we have seen the “market” aspect of Kusado-Senken, it goes without saying that the creation of such a “market economy” society was predicated on the premise of increased agricultural productivity in society as a whole.
The hunting and gathering lifestyle that has been the “traditional society” since the Jomon period has been drastically transformed by the continuous anthropogenic landform modification and agricultural land use based on the basic “natural modification” of the Anthropocene, which has revolutionized everything. In terms of population maintenance efficiency per unit area, it can be said that rice-crop-centered land use was critically important in Japanese society.
I believe that a relationship of domination and subjugation emerged with regard to the collective work that was essential to make such agricultural engineering sustainable, and the necessity for a more powerful and efficient power structure grew. The development of the construction of “kofun” (burial mounds) throughout the Japanese archipelago, where massive civil engineering work was indispensable as a device for the initial display of power, probably reflected such basic principles of power structure.
It seems to me that in the Japanese archipelago society, there was a competitive relationship among groups regarding the command and order authority of such agricultural and civil engineering collective labor and its validity and social “conviction,” which eventually converged historically by the people of the Amaterasu lineage. The multiple layers of agricultural activities layered in the traditional acts of the emperor may represent such a process.

In the exhibition description of this Kusado-Senken site, explanatory images about agricultural engineering, as shown above, were also presented. The most basic tool excavated was a wooden “mokko,” a prototypical earth-moving tool. With these tools and a large mobilized labor force, the natural water resources such as the Ashida River system were converted into suitable areas for rice cultivation.
Although the Ritsuryo (law-based) “public-land civic” system was introduced as the initial system of Japanese political society, such a socialist system failed to create people’s “motivation” and vitality for the most basic social development, and eventually the manor-kommunal system (a layered land control structure based on manors and fiefs in medieval Japan) was established. The manor system was a system of donated lands. The manor derived from the donated land manors, and the fief derived from the national government offices. (Based on the theory proposed by historian Yoshihiko Amino.) The Kusado-Senken area became the driving force behind the evolution of society as the most suitable system for Japan. In the area around Kusado-Senken, a manor called “Numata-so” was established and became the base for the development of active production activities, which eventually led to the establishment of this medieval market city.
In later years, under a different national system in Hokkaido, the process that led to the formation of a metropolis such as Sapporo was also experienced during my lifetime. What is important is to maintain harmony between the natural modification and the original natural environment.
Even though Hokkaido has become one of the most prominent agricultural production regions in Japan, it continues to be loved by people around the world as an attractive natural climate. Is it not highly suggestive that Prince Shotoku declared “harmony is the noblest” as Japan’s national motto for political governance by far?

【中世動乱と市、宗教〜草戸千軒2023再訪-12】




草戸千軒からなかなか脱出できない(笑)。民族的DNAが加齢と共に覚醒される部分があるのでしょうか。もともと歴史考察系のことに興味が強いのと、住宅を考えて行くと「都市」というか集住環境というものへも深く傾斜していくということと思っています。
で、草戸千軒ミュージアム展示では中世のビジュアルとしてたくさんの歴史絵画が資料採用されていて、以前から気になっている「一遍聖絵」の一部なども頻出してくる。この国宝の絵伝は中世の社会を活写していて、無限の想像力を刺激してくれる存在。わたし的には多少は家系的な関係もありそうな先人として一遍(1239-1289年)はあるのですね。古代からの伊予での越智氏・河野氏の系統。
一遍という人物は中世の動乱、承久の変(1221年)のときに敗者側・後鳥羽上皇側に立っていたことでその後没落した父の次男として生まれ、九州で出家修行していたけれど、父親が死亡したときに還俗して伊予の河野氏実家に戻った。けれども33歳くらいになってふたたび家族を捨てて、文字通り出家したとされる。
上の絵図は①一遍が行った「踊り念仏」の様子を伝える京都国立博物館の絵と、③一遍が訪れたとされる中世の市、備前福岡の市を描いた「一遍聖絵」の様子。草戸千軒のことを深掘りしていたら、この備前福岡の市との時代的同時性ではこの絵図がいちばん近縁性が高いことに気がついた。現代のGoogleマップでみると②陸路で約90kmほどですが、瀬戸内海海路ではお隣さんに位置して、成立は同じような経緯だと思われる。
一遍さんは伊予から再度出家し出奔していったのが1272年頃となっているので、草戸千軒の時代推定ともほぼ進行形の同時代。なので絵伝で描かれた中世の市とし均質度が高そうなのですね。
さらに付言すると後鳥羽上皇は何度も「熊野御幸」されたことで有名だけれど、一遍も熊野本宮で出家後の宗教的な最大の邂逅経験をしている。その後も一遍は承久の変で処刑された父・通信の故地奥州・江刺などを歴訪して、やがて「踊り念仏」というパフォーマンスによって時流の最先端文化を創造していくことになる。どうも父祖への思いはしっかりと持っての「出家」と思える。死生を考える宗教としては必然か。
中世人にとっての動乱による体験記憶と、それをバネとした個人の精神性の飛躍をありありと実感できる。


一遍はこの踊り念仏で一般民衆から喝采を受けたとされる。鎌倉期の「新仏教」の最高の盛り上がりとして一遍の布教活動はあったと思うけれど、その「根拠地」として各地の「商工集落」という存在は親和性が高かった。踊り狂いながら南無阿弥陀仏を唱えるという一種のアナーキーな法悦状態が、鎌倉幕府からは「危険な大衆反乱」要因と見なされて、鎌倉都市への入城を拒否されてもいる。
市と新仏教という存在の間に、この時代の強い「民衆性」を見出す思い。

English version⬇

Medieval Upheaval, Cities, and Religion – Kusado-Senken 2023 Revisited – 12
Ippen, the founder of the new Buddhism in the Kamakura period, who created a state of anarchic excitement with his dancing Nembutsu. Buddhism, introduced as a state religion, entered the realm of “people’s salvation. …

