Research on Land Issues During the Period of Historical Transformation in Japanese Society

Author: Zuo Xuede, Wu Ling, et al.
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: This book explores the land issues during several major social transformation periods in Japanese history, as well as the closely related problems of farmers, agriculture, and rural areas. Through the analysis of the formation process of the land distribution system (Kokudaka) and its differences from the equal-field system (taking household land and garden plots as examples), the book further reveals the development and patterns of productivity and production relations in Japan during the Ritsuryō period. The book also examines the complete disintegration of the land distribution system and the establishment of the shōen system, analyzing the production methods, characteristics, changes, and structure within the shōen. It further explores the deep connections between the shōen system and the changes in Japan's superstructure at the time, examining the internal causes of ancient Japan's social transformation from the perspective of the economic angle of land systems. Chapter 4 focuses on describing the main content, characteristics, and land policies of the Tokugawa Shogunate's land system—Shi-Kōen system—under the Bakuhan system, as well as the adjustments made by the Shogunate to maintain this land system, which ultimately collapsed along with the development of farmers' commodity economy. Chapter 5 introduces the land system during the Meiji Restoration period. Chapter 6 analyzes the land system during the transition from modernity to modernity.