(Click to listen) Edo period villages often had "iriaichi," which were forests and fields used collectively by the village residents. Here, they could gather resources such as firewood, wood for charcoal, grass and fallen leaves for fertilizer (karishiki), and fodder for livestock. The use of these common lands was strictly managed by village rules (mura-okite) and, as a shared asset of all villagers and a place for communal labor, played a crucial role in maintaining the village's communal nature. However, as the commodity economy developed and the commercial value of forest resources increased, disputes over the use of iriaichi sometimes arose between villages or within a village itself.
This Page's Summary in English (Click to expand and listen to paragraphs)
This page explores the structure of village communities (sonraku kyōdōtai) and the lives of peasants, who constituted over 80% of Japan's population during the Edo period. Villages were not only agricultural production units but also self-governing social entities.
The village (mura) was the basic administrative and communal unit, with its boundaries and assessed productivity (muradaka) determined by land surveys (kenchi). The Muraukesei system made villages collectively responsible for tax payments (nengu) and other duties. Village governance was managed by village officials (Murakata Sanyaku: Nanushi/Shōya, Kumigashira, Hyakushōdai), who were typically influential landholding peasants. Important village matters were discussed in meetings called Yoriai, and villages had their own rules (Mura-okite). The Gonin-gumi system (five-household groups) ensured mutual responsibility.
Peasant society was stratified. Hon-byakushō (landholding, tax-paying owner-farmers) were the core of the village. However, many were Mizunomi-byakushō (landless or near-landless peasants) or Kosakunin (tenant farmers). With the rise of the commodity economy, some Hon-byakushō became wealthy Jinushi (landlords) or Gōnō (wealthy farmers), engaging in commerce and moneylending, while others lost their land. Daily life involved hard agricultural labor, a simple diet (often mixed grains), and communal activities.
Communal labor (yui, moyai) was essential for tasks like planting, harvesting, and infrastructure maintenance. Seasonal festivals and religious practices, including worship of local deities (ujigami) and participation in religious associations (kō), were important aspects of village life. Pilgrimages like the Ise Mairi were also popular.
Peasants faced frequent natural disasters and famines (e.g., Kyōhō, Tenmei, Tenpō famines). Their responses included self-help, mutual aid, and sometimes resistance like chōsan (fleeing the village) or hyakushō ikki (peasant uprisings). As the commodity economy penetrated deeper in the later Edo period, social stratification intensified, leading to more village disputes (murakata-sōdō) and "world-rectifying" uprisings (yonaoshi ikki) in the Bakumatsu era, reflecting growing social unrest and the transformation of rural society.