四国の住宅探訪シリーズというかたちで継続していると
その地域の歴史風土が重層的にどんどん見えてきます。
この「久米通賢先生旧宅」というのは四国村に移築保存された住宅。
1780〜1841年の61年の生涯の江戸期の発明家、暦学者、測量家、洋学者。
伊能忠敬よりも早く日本初の実測地図を作った人物。地元香川県では偉人として
顕彰されており「讃岐のエジソン」「塩田の父」などと称されている。
生まれは農家で幼少期から利発で学問好きな子だったため、
讃岐の引田港から大坂に向かう船の舵取りも務めていた父の嘉兵衛は、
大坂に行くたび通賢のために書物を買ってきていたとのこと。
江戸期は「身分制」の固定化されたイメージがあるけれど、
それは武士階級だけのことであって百姓、庶民はフラットに
その生業を幅広く営んでいる実相がわかるエピソードですね。
農家だから農業だけに縛られて生きたのではなくさまざまな生業、生き様を
生き抜く自由さがあったといえる。
7歳の頃、通賢は父に連れられ大坂の町の時計店に行く機会があり、
当時最先端の機器であった時計の修繕を熱心に眺めていた。
そこへ別の客がやってきて店の者に時計の修繕を依頼したが、店の者は
誰も手がすいていない。そこで通賢が店の道具を借りて見よう見まねで
修繕をしてみたら時計は元通り動くようになった。皆大いに驚き喜んだという。
そういう才能豊かな人物だったので、大阪に出て学問を学んだ。
外国船が日本近海に来る幕末。通賢も兵法、オランダ流砲術等を学んでいる。
1802年になって父親が亡くなったので郷里に帰るが
学問研究はずっと継続していた。そういう有為な人材だったので
藩に測量方として採用され領内の実地測量地図の作成に従事した。
これは伊能図より早い讃岐国最古の実測地図。翌年、軍艦の設計も行っている。

この旧宅は写真に見られる通り玄関を入ると高い小屋裏が露出し、
座敷でも小屋裏が露出している。
移築保存に当たって解体したときにこの高い小屋裏には
測量器具・大砲の鋳型などが発見されたと言うこと。
写真は「火矢筒の木型」というもので、一種の大砲の鋳型だということ。
幕末期の沸騰する攘夷思想のなかで讃岐の地で
こういった科学者が在野に存在して藩の軍事力向上に貢献していた。
江戸期の社会というものの活力をまざまざと実証しているように思えます。
西洋近代の技術発展に対して、その脅威をしっかり受け止めて
世を挙げて国防意識が高まり、政治をも変革していく社会のうねりが
確実に存在していたということでしょうね。

English version⬇

[Sanuki’s late Edo “scientist” house ① Shikoku living space exploration-32]
Society entrusted a major role to a science-talented boy born in a family that was both a farmer and a sailor. A real image of free and open Japanese society.・ ・ ・

If you continue in the form of a housing exploration series in Shikoku
The historical climate of the area can be seen more and more in layers.
This “Kume Tsuken-sensei’s old house” is a house that was relocated and preserved in Shikoku Village.
An inventor, calendar scholar, surveyor, and Western scholar in the Edo period, who lived in 1780-1841.
The person who made Japan’s first actual measurement map earlier than Ino Tadataka. As a great man in my hometown of Kagawa
He has been honored and is known as “Sanuki’s Edison” and “Shioda’s father”.
He was born a farmer and was a clever and academic child from an early age.
His father, Kabei, who also steered the ship from Hiketa Port in Sanuki to Osaka,
He said that he bought books for Tsuyoshi every time he went to Osaka.
In the Edo period, there was a fixed image of “social division”,
It’s only the samurai class, the peasant, the common people are flat
It’s an episode that shows the reality of having a wide range of livelihoods.
Being a farmer, I didn’t just live by being tied to agriculture, but lived in various ways and ways of life.
It can be said that he had the freedom to survive.
At the age of seven, Tsuken had the opportunity to go to a watch shop in the town of Osaka with his father.
He was enthusiastic about repairing the watch, which was the most advanced equipment at the time.
Another customer came there and asked the store clerk to repair the watch, but the store clerk
No one is out of hand. So, let’s see if Tsuken borrows the tools from the store.
After repairing it, the clock returned to normal. Everyone was very surprised and pleased.
Being such a talented person, he went to Osaka to study.
The end of the Edo period when foreign ships come to the sea near Japan. Tsuken is also learning military art and Dutch art.
He returns to his hometown in 1802 because his father died.
His academic studies continued forever. Because he was such a talented person
He was adopted by the clan as a surveying method and engaged in the creation of field survey maps from Hiketa in the territory to the west.
This map is the oldest actual measurement map in Sanuki Province, which is earlier than the Ino map. The following year he also designed warships.

As you can see in the photo, this old house has a high back of the hut exposed when you enter the entrance.
Even in the tatami room, the back of the hut is exposed.
In the back of this tall hut when it was dismantled for relocation and preservation
It is said that surveying instruments, cannon molds, etc. were discovered.
The photo is a “wooden quiver”, which is a kind of cannon mold.
In the land of Sanuki in the boiling thought of Joi at the end of the Edo period
These scientists existed in the field and contributed to the improvement of the clan’s military power.
It seems that the vitality of the society of the Edo period is clearly demonstrated.
Take the threat firmly to the technological development of modern Western times
The swell of society that raises national defense awareness and transforms politics
It surely existed.

Posted on 3月 26th, 2022 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 住宅取材＆ウラ話, 歴史探訪