Page 296 - Panjek, Aleksander, Jesper Larsson and Luca Mocarelli, eds. 2017. Integrated Peasant Economy in a Comparative Perspective: Alps, Scandinavia and Beyond. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 296
integr ated peasant economy in a compar ative perspective
nt down in Moto-mukai, another district of Takahama, thereby displacing
173 people. Later the same year on 29th December, a fire in the same distri-
ct burned more than 60 houses. A total of 245 houses were burnt down du-
ring those years.
The repeated fire disasters in the centre of the village from 1814 to 1815
motivated the shoya and village officials, administrative subordinates, to
improve district planning so as to stop the spread of fire. The diaries reveal
that the widths of alleys and lanes were expanded, that a new firefighting
organisation equipped with instruments for firefighting was established,
and that the traditional system of mutual assistance between village com-
munities, called sukui (save), effectively functioned to supply food to vic-
tims of fires and nature-induced disasters. For the purpose of recovering
from the fire-induced disasters and reconstructing the damaged district,
pictorial maps were drawn of the houses burned. Today, they help pres-
ent-day historian’s visualise the disastrous fires that occurred in the Ear-
ly Modern world. Similar visualisation of disasters is also available for the
flood of 1803 (Kyowa 3), which will be elaborated on later.
The entry for 1st August in the Ueda diaries says as follows:
August 1, Sunny, North wind, Light drizzle just before dawn
– Last night, at Inu-no-ge-koku [Japanese time, around 9–10
PM], fire broke out in Hama between a shed inherited to Usuke
and Gen’s house continued to burn until Ushi-no-koku [next night
around 2-4 AM] and the morning. More than one hundred houses
were burnt down. Regarding the aforementioned, I have compiled
the following report, delivered by the express messenger: At Hama
of this village last night, at Inu-no-ge-koku a fire broke out. The fire
was extinguished before dawn and more than one hundred houses
were burnt down.
– The haiden [hall of worship] and sessha [auxiliary shrine]
of the Hachiman shrine, which enshrines the local tutelary deity
were both burnt. Fortunately, the shintai [object of worship] and
mikoshi [divine palanquin] were taken out and saved.
– The shoya’s residence experienced the same. Fortunately, the
kenchicho [land survey register] and other important documents
have been removed.
– The kosatsu [public notice board] has been removed and saved.
– There is nothing special to note about concerning the go [vil-
lage] storehouse
294
nt down in Moto-mukai, another district of Takahama, thereby displacing
173 people. Later the same year on 29th December, a fire in the same distri-
ct burned more than 60 houses. A total of 245 houses were burnt down du-
ring those years.
The repeated fire disasters in the centre of the village from 1814 to 1815
motivated the shoya and village officials, administrative subordinates, to
improve district planning so as to stop the spread of fire. The diaries reveal
that the widths of alleys and lanes were expanded, that a new firefighting
organisation equipped with instruments for firefighting was established,
and that the traditional system of mutual assistance between village com-
munities, called sukui (save), effectively functioned to supply food to vic-
tims of fires and nature-induced disasters. For the purpose of recovering
from the fire-induced disasters and reconstructing the damaged district,
pictorial maps were drawn of the houses burned. Today, they help pres-
ent-day historian’s visualise the disastrous fires that occurred in the Ear-
ly Modern world. Similar visualisation of disasters is also available for the
flood of 1803 (Kyowa 3), which will be elaborated on later.
The entry for 1st August in the Ueda diaries says as follows:
August 1, Sunny, North wind, Light drizzle just before dawn
– Last night, at Inu-no-ge-koku [Japanese time, around 9–10
PM], fire broke out in Hama between a shed inherited to Usuke
and Gen’s house continued to burn until Ushi-no-koku [next night
around 2-4 AM] and the morning. More than one hundred houses
were burnt down. Regarding the aforementioned, I have compiled
the following report, delivered by the express messenger: At Hama
of this village last night, at Inu-no-ge-koku a fire broke out. The fire
was extinguished before dawn and more than one hundred houses
were burnt down.
– The haiden [hall of worship] and sessha [auxiliary shrine]
of the Hachiman shrine, which enshrines the local tutelary deity
were both burnt. Fortunately, the shintai [object of worship] and
mikoshi [divine palanquin] were taken out and saved.
– The shoya’s residence experienced the same. Fortunately, the
kenchicho [land survey register] and other important documents
have been removed.
– The kosatsu [public notice board] has been removed and saved.
– There is nothing special to note about concerning the go [vil-
lage] storehouse
294
