Part 5 Kofun Period (2) The Lives of the Be (Occupational Groups) - The Uji-Kabane System -

#1 A Day in the Life of Nameless People
Morning light shone from the edge of the mountains, and thin rays of light fell through the gaps in the roof of the pit dwelling.
Tachi stared at the fire in the hearth, waiting for Obaba's story.
Today, it is a story not of myths or powerful clans, but of the "lives of nameless people."
Obaba gathered the charcoal and began to speak slowly.
■ Morning in the Village - The Scent of Earth and Smoke
"Well, today is a story about the lives of commoners in the Kofun period.
I will tell you what kind of houses your ancestors lived in, what work they did, and what thoughts they lived with."
Chi's eyes sparkled.
"It's not about powerful clans or emperors, but about ordinary people, right?"
"That's right. They don't appear in history textbooks, but it was these nameless people who supported the country," Obaba continued.
"In the morning, the inside of the pit dwelling is still dim.
The dirt floor is cool, and you can hear the birds outside. The women first light the fire and cook porridge. The men head to the fields, and the children go to fetch water." Tachi nods.
■ Tabe (Field Groups) - A Farmer's Year
"Most commoners were farmers called 'Tabe'.
The Tabe served powerful clans and the Great King, tilled the fields, and paid a portion of their harvest," Obaba spread her hands. "In spring they leveled the fields, in summer they mowed the grass, in autumn they harvested the rice, and in winter they made rope.
There was no time to rest all year round. But at harvest time, the whole village was filled with joy."
Tachi said quietly, "Farmers have always had it tough, haven't they?"
"That's true. But they took pride in their fields. It was the pride of saying, 'My field feeds the village.'"
■ People of Technology - The Specialists of the Uji-Kabane System
Obaba continued while staring at the fire. "In the Kofun period, there were many 'clans' that performed specialized work.
The blacksmith clan (O-shi), the pottery clan (Suebe), the weaving clan (Hata-uji), the horse-breeding clan (Umakaibe), the fishing clan (Amabe), the ritual-supporting clan (Imibe), the woodworking clan, and the transport clan (Shinabe)—each lived with pride in their own skills."
Tachi's eyes sparkled. "Then, you're going to tell us about those people from now on, right?"
"That's right. They didn't work for the powerful clans. They worked to 'protect their own skills.'"
■ The Sound of the Forge, the Heat of the