It is hard to escape from Kusado-Senken (laughs). Is there a part of your ethnic DNA that awakens with age? I have always had a strong interest in historical studies, and I believe that when we think about housing, we are also deeply inclined toward the “city” or residential environment.
In the Kusado-Senken Museum exhibition, many historical paintings are used as visual materials of the medieval period, and a part of the “Ippen Seine” that I have been interested in for a long time appears frequently. This national treasure, the pictorial biography, is a vivid depiction of medieval society and stimulates unlimited imagination. In my opinion, Ippen (1239-1289) is a predecessor with whom I may have some family connection. He was a descendant of the Ochi and Kono clans in Iyo from ancient times.
Ippen was born as the second son of his father, who had fallen from grace after standing on the side of the defeated Emperor Go-Toba during the Jokyu Rebellion (1221), a period of medieval upheaval. However, it is said that he abandoned his family again at the age of 33 and literally became an ordained priest.
The illustration above is a picture from the Kyoto National Museum showing Ippen’s “Odori Nembutsu” and the “Ippen Seinei” depicting the medieval market of Bizen Fukuoka, which Ippen is said to have visited. When I was digging deeper into Kusado-Senken, I realized that this painting is the most closely related to this Bizen-Fukuoka market in terms of chronological simultaneity. Although it is about 90 km by land according to the modern Google Map, it is located next to the city on the Seto Inland Sea Sea route, and its establishment is thought to be of the same process.
Ippen-san was ordained and left again from Iyo around 1272, which is also roughly the same period in progress as Kusado-Senken’s time estimate. Therefore, it seems that Ippen is highly homogeneous with the medieval city depicted in the picture biography.
I would also like to add that although Emperor Go-Toba is famous for his many visits to Kumano, Ippen also had his greatest religious encounter at Kumano Hongu Shrine after he was ordained. Ippen continued to visit places such as Esashi, Oshu, the birthplace of his father, Tsushin, who was executed in the Jokyu Incident, and eventually created the most advanced culture of the time through his “Odori Nembutsu” performance. It seems to me that he was ordained as a priest while maintaining a strong sense of attachment to his father and ancestors. Is this inevitable for a religion that considers life and death?
We can clearly feel the memories of the upheavals experienced by the medieval people, and the leap in individual spirituality that was triggered by these memories.

It is said that Ippen was applauded by the general public for his dancing Nembutsu. I believe that Ippen’s missionary activities were the climax of the “New Buddhism” of the Kamakura period, and the existence of “commercial and industrial villages” in various regions was highly compatible as a “base” for such activities. The anarchic state of Dharma joy of dancing and chanting Namu Amidabutsu was regarded by the Kamakura Shogunate as a factor of “dangerous mass revolt” and was even denied entry to the city of Kamakura.
Between the existence of the city and the new Buddhism, we find the strong “popular nature” of this period.

【市民独自の宗教建築「御堂」〜草戸千軒2023再訪-11】




鎌倉〜室町の歴史時間の「門前市」という性格の中世都市、草戸千軒は土地支配や宗教支配などの権力機構の表情を持っていない、一種のアジール空間。たぶん畿内地域での堺と似た性格の境界都市なのだろうと思いますが、そういう存在には庶民の生き方志向性が表現されるていると思える。
商工という成立の要件に沿って都市の空間や「街割り」は生成された。そういう都市計画のなかで「やはりそういうことか」と腑に落ちるのが、この宗教建築「御堂」。
博物館の調査研究発表によれば「祈る」と題して以下のようなくだりがある。
〜草戸千軒からは石製・木製の塔婆、法華経を書写した杮(こけら)経および位牌・懸仏(かけぼとけ)が出土している。社会が混乱し、不安な生活を送っていた中世民衆の神仏信仰の一端がうかがえる。〜
とされていました。人間はかならず死ぬ。そのことが人間の精神世界をつよく規定することは当然。親子関係など、いのちに関わる情念を外化させ、形象化することが社会規範の最重要なことがらと意識された。
古代以来日本では、古墳という形式で死者を弔う伝統が生きていたし、一般民衆も共同墓として葬られ祀られ続けてきた。そういうなかで仏教はアジア世界から日本社会に導入されたけれど、ほかの地域以上に日本社会では人びとの精神性の奥底まで浸透していった。
存立基盤自体が社会の「隙間」的な中世都市で、いわば自然発生的にこういう人間の死生にかかわる建築施設が建立された。もちろんある特定の経済的リーダーのような市民存在があって、その喜捨のような負担をきっかけとして、多くの賛同者が集合してこういう建築空間成立に至ったものでしょう。
この草戸千軒と似た都市性格を持っていたと推測される同じ瀬戸内海交易圏の姫路「英賀千軒」に於いては、一向宗の布教活動が大成功して「英賀御堂」という民衆の結集の象徴が成立した。都市としては自然災害によって消失したこの草戸千軒に於いても、そうした機縁の萌芽はあったことになる。この「英賀御堂」は秀吉の英賀攻めで焼失したけれど、現在も亀山御堂として移転し存続している。
日本に於いてはこういうアジール空間・商工都市というのは、宗教という存在を大きな媒介として相互利用してきたことが、こうした遺構からは見えてくる。

宗教の中でも、いわば宗派間でその教義には違いがあり、都での権力者との強い連携を目指した宗教とはまったく別に「民衆の救済」を目指した新宗教がこの時代、大いに勃興した。
いまのところ「御堂」という名称しか明らかにされていないけれど、あるいは英賀御堂のように特定宗教会派の拠点化という発展形態もあり得たのかも知れない。
中世の人々の死生観、精神のありかのなにかが示されているのでしょうね。合掌。

English version⬇

[Citizens’ Own Religious Architecture “Mido” – Kusado-Senken 2023 Revisited – 11
The affinity between the city of commerce and religion. The economic activity of trade seems to have been socially compatible with the interrelationship with religion.

A medieval city in the character of “gate city” in the Kamakura – Muromachi historical time, Kusado-Senken is a kind of azir space that does not have the expression of power structure such as land rule or religious rule. Perhaps it is a boundary city with a character similar to Sakai in the Kinai region, but such an existence is an expression of the lifestyle orientation of the common people.
It can be seen that the urban space was created in accordance with the requirements for the establishment of commerce and industry. In the context of such urban planning, the religious building “Godo” can be seen as “so that’s what it is,” as the museum’s research study says.
According to the museum’s research presentation, the following passage is found under the title of “Prayer.
〜Stone and wooden pagodas, copies of the Lotus Sutra, tablets, and kakebotoke have been excavated from Kusado-Senken. These objects suggest a part of the medieval people’s belief in the gods and Buddha during a time of social turmoil and uncertainty in their lives. 〜The site was considered to be a “temple of the gods”.
The people of the medieval period were said to have believed in the gods and Buddha. Human beings will inevitably die. It is only natural that this fact should strongly define the spiritual world of human beings. The externalization and embodiment of life-related emotions, such as parent-child relationships, was recognized as the most important social norm.
Since ancient times, the tradition of mourning for the dead in the form of kofun (burial mounds) has been alive in Japan, and the general public has also continued to worship the dead in communal graves. Buddhism was introduced to Japanese society from the Asian world, and it penetrated deeper into the psyche of the Japanese people than in any other region.
In medieval cities, where the very foundation of existence itself was a “gap” in society, these architectural facilities, which were related to human life and death, were erected spontaneously, so to speak. Of course, there must have been a certain economic leader, a citizen, whose generous donation must have triggered a large number of supporters to establish this kind of architectural space.
In Eiga Senken in the Himeji area, which is also in the Seto Inland Sea trading zone, the missionary activities of the Ikkyu Sect were so successful that a symbol of the people’s rally called “Eiga Godo” was established, but even in this Kusado Senken, which was destroyed by a natural disaster as a city, the germ of such an opportunity Eiga Godo” was a symbol of the people’s rallying. This “Eiga Gōdo” was destroyed by fire during Hideyoshi’s attack on Eiga, but it has been relocated and continues to exist today as the Kameyama Gōdo.
These remains show that in Japan, such asyl spaces and commercial and industrial cities were used interchangeably, with religion as a major mediator.

Among religions, there were differences in doctrines among sects, and new religions that aimed to “save the people” emerged in this period, completely different from those that aimed for strong alliances with the authorities in the capital. Although only the name of the temple, “Godo,” is known at this point, it may have been a base for a specific religious sect, as was the case with Eiga Godo.
It may indicate something about the medieval people’s view of life and death and the state of their spirit. I bow my head in prayer.

【中世都市民の食生活。イヌ食も?〜草戸千軒2023再訪-10】




人間の基本は「なにを食べるか」。北海道島の先人のみなさんと対話するには、わたしたち現代北海道人とは違う、狩猟採集型の食生活ということを前提として知らなければならない。わたしたちはどうしてもコメ食文化がベースなので、そのあたりの翻訳コンニャクが重要ポイントになる。
今回の草戸千軒ミュージアム再訪でもこのあたりの食文化を「復元ポイント」として注目。ブログのシリーズ展開としては、ちょうど北海道島の擦文文化期からこっちにスライドしてきたので、要チェックでもありました。
そうしたら写真のようなそのものズバリの展示を確認できた。おいおい、であります。メッチャいいものを食べている(笑)。現代人以上の豊富な食材構成で栄養バランスも考え抜かれている。って、まぁ復元なので多少は「ハレの日」仕様ではあるでしょうが、大量の発掘遺物の分析からのメニュー構成であることは明らか。芦田川と瀬戸内海の水産物はそれこそ豊富に食卓を賑わせていた。タコの味付けには塩が盛り付けられている。現代では当然「しょうゆ」でしょうが、そうした醸造産業はまだ未成熟だったことでしょう。逆に瀬戸内海地域では「製塩」業は活発だった。お米は精米というよりも玄米で各家庭でそれぞれ好みの「分突き」加減で調理したのでしょう。先日見たように女性たちが臼と杵でそれぞれの家庭の加減で突きあげてご飯にしていたことでしょうね。
わたしはあんまり玄米って食べたことがないので、食感について想像力はありません。しかし、副食類は食器容器も含めてまったく現代と変わらない。中世の食卓風景、団欒ぶりが伝わってきますね。



で、こちらが博物館で調査された動植物などの遺物分析の結果表。非常に注意をひかされるのが「イヌ」の骨が異常に大量に出土していることとされていた。当初は、「草戸千軒の人びとはたいへんな愛犬家ばかりですごい」みたいな想像をされていたそうですが、出土するイヌの骨があきらかに「切断」された痕跡が顕著であるとのこと。
ようするにイヌが食肉対象として飼育・捕食されていたと結論づけられていった。
おお、であります。韓半島、中国大陸ではイヌ食文化は根付いているとされるけれど、日本社会ではそういった常識理解はなかった。むしろ仏教思想が導入されて広く受け入れられていって禁忌的な考え方が浸透していたという理解だったのが、そうではなかったということになる。しかもこの草戸千軒は仏教寺院・明王院の門前市であるのでちょっと意外な事実の発掘結果だと思います。灯台もと暗し。
一方で瀬戸内海交易の世界では韓半島地域とも活発な交流が想像できるので、そういったことが影響している可能性もあるのかも。イヌ食文化痕跡にはやや驚かされました。

English version⬇

[The diet of medieval city people. Canine Eating? ~Kusado-Senken 2023 revisited-10]
Abundant marine products and brown rice with a portion for each family. The seasoning is salt. The excavation results also strongly suggest a canine food culture. The excavation results also strongly suggest the Inu food culture.

The basis of human life is “what we eat. In order to communicate with our ancestors on the island of Hokkaido, it is necessary to understand their hunter-gatherer diet, which is different from that of us modern Hokkaido people. Since we are based on a rice-eating culture, the translation of konnyaku is an important point in this regard.
In this revisit to the Kusado-Senken Museum, we will focus on this area of food culture as a “point of restoration”. As for the development of the blog series, I had just slid over here from the period of the Abrasive Culture of Hokkaido Island, so it was also important to check it out.
Then I was able to check out the very same exhibit as shown in the photo. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. I’m eating a lot of good food (laughs). They have a richer food composition than modern people, and their nutritional balance is well thought out. Well, it is a reconstruction, so it may be a little bit “Hare no Hi” (a special occasion), but it is clear that the menu is based on the analysis of a large amount of excavated artifacts. Fisheries products from the Ashida River and the Seto Inland Sea were abundant on the table. The octopus is seasoned with a heaping helping of salt. Today, it would naturally be “soy sauce,” but such a brewing industry would have been still in its infancy. Conversely, the “salt manufacturing” industry was active in the Seto Inland Sea region. Rice was probably unpolished rather than polished, and each household cooked rice according to their own preference for the amount of rice to be cooked. As we saw the other day, women would have pounded the rice with a mortar and pestle according to their family’s preference.
I have never eaten much brown rice, so I have no idea what the texture was like. However, the side dishes, including the containers and tableware, are not different from those of today. I can feel the happy atmosphere at the dining table in the Middle Ages.

So, here is a table of the results of the analysis of the artifacts, such as plants and animals, that were examined at the museum. It was noted that an unusually large number of “canine” bones were excavated. At first, people imagined that the people of Kusado-Senken were all great dog lovers, but the unearthed canine bones showed obvious traces of “mutilation”.
In short, it was concluded that canines were bred and preyed upon as meat.
Oh, yes. It is said that canine eating culture took root in the Korean peninsula and mainland China, but there was no such common sense understanding in Japanese society. Rather, it was the understanding that Buddhist thought had been introduced and widely accepted, and that the forbidden idea had spread, but this was not the case. Moreover, this Kusado-Senken is the gateway market of a Buddhist temple, Meio-in, so it is a somewhat surprising factual discovery result. It is dark under the lighthouse.
On the other hand, in the world of Seto Inland Sea trade, we can imagine active exchanges with the Korean peninsula area, so there may be a possibility of such an influence. I was somewhat surprised by the traces of canine food culture.

【社寺建築が生んだ内需産業群「番匠」〜草戸千軒2023再訪-9】




この草戸千軒にほど近い位置に「明王院」「草戸稲荷神社」社寺が有名な古刹。明王院の五重塔も、神社も高層建築でまるでビルとも思える。これらは当時の工人たちの明白な技術の結晶だろう。
日本民族にとってのもっとも身近な「地域製造業」としての大型木造建築集団。この草戸千軒ミュージアム展示では「番匠」という呼称で加工現場「作事場」が復元展示されていた。
現代ではこの身近な建築衆のことを大工さんという言い方をする。しかし歴史的には「大工」というのは、木造職人さんたちを束ねる「棟梁」的な立場を司っていた人物のことを尊称した名前。そういった専門職としてはむしろ「番匠」の方が中世社会としてはふさわしい名前と思える。
こういった建築技術集団は日本列島社会では古代から存在したことが間違いないだろう。そうでなければ三内丸山とか、出雲大社社殿、吉野ヶ里遺跡などの大型木造建築の成立は考えられない。とくに出雲大社の地上48m相当といわれた往古の超高層木造建築は達成し得なかっただろう。出雲の社殿の「伝承」としてこの超高層建築は「神話」に属すると思われていたものが、実際に巨大な心柱が、巨木3本を金輪で構造補強としてまとめられ締め上げられて出土するというに至って、現実だったことが確定した。
そういった古代からの木造技術伝承は社会に深く根ざしてあり続けてきたのだろう。一方で、世界最古の建築「会社」金剛組は現代まで1450年以上存続し続けてきている。この金剛組は聖徳太子の仏教導入政策の担い手、寺院建築の専門家として百済から来日して、そのまま宮大工として、寺院建築の延命補修の専門職として長く存続してきた。産業としての建設業は社寺仏閣という「公共事業」の担い手という存在として日本社会で永続してきたのだ。こういう技術伝承は日本社会の屋台骨資産なのだと強く思う。


草戸稲荷神社は平安時代の807年創建、一方の明王院は大同2年(807年)弘法大師の開基と伝えられている。ということはこの2つはほぼ同時期に建築工事されたことになる。創建時期のことを考えればたぶん真言宗大覚寺派の古刹である明王院が主体工事だったことが想像できる。
これら古刹の「下町」のような芦田川の中州に草戸千軒は町屋として成立した。
このふたつの大工事が草戸千軒という中世都市生成・維持にとって決定的な要因だったことは疑いがない。社寺建築に関わるあらゆる職方がこの都市に集中して、いかにも「門前市」をなす景況を生み出していったことは確実。ひとつの大工事事業があらゆる産業を成立させていくことは自明。いろいろな関連工事の職人たちが連携し合っていくときに近接して住むことは合理性がきわめて高い。このような社寺建築事業が歴史的に継続して営まれてきたことが、日本の産業史の骨格をも形成したと思える。

English version⬇

The “Bansho” domestic industry group created by shrine and temple architecture – Kusado-Senken 2023 Revisited-9
The Izumo-taisha shrine pavilion, an ancient 48-meter large wooden structure, was considered a myth, but it has been proven to be a real structure. Visualization of the social “economic” function of shrine and temple architecture. …

Now, finally, the construction group as the most familiar “local manufacturing industry” for the Japanese people. In this Kusado-Senken Museum exhibit, a restored “sakugijo,” a processing site, was displayed under the name of “bansho.
Today, the term “carpenter” is used to refer to this familiar group of builders. Historically, however, “carpenter” was a respectful name for a person who was in charge of a “master carpenter,” a position that united wooden craftsmen. As such a profession, “bansho” seems a more appropriate name for medieval society.
There is no doubt that such a group of building techniques existed in the Japanese archipelago since ancient times. Otherwise, it is inconceivable that large wooden structures such as Sannai-Maruyama, the Izumo-taisha shrine pavilions, and the Yoshinogari ruins could have been constructed. In particular, the Izumo-taisha shrine, which is said to be equivalent to 48 m above the ground, could not have been built with the super high-rise wooden structures of the past. What had been thought to be a “myth” of Izumo’s shrine buildings was confirmed to be a reality when three huge pillars were actually excavated from three huge trees that were tightened together with a metal ring for structural reinforcement.
Such ancient traditions of wooden construction technology must have been deeply rooted in society. On the other hand, the world’s oldest architectural “company,” Kongogumi, has continued to exist for more than 1,450 years until the present day. The Kongo-gumi came to Japan from Baekje as temple construction specialists who were instrumental in Prince Shotoku’s policy of introducing Buddhism. The construction industry as an industry has persisted in Japanese society as a bearer of “public works” such as shrines, temples, and Buddhist temples. I strongly believe that the transmission of these skills is a fundamental asset of Japanese society.

Not far from this Kusado-Senken are the famous old temples and shrines of “Kusado Inari Shrine” and “Meio-in Temple” (in order of photo). The shrine is a high-rise structure that looks like a building, and the pagoda of Meio-in Temple is the fruit of the skill of the craftsmen of that time.
Kusado-Senken was established as a townhouse in the middle of the Ashida River, which is like a “downtown” of these old temples. Incidentally, Kusado Inari Shrine was built in 807 during the Heian period (794-1185), while Meio-in Temple was founded by Kobo Daishi in 807 (Daido 2). This means that the two shrines were constructed at about the same time. Considering the time of construction, it can be imagined that Meio-in Temple, an old temple of the Daikakuji School of the Shingon sect, was the main construction site.
However, there is no doubt that these two major construction projects were decisive factors in the creation and maintenance of the medieval city of Kusado-Senken. It is certain that all the workers involved in shrine and temple construction were concentrated in this city, creating a “gate market” of sorts. It is obvious that a single major construction project can lead to the establishment of all kinds of industries. It is highly rational to live in close proximity to each other when craftsmen in various related construction fields are working together. The fact that such shrine and temple construction projects have been carried out continuously throughout history seems to have formed the backbone of Japan’s industrial history.

【日夜鍛錬の製造業「町の鍛冶屋」〜草戸千軒2023再訪-8】




〜しばしも休まず 槌うつ響き 飛び散る火花よ 走る湯玉 ふいごの風さえ 息をもつがず
仕事に精出す 村の鍛冶屋
あるじは名高い 働き者よ 早起き早寝の やまい知らず 永年鍛えた 自慢の腕で
打ち出す鋤鍬(すき くわ)心こもる〜「童謡・村の鍛冶屋」
日本の「ものづくり」産業史のなかでこのような童謡でまで語り継がれている職種は希少だろう。メロディのテンポの良さ、歯切れのいい歌詞。小学校の時にこの歌を歌いながら、強く心を鼓舞された記憶がある。
大好きだったのだろう。日本のこどもたちにいかにも「ものを作っている」という職人の誇りを現実の労働で示し続けた意味で、強くリスペクトさせられたように思う。写真でも、主力火力に対して注連縄で結界を表現して、心正しく真剣に一期一会のものづくりに邁進する姿が立ち上ってくる。
古代史のなかで白村江海戦など日本が朝鮮半島の権力闘争に深く関与していたのは、なによりも鉄の生産と確保が日本国家権力の大命題として存在し、その産業確保自体が中核的なテーマだっただろうことをあらわしている。日本において本格的に製鉄が開始されたのは、5世紀から6世紀にかけてとされる。
中国地方で「たたら製鉄」が始原したのは、いつの頃からなのか、そこで生産された原料鉄を使って、より消費地に近い地域で、それぞれの需要に対応した地域産業として「鍛冶屋」は成立したのでしょう。
基本的には農業土木の生産性を飛躍的に高めた存在として農業鉄器があり、同時に刀などの軍事用途が平行的に発展していったと推定される。今日のクルマ産業にまで至る日本の産業基盤だと強く思う。



この草戸千軒でも、周辺の農業地帯への農機の提供ということがまず第一の成立根拠だっただろう。中国地方の山地地域で生産された原料鉄は芦田川水系を使って河口域の草戸千軒に運ばれ、この「製鉄所」で加工・製品化されて周辺地域に普及し、さらに瀬戸内海交易を通じて堺などの大消費地にも伝播していったことだろう。
生産物毎に各地に特産地が形成され、和泉堺の庖丁、播磨三木の大工道具、越後三条・越前武生の鎌、近江甲賀・土佐山田の木挽鋸などがその代表格とされるようになっていった。交易はそういった産地間競争を刺激する最高の試練の場、公平な競争機会を提供したのだろう。日本の製造業は、こうした国内産業同士の激しい競争によって常に革新され発展してきたことだろう。
「あるじは名高い 働き者よ」というのは、日本社会がこういった競争を生産者に強いた表現の一種であるのかも知れない。日本の市場が歴史的に培ってきた生産者への創造力刺激パワー。

English version⬇

[The “town blacksmith,” a manufacturer who forges day and night – Kusado Senken 2023 Revisited-8
It continued to stimulate the spirit of “monozukuri” (manufacturing) in both rhythm and melody, the best of all the nursery rhyme songs. The core of the Japanese spirit. …

〜The sound of hammering, the echo of hammering, the sparks flying, the running balls of hot water, even the wind from the blowpipe, breathless…
The village blacksmith, hard at work
A master blacksmith, renowned for his hard work, early to rise, early to bed, never getting sick, his skill trained over many years
The plow and hoe he hammers out, with all his heart – “The Village Blacksmith,” a children’s song
In the history of Japan’s “monozukuri” (manufacturing) industry, it is rare to find an occupation that has been passed down through the generations in a children’s song like this one. The tempo of the melody and the crisp lyrics. I remember being strongly inspired while singing this song in elementary school.
I must have loved it. I think I was made to respect it strongly in the sense that it continued to demonstrate to Japanese children the pride of craftsmen who were “making things” through real labor. Even in the photo, the image of the craftsman using a shimenawa to express a boundary against the main fire power rises to the surface as he strives to make things right in his heart and earnestly, once in a lifetime.
In ancient history, Japan was deeply involved in the struggle for power on the Korean peninsula, including the Battle of Hakuchon River, indicating that above all, the production and securing of iron was a major mission of the Japanese state power and that securing the industry itself was a core theme. Iron manufacturing in Japan is said to have begun in earnest in the 5th and 6th centuries.
When did “tatara iron manufacturing” begin in the Chugoku region? Using the raw iron produced there, “blacksmithing” must have been established as a local industry in areas closer to consumption areas to meet the respective demands.
Basically, it is presumed that agricultural ironware existed as an entity that dramatically increased the productivity of agricultural engineering, and at the same time, military uses such as swords developed in parallel. I strongly believe that this is the industrial foundation of Japan that has led to today’s car industry.

The first and foremost reason for the establishment of Kusado-Senken would have been to provide agricultural machinery to the surrounding agricultural areas. The raw iron produced in the mountainous areas of the Chugoku region was transported to Kusado-Senken at the mouth of the river using the Ashida River system, processed and commercialized at this “ironworks”, and spread to the surrounding areas, and then to large consumption areas such as Sakai through trade on the Seto Inland Sea.
Each product formed its own specialty area, and the kitchen knives of Izumi Sakai, carpenters’ tools of Harima Miki, sickles of Echigo Sanjo and Echizen Takefu, and wood saws of Omi Koga and Tosa Yamada became representative of these areas. Trade probably provided the best testing ground and fair competitive opportunities to stimulate such competition between production centers. Japanese manufacturing industries have always innovated and developed through such fierce competition among domestic industries.
The phrase, “Aruji wa kamihaso hirusha” (“Aruji is a famous worker”) may be a kind of expression of the Japanese society that forced producers to compete in this way. The Japanese market has historically cultivated the power to stimulate creativity among producers.

【ものづくりニッポン「足駄屋」〜草戸千軒2023再訪-7】




自分自身がだんだん高齢者になるとは人間あんまり思っていない(笑)。ヘンな言い方ですが実際に自分が加齢してきて、はじめてその現実と向き合うことになりますね。
この草戸千軒の町家のありようをルポしていると、自分自身が体験していた1950-60年代の札幌の街の雰囲気のなかで「◎◎屋」という専門的な工人事業者、ものづくりを街の中で行っていた人びとのことがはるかに思い起こされます。時代の変化ということが明確にわかる。イマドキの若い方はそういった実感は持たれていないでしょう。自分自身、実際に触れていた当時は、それが町の記憶の中でそこまでの重要な要素だったとは思わなかったのだけれど、そういう存在が消え去ってみて初めて知ることになる。徐々に独占・寡占が各業種毎に進んで行って、町場の独自の製造事業者が撤退を余儀なくされていく過程が進行していったのですね。
この草戸千軒には、わたし自身が体験記憶しているそういう「失われた町屋」の原形が見える。
きょう紹介するのは町の「足駄屋」さんの製造工場兼用の住居。土間という作業現場と板敷きの居間空間が同居していて、必死の生き様がストレートに可視化されている。
足駄は板で造作する平面に対して鼻緒で足の親指・人差し指の間に穴を開け、左右の穴と連携して保持強度を担保して前後2本に板材の歯を付ける。その構造は江戸期以降の下駄と同一。下駄は室町から江戸期に隆盛するとされ、江戸期は含まない草戸千軒遺跡の町屋としては「足駄」なのだろう。


工程的には手頃な丸太木材から板面を切りだし成形し、それに加熱しての穴開けを行う様子がわかる。鼻緒については明確な展示がなかったように思われた。
日本人の足下は伝統的にはこういう木材素材が主流だった。ヨーロッパでは皮革による靴が一般化したのとは対比的。日常では足駄・下駄でいいだろうが、長距離の旅や戦闘などでは基本は草鞋(わらじ)だったとされる。大将から足軽雑兵に至るまでみな草鞋。基本は麻製だが藁に木綿を捻って混ぜていたものもあったとのこと。簡単に脱げないように、しっかり結ばれていたのだという。
どうしても構造上、足指が露出するので家に入るときには「足を洗って」から室内に「上がった」。日本の家屋で玄関が単なる出入り口以上の「結界」空間になったことには足下の要因もあったのだろう。
さらにきのうまで見た「塗師」の家ではほこりなどを嫌って壁は湿式仕上げの塗り壁だったけれど、こちらの足駄屋では外が見えるほどに通風性重視の板張りが採用されている。町屋長屋だけれど、こういった仕様の違いはあって、業者毎にその住宅性能を選択していたと考えられる。
そうするとこうした長屋形式の建築の運営主体者と間借り人との関係というのも興味が湧いてくる。一般的に考えれば賃貸借契約関係だったのだろう。明日以降、番匠(大工)の作事場も見るけれど、建築業・不動産業とこの草戸千軒・町屋との関係性というのも面白そうです。

English version⬇

Japanese craftsmanship: “Geta shop” – Kusado-Senken 2023 Revisited – 7
Footwear and geta have supported the footwear of the Japanese people. Since they were worn barefoot, they gave birth to a lifestyle culture of “rising” from the ground. It may be the source of the sense of home = boundary. ・・・・.

People don’t really think that they themselves will gradually become elderly (laughs). It may sound strange, but it is only when you actually start aging that you come face to face with this reality.
This report on the town houses of Kusado-Senken reminds me of my own experience in Sapporo in the 1950s and 1960s, when the town was full of professional craftspeople called “◎◎ya,” who were engaged in manufacturing in the town. It is a clear indication that the times are changing. The younger generation of Imadokoso probably does not have such a sense of reality. I myself, at the time when I was actually exposed to it, did not think it was such an important element in the town’s memory, but I only learned about it after such an existence had disappeared. So the process of gradual monopolization and oligopoly went on for each type of business, and the original manufacturing businesses in the town were forced to withdraw from the market.
In this Kusado-Senken, I can see the original form of such “lost town houses” that I myself remember from my own experience.
Today, I would like to introduce a “clog maker’s” house that doubles as a manufacturing plant. The earthen floor, a work site, and the wooden-paved living room space coexist in the same space, and the desperate way of life is clearly visualized.
The geta is made of a wooden board with a hole drilled between the thumb and forefinger with a nose strap, and two wooden board teeth are attached to the front and back to ensure holding strength in conjunction with the holes on the left and right sides. Its structure is identical to geta from the Edo period onward. Geta is said to flourish from the Muromachi to the Edo period, and as the Kusado-Senken site machiya, which does not include the Edo period, it is probably a “foot geta.

The process shows the cutting and forming of the board face from a reasonable log, and then heating and drilling the board face. There did not seem to be a clear display of the nose strap.
Traditionally, Japanese people’s footwear was made of this kind of wood material. This is in contrast to shoes made of leather, which became common in Europe. While geta (clogs) may be used in daily life, sandals are said to have been the basic footwear for long-distance travel and combat. Everyone from generals to foot soldiers wore sandals. The basic material was hemp, but there were also straw sandals mixed with twisted cotton. They were tied tightly so that they would not come off easily.
Because of the structure of the house, toes were inevitably exposed, so when entering the house, one had to “wash one’s feet” before “going up” inside. The fact that the entrance of a Japanese house became more than just a doorway, but also a “boundary” space, must have been due in part to the footprint of the house.
In addition, while the “lacquer” house I saw until yesterday had wet-finished painted walls to avoid dust, the wooden flooring in this adder house is so ventilated that the outside can be seen. Although these are townhouse row houses, there are differences in specifications, and it is thought that each builder had his own choice of housing performance.
This makes the relationship between the owner of the tenement building and the renter interesting. Generally speaking, the relationship was probably that of a lease contract. From tomorrow onward, we will also see the construction site of a bansho (carpenter), but it will be interesting to see the relationship between the construction and real estate industries and this Kusado-Senken machiya.

【縄文以来の手工業/塗師の家2〜草戸千軒2023再訪-6】



昨日に引き続き初源期の「商工」事業者の草戸千軒遺跡での活動ぶり。ものづくりの基本は生活をよりよくする目的。そのなかでも食生活を彩る食器は基本中の基本。石器時代には石の皿などが使われていましたが、定住が日本列島で始まった縄文以来、木の国の社会として漆は木製品加工に活用された。
以下Wikiの記述引用。〜古くは縄文時代から漆を使用し、現在に至るまで連綿と多くの漆器が存在する。漆器は中国発祥で技術は漆木と共に大陸から日本へ伝わったと従来考えられていた。ところが北海道函館市南茅部で出土した漆の装飾品6点が、米国での放射性炭素年代測定により7400年前とされる中国を大幅に遡る約9000年前(縄文時代早期前半)の装飾品と確認された。さらに福井・鳥浜貝塚出土の漆の枝木は分析の結果、世界最古の約1万2600年前(縄文時代草創期)と確認・証明された。(中略)こういった遺構、遺品から日本では縄文時代草創期にはすでにウルシを生育していたと考えられている。〜
漆器のことを英語ではJAPANというのだそうですが、これは漆器が日本特有の工芸品だと世界が認めているということ。和の食材を載せる容器として、漆製品は民族のシルシとも言えるのでしょう。木製品はそのままでは食材の水分が浸透してしまい、手近に入手できる木製品に対しての「防水」加工として、これも樹液から得られる漆に着目した先人に深く感謝したい。木を扱う技術伝統の深さを思わされる。
この草戸千軒遺跡の復元住居兼用工房展示でも、まずはこうした職人・工業に注目したのは素晴らしいと感動します。



そしてこの製品流通の最適地で塗師という職工人が存在したことも興味深い。原材料としての漆・漆木はたぶん遠い生産地だったに違いない。この中州立地の草戸千軒の芦田川上流の山岳地帯で採取された漆が河川交通でここまで運送されてきたものだろう。地縁血縁での信頼関係に基づいた結びつきも想定される。もうひとつの原材料である木製品は、この遺跡展示でも番匠(大工)の作事場が復元されているように、その周辺的技術として職方・工人が存在したに違いない。分業構造の「製造業」集積、イマドキの言葉で言えば見事にサプライチェーンが成立していた。
整理整頓された作業場の復元ジオラマから、仕事の段取りの様子までもが伝わってくる。加工された漆器は乾燥させる目的で棚に整頓され、作業場では各種道具類が床に並べられ、塗装の漆が収納された容器群は作業場右の棚にきちんと整頓されている。機能的な空間美の世界。
そのように製造生産された漆器は、芦田川河口域から瀬戸内海交易圏に商品として出荷されて、京大阪の市場に投入されていったものだろうか。こうした瀬戸内海交易の世界が、源平期には平家の財政基盤として機能し、戦国期には反織田勢力の基盤にもなっていたのではないか。
民の日々の暮らしから社会構造の基盤要素がくっきりと浮かび上がってくる。

English version⬇

Handicrafts since the Jomon period / Lacquerware House 2 – Kusado-Senken 2023 Revisited-6
Lacquerware is called JAPAN in the world. It is a tradition since the Jomon period, created in the land of wood. With the increase of social productive power, it became a handicraft industry. …

Continuing from yesterday, how “commercial and industrial” businesses of the Hatsugen period were active at the Kusado-Senken site. The basic purpose of monozukuri is to improve our lives. Among them, tableware that decorates our eating habits is the most basic of all. In the Stone Age, stone plates and other such items were used, but since the Jomon, when settlement began in the Japanese archipelago, lacquer was utilized in the processing of wood products as a society in the land of trees.
The following is a quote from Wiki’s description. 〜Lacquer has been used since the Jomon period, and many types of lacquerware have existed continuously until the present day. Lacquerware is thought to have originated in China, and the technique was thought to have been introduced to Japan from the continent along with lacquer wood. However, radiocarbon dating in the United States of America has confirmed that six pieces of lacquer decoration excavated in Minamikayabe, Hakodate, Hokkaido, date back approximately 9,000 years (the first half of the Early Jomon Period), well beyond the 7400-year-old Chinese date. Furthermore, analysis of a lacquer tree branch excavated from the Torihama Shell Midden in Fukui Prefecture has confirmed and proven that it is the oldest in the world, dating back to approximately 12,600 years ago (the early Jomon Period). (Based on these remains and artifacts, it is believed that poison oak was already growing in Japan during the early Jomon Period. ~.
In English, lacquerware is called JAPAN, which means that the world recognizes lacquerware as a craft unique to Japan. As containers for placing Japanese foodstuffs, lacquerware products can be said to be the shirushi of a people. Wooden products, as they are, allow moisture from foodstuffs to permeate through them. As a “waterproof” treatment for wooden products that are readily available, I would like to express my deep appreciation to our predecessors who focused on lacquer, which is also obtained from sap. It reminds us of the depth of the technological tradition of handling wood.
It is wonderful and impressive that the restored dwelling and workshop exhibit at this Kusado-Senken site also focused on these craftsmen and industries first.

It is also interesting to note the existence of a craftsman named Nurishi in this optimal location for product distribution. Lacquer and lacquer wood as raw materials were probably produced far away. Lacquer collected in the mountainous area upstream of the Ashida River in Kusado-Senken, the location of this chuzu, must have been transported here by river transportation. It is also assumed that there is a relationship of trust based on geographical and blood ties. Wooden products, another raw material, must have been a peripheral skill of artisans and craftsmen, as shown by the reconstruction of the workshop of a bansho (carpenter) in the exhibition at the site. The “manufacturing” accumulation of the division of labor structure, or in modern terms, the supply chain, was splendidly established.
A restored diorama of a well-organized workshop conveys even the arrangement of work. The processed lacquerware is arranged on shelves for drying, various tools are laid out on the floor in the workshop, and the containers of lacquer for painting are neatly arranged on the shelves to the right of the workshop. A world of functional spatial beauty.
The lacquerware produced in this way was probably shipped from the Ashida River estuary to the Seto Inland Sea trading area to be sold in the Kyoto-Osaka market. This Seto Inland Sea trading world may have served as the financial foundation for the Heike clan during the Gempei period and as the basis for the anti-Oda forces during the Sengoku period.
The daily life of the people clearly reveals the basic elements of the social structure.

【「工」職人の暮らし/塗師の家1〜草戸千軒2023再訪-5】


中世になって荘園農地ではない化外の地、境界部・川原とかの無主の土地で人びとが集まりやすい流通性のよい場所に「市」は成立していった。この草戸千軒は、芦田川という福山市の中央部を貫流して瀬戸内海に注ぐ河口という好条件の場所に成立したワケだ。瀬戸内海交易圏の中央部に立地して、大きな瀬戸内海の水の干満についてもこの地域一帯が好条件なのだったという。
そういう人びとの往来が多発する地域に同時に職人、工人たちは定住を見せるようになる。コトバとしても今日われわれは「商工業者」というように一体表現するけれど、始原期からビジネスはそのような性格を持っているのでしょう。そのさまざまな工人たちの家を訪ねてみる。第1回は漆を扱った木工道具を仕上げる「塗師」の家。上は外観ですが、街区の床面は石が敷き込まれて「簡易舗装」されている。たぶん活発な荷動きのために車両交通を考えた都市構造か。
そして引き戸の玄関開口1間幅の左右にもそれぞれ通風の開口部がしつらえられている。右側が居間空間でほぼ下半分は塗り壁仕上げ。一方の左側は工房空間でこちらはより開口面積が大きい。作業での体動を考えてより通風要素を高めたか。同時に通りとのコミュニケーションを考えたような仕様のように思える。

江戸期の長屋と同様にこちらは「2軒長屋」の一方を利用している。これが塗師の家の内部空間。右手側が家族居間で、土間を挟んで反対側が工房空間。この家は2回に分けて紹介。本日は居間空間。


柱梁には曲がり材が用いられ、壁面部は塗り壁。屋根が剥き出しで構造材があらわされ天井が張られていない。面積的には1間×2間のスペース。土間に面して囲炉裏が切られてそこを囲んで食卓空間となる。床面は板張り。鍋が火にかけられ食器に食べものが盛り付けられている。中世の人々の精一杯の「ハレ」の日の食卓風景か。敷き布団は綿のない筵が使われている。その他の家財道具はそれぞれの容器に収納されている。一隅には机も据えられている。取引を記録するためにの書き付けの必要性だろう。

居間奥の空間の様子。土間には水瓶が置かれて飲用水として暮らしの基本を支えている。その左手には焚き木が貯蔵されている。これはその日に使う分で、その他の貯蔵は屋外に積み上がっていた。部屋の右端には衣類を収納させる竹製の行李。その左側には使いかけの包丁とまな板。その周囲には塩などの調味料が容器に貯蔵されていた様子がわかる。
食のための空間が終われば、今度は寝るための空間に変化していく。食器容器などを片付けて整理整頓して「布団を敷く」ことになる。考えて見ればこういう空間の用途変更に柔軟に対応する生活文化は、日本人に数多くの特性を生んでいったに違いない。わたしたちの暮らしのマザーが表現されていて、なんとも「懐かしい」。

English version⬇

The “Takumi” craftsman’s life / Nuri-shi no Ie 1 – Kusado-Senken 2023 Revisited-5
Machiya life” realism reminds us that the custom of “tidying up” in a small space may have greatly enhanced the “responsiveness” of the Japanese people. …

In the Middle Ages, “fairs” were established on unowned land that was not manor or farm land, such as boundary areas and riverbanks, where people could easily gather and distribute their goods. Kusado-Senken was established at the mouth of the Ashida River, which flows through the center of Fukuyama City and empties into the Seto Inland Sea. The area was located in the center of the Seto Inland Sea trading zone, and the ebb and flow of the large Seto Inland Sea was also favorable in this area.
Craftsmen and artisans began to settle in such an area where people came and went frequently. Today we use the term “tradesmen” to refer to the entire area, but business has probably had such a character since the primitive period. We will visit the homes of these various craftsmen. The first is the house of a “lacquer worker” who finishes woodworking tools that deal with lacquer. Above is an exterior view, but the floor surface of the street is “simply paved” with stones. Perhaps an urban structure designed for vehicular traffic for active cargo movement.
The sliding door entrance is 1 ken wide, with ventilation openings on each side. On the right is the living room space, almost the entire lower half of which is finished with painted walls. On the left side is the workshop space, which has a larger opening. The ventilation element has been enhanced in consideration of the physical movement of the workers. At the same time, it seems to be designed to communicate with the street.

Like the row houses of the Edo period, this one uses one of the “2-house row houses”. This is the interior space of the lacquerware house. On the right side is the family living room, and across the earthen floor is the workshop space. This house will be introduced in two parts. Today is the living room space.

Bent timbers are used for columns and beams, and the walls are painted. The roof is exposed, exposing the structural materials, and there is no ceiling. The area is 1 ken by 2 ken. A sunken hearth is set in front of the earthen floor, and is used as a dining space around the hearth. The floor is covered with wooden boards. A pot is placed over the fire and food is served on dishes. This is the dining scene of the medieval people on their “Hare” day, as best they could. The futon mattress is made of a cottonless mat. Other household goods are stored in their own containers. A desk is set in one corner. This may be a writing desk to record transactions.

A view of the space behind the living room. A water bottle is placed in the earthen floor to support the basics of life as drinking water. On the left side of the room, firewood is stored. This is for the day’s use, and the rest of the wood was piled up outside. On the far right side of the room is a bamboo rack for storing clothes. To the left of it are used knives and a cutting board. Around them, salt and other seasonings were stored in containers.
Once the space for eating was finished, it was transformed into a space for sleeping. The dishes and containers were put away and organized, and then the futon was laid out. The lifestyle culture that responds flexibly to changes in the use of space must have given birth to many characteristics in the Japanese people. It is an expression of the mother of our lifestyle, and is very “nostalgic.