Kansei 9 (1797) Chase the 'Hidden Waterwheels' of Edo! — The Day the Shogunate Snapped at the Excuse 'It's for Personal Use' [Oil Distribution Reform: Tracking Edition] ~ Records of Struggles with Old Documents ~ #046
In the previous article, we introduced the Shogunate's grand strategy of 'bypassing Osaka and making Hyogo a hub'.
The previous article can be found here.
However, no matter how excellent a strategy is, it will become a mere shell if it is not accompanied by 'operational' execution on the ground.
The historical document from Kansei 9 (1797) that I will introduce this time is from six years after the reform. It is a record of a gritty compliance war between businesses exploiting loopholes to engage in clever 'black market trade' and the Shogunate, which hunted them down using data (koku-daka) and logic.
What I read this time
Kansei 9 Snake Year, April Official Notice. It was nearly 13 pages long.
First, using the 'Fuminoha' cursive character decoding app 'Komonjo Camera',
I hold up my smartphone to read the images and make an educated guess at the characters.
Then, I sent the obtained transcript toGemini and requested a modern Japanese translation and context explanation.
Decoding using the power of civilization!
1. The 'bug' in the reform: Illegal schemes on the ground
With the Kansei 3 reforms, the distribution routes should have been organized. However, illegal acts abusing 'exception clauses' were rampant on the ground.
【Reading: Rampant black market trading】
Even after that, in various places in the western regions, there are those who, under the name of 'handmade/hand-pressed', are preparing goods on a large scale using waterwheels or human power, and because they are buying up the pressing herbs (raw materials), it is heard that the arrival amounts are decreasing.
【Modern Japanese Translation】
'Several years after the reform, there are reports that in various places in western Japan, there are unscrupulous people who, under the pretext of "hand-pressed for personal consumption," are actually running large-scale equipment like waterwheels at full capacity. Because they are buying up raw materials on their own, the arrivals to the official routes (Osaka/Hyogo) are decreasing, aren't they!'
2. The auditor's eye: Seeing through lies via 'equipment capacity'
This is where the Shogunate's auditing capability shines. What they focused on was the 'assets' (equipment) on-site.
[Reading: Conviction through Logic]
In the first place, those who do it by hand and press by hand should only have a small amount for the future. While those who press by hand are an exception, those who press using waterwheels are not equivalent to hand-pressing, and thus, fraud naturally occurs.
[Modern Translation (Audit Logic)]
“In the first place, 'hand-pressing' for personal use should only be an amount that can be managed by human labor. The moment you are operating a massive production infrastructure like a waterwheel, it is no longer 'personal use' but a 'business.' The scale of capital investment contradicts the declared usage. This is clear evidence of fraud (illicit manufacturing).”
3. Data Reconciliation of 'Shipments' and 'Arrivals'
Furthermore, the Shogunate strengthened 'name-based auditing' to match the entry and exit points of logistics.
[Reading: Data Audit by the Town Magistrate's Office]
Henceforth, report to the Osaka Town Magistrate's Office, and the Magistrate's Office shall hear from the seed wholesalers and receiving wholesalers, and in the event that the reported amount of koku does not match, an investigation shall be conducted.
[Modern Translation]
“From now on, have them accurately report the harvest volume from each region, and report the amount sent to Osaka and Hyogo to the Town Magistrate's Office. The Magistrate's Office will reconcile (cross-check) the 'shipment data (koku count)' from the local area with the 'receipt data' from the wholesalers. If the numbers do not match and there is a shortage, a thorough audit (investigation) will be conducted to find out where the goods disappeared.”
4. Perspective of a 40-something Businessman: 'Internal Control' 180 Years Ago
Reading through these historical documents, the difficulties of 'governance' in modern corporate activities overlap.
Abuse of Exception Clauses: The well-intentioned exception that 'small-scale is okay (hand-pressing)' is used for organized regulatory evasion (black market routes).
Asset-Based Auditing: Even if books can be falsified, fixed assets like 'waterwheels' cannot be hidden. The method of estimating business scale by looking at on-site equipment is a fundamental part of modern auditing.
Thorough Joint Responsibility: Even local officials (village headmen) who overlook fraud are subject to punishment. This is a strict stance that truly questions the 'supervisory responsibility of officers' in the modern era.
Conclusion: Toward the Mystery of 'Money' Behind the Flow of Goods
From 1791 to 1794, the Shogunate promoted an 'ideal distribution network.' What they faced was a quagmire of a cat-and-mouse game with those on the ground who were stealing glances away from the rules. Even if the strategy is perfect, controlling the 'greed' and 'settlements' of the field is an extremely difficult task.
However, when they were buying and selling on the roadside without permission or running waterwheels in secret, how was that 'payment' handled? Amidst the fluctuating exchange rates of complex gold, silver, and copper coins, how did they manage to complete their transactions?
After peering into the abyss of 'physical goods' like oil, next, I would like to step into the world of the true black box that manipulated the Edo economy from the shadows: financial exchange and money changing.
Click here for the previous article
Click here for recommendations on dictionaries and books for ancient documents
You might feel like you can read them by looking at many examples
They are unnecessary when you have just started studying. But, the time will come when you need them!!
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