Japan's Imperial Forest, Goryorin, 1889–1946
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JAPAN’S IMPERIAL FOREST, GORYORIN, 1889–1946 JAPAN’S IMPERIAL FOREST, GORYORIN, 1889–1946 WITH A SUPPORTING STUDY OF THE KAN/MIN DIVISION OF WOODLAND IN EARLY MEIJI JAPAN, 1871–76 by CONRAD TOTMAN JAPAN’S IMPERIAL FOREST, GORYORIN, 1889–1995 First published in 2007 by GLOBAL ORIENTAL LTD PO Box 219 Folkestone Kent CT20 2WP UK www.globaloriental.co.uk © Conrad Totman 2007 ISBN 978-1-905246-30-4 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A CIP catalogue entry for this book is available from the British Library Set in 9/10.5pt Stone Serif by Servis Filmsetting Ltd, Manchester Printed and bound in England by Cromwell Press Ltd, Trowbridge, Wilts FOR HIDEO KANEKO Colleague and Friend The reading for this study on Goryorin was immensely expedited by Hideo Kaneko’s long dedication to developing Yale University’s collection of schol- arly materials on East Asia. Hideo, who retired as Yale’s Curator of the East Asian Collection in August 2000, after thirty-four years of service in the library, was a giant in his profession. During his tenure as Curator, the East Asian Collection tripled its holdings. That growth assured Yale a collection that entered the twenty-first century up to date, rich in content, and sound in organization. It is in great part thanks to Hideo’s labors, and those of other similarly devoted librarians, that scholars have been able to broaden and deepen the English-language corpus of writings on Japan, helping readers of that lan- guage to press on in the great enterprise of appreciating the wondrous diver- sity and complexity of our communal human experience on this little planet. Contents List of Illustrations ix List of Appendices x A Chronology Relating to the History of Goryorin, 1868–1947 xi Maps xvii Preface: Britain and Japan: A Comparison xxiv Introduction 1 PART I Chapter 1. Historical Background 7 Pre-Meiji Imperial lands 7 Emperor and Government in Early Meiji 8 Forest Issues in Meiji Land Reform 9 Chapter 2. Establishing Goryo¯rin 15 The Early 1880s: A Context 15 The Rationale for Goryorin 17 From Goryochi to Goryorin 24 Assembling Goryorin 26 Chapter 3. Reducing Goryo¯rin 30 The Overall Picture 30 Resistance and its Effects 32 The Course of Shrinkage 39 Chapter 4. The Case of Yamanashi Goryo¯rin 44 Geography 44 Early Meiji Developments 45 Goryorin: Early Problems 47 Goryorin: Later Developments 50 Crisis and Abandonment 54 viii Contents Chapter 5. Managing Goryo¯rin: Plans and Performance 57 An Overview 57 Management Plans 61 Managerial Performance 64 Chapter 6. Managing Goryo¯rin: Aspects of Practice 69 Mensuration and Research 69 Afforestation and Aftercare 71 Changes in Technology 74 Logging Procedure and Production 81 The Payoff 85 Chapter 7. Goryo¯rin: An Assessment 88 Reflections on Goryorin 88 Britain and Japan Again 94 PART II Chapter 8. The Kan/Min Division of Woodland in Early Meiji Japan, 1871–76 101 Dimensions of the Problem 101 The Beginnings of Reorganization: To Build a Better Fisc, 1871–73 106 Redirecting Woodland Policy: To Build a Bigger Forest, 1873–76 112 Implementing Forest Consolidation, 1874–76 116 Some Case Studies 121 Epilogue: The Completion and Afterlife of Kan/Min Division 130 Appendices 135 Notes 154 Bibliographical Essay 172 Bibliography of Works Cited 175 Index 183 Illustrations Maps MAP 1. Japan and Britain xvii MAP 2. Northeast Asia and Naichi xviii MAP 3. Central Japan: A Physiographic Map xix MAP 4. The Tokai Region xx MAP 5. The Kiso Valley xxi MAP 6. Yamanashi Prefecture xxii MAP 7. Goryorin in Hokkaido xxiii Tables (in text) TABLE Int-1. Forest Acreage and Stands, 1930s 3 TABLE 3-1. Types and Acreage of Goryochi, 1940 39 TABLE 4-1. Yamanashi Goryorin in 1903 51 TABLE 5-1. Assets of the Bureau of the Imperial Forest, 1946 61 TABLE 8-1 Damage to Kanrin (by number of trees) 107 TABLE 8-2 Expansion of Kanrin (by number of sites and acreage) 131 Figures (in text) FIGURES 1-1a, 1-1b.Sanrin gen’ya 12 FIGURE 1-2. Uses of gen’ya 13 FIGURE 2-1. Kiso kanrin 22 FIGURE 2-2. Desirable sanrin 23 FIGURE 3-1. Gen’ya: contested land 35 FIGURE 5-1. Plantation forest in Kiso 59 FIGURE 6-1. Log transport in Kiso 75 FIGURES 6-2a, 6-2b. Sawmill at forest edge 80 FIGURE 6-3. Plantation forestry technique 82 FIGURE 6-4. Trajectory of Goryorin Profits, 1889–1947 86 FIGURE 8-1. Sanrin. A stand of Young sugi 103 FIGURE 8-2. Gen’ya. Oak coppice (sprouted from stumps) 103 FIGURE 8-3. Notable regulations on forest reorganization 109 Appendices Appendix A: Measurements and Glossary 137 Appendix B: Forests and the Imperial Fisc 139 Appendix C: Goryorin in Law 141 Appendix D: Supplemental Figures 143 FIGURE D-1 Prefectural Regulations for Rental of Goryochi or Purchase of Stumpage (1889) 143 FIGURE D-2. Regulations for Felling Purchased Trees in Goryorin (1901) 144 Appendix E: Supplemental Tables 146 TABLE E-1 Total Woodland of Japan, 1939 146 TABLE E-2 Location of Goryorin, 1937 147 TABLE E-3 Property Office Regional Headquarters, 1914 147 TABLE E-4 Rotation-Cutting Schedule of Hundred Year Plan 148 TABLE E-5 Goryorin Management Results, 1908–38 149 TABLE E-6 Trends in Goryorin Logging Practice, 1908–38 149 TABLE E-7 Trends in Goryorin Stands, 1909–38 150 TABLE E-8 Goryorin Afforestation, 1906–15 150 TABLE E-9 Goryorin Afforestation, 1936–45 151 TABLE E-10 Trends in Goryorin Logging, 1892–1937 151 TABLE E-11 Goryorin Harvest, 1936–45 152 TABLE E-12 Goryorin Stumpage, 1939 and 1946 153 TABLE E-13 Goryorin Finances, 1889–1947 153 TABLE E-14 Government Forest Profit Margins, 1936–45 154 A Chronology Relating to the History of Goryorin, 1868–1947* *NOTE: Scholarly sources do not always agree on dating. Particularly helpful for clarifying issues of dating in Japan’s forest history is the won- derfully detailed work published in 1997 by Nihon ringyo chosakai, (Sogo nenpyo) Nihon no mori to ki to hito no rekishi [The History of Japan’s forests, trees, and people: a chronology]. It covers the centuries from prehistory to the present, with pp. 370–565 treating the decades since 1868. Date Subject 1868 Goryochi is abolished; Court is funded through government treasury. 1871–73 The Iwakura Mission visits Europe. March 25, 1872 Palaces are defined as Imperial Property (koguchi) within the category of Government Property (kan’yuchi). July 1872 A law on title deeds establishes the categories of kanrin and kouchi. Nov. 7, 1874 The government (Dajokan) cancels earlier decrees on forest organization and issues new regulations for categorizing all land as either government (kan’yu) or private (min’yu) land. Imperial property is labeled Category 2 of kan’yuchi, except for palaces, which are placed in Category 1. Fall 1875 Matsuno Hazama (Kan) returns to Japan after study- ing forestry in Germany. 1876 Kido Koin urges assigning forests to the Imperial Household. From 1879 onward, numerous influen- tial others advocate various ways to equip the Household with woodland and other properties. xii A Chronology Relating to the History of Goryorin 1868–1947 Spring 1878 Matsuno et al. establish a forestry research station at Nishigahara in northern Tokyo, under the Forestry Division (Sanrinka) of the Interior Ministry (Naimusho). On December 1, 1882 a Tokyo School of Forestry (Sanrin Gakko) is established at Nishigahara and is incorporated into Tokyo Imperial University. 1879 The Forest Agency issues a mensuration manual (Shakujime shidashi benran); the Property Office uses it during the 1890s. 1880 Goryochi acreage totals 634 chobu. March 1881 Okuma Shigenobu calls for an elected legislature to convene in 1883. Oct. 12. 1881 An Imperial decree calls for an elected Diet in 1890. 1881–85 Matsukata deflation; peasant rebellions during 1882–84. Feb. 1882 Ito Hirobumi urges tripartite division of the realm, then departs for Europe with Nakamura Yaroku et al.; returns in August 1883. March 1884 Ito heads the Imperial Household Ministry (Kunaisho) and the temporary government reform committee. 1884–85 Hokkaido pasturage is assigned to goryochi; with more added in January, 1889. 1885 Goryochi acreage totals 22,000 chobu. Nov. 28, 1885 At Ito’s request, the government begins to restrict sales of larger parcels of government woodland, which are to be used for Goryorin. Dec. 22, 1885 Ito takes the added title of Prime Minister (Naikaku Sori Daijin). Dec. 23, 1885 The Property Office (Goryokyoku) is established. Feb. 1886 The Property Office is expanded; and again in March and September. Oct. 1887 The Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce (Noshomusho) begins focusing its woodland survey work on areas to be assigned to the Property Office. May 1888 A joint Noshomu-Naimu-Kunaisho committee is formed to deal with the reassignment of govern- ment woodland (kokuyurin) as goryochi. During 1888–90 it, and a successor committee, identify about 1.6 million chobu to be assigned. Feb. 11, 1889 The Meiji Constitution and Imperial House Law are issued. A Chronology Relating to the History of Goryorin 1868–1947 xiii 1889 Gunma Prefecture issues regulations for the manag- ing of goryochi there. 1889 The Imperial Household receives Sado and Ikuno mines; disposes of them a few years later. 1889 The Property Office staff numbers thirty-three. June 1890 The Property Office establishes a regional headquar- ters in Sapporo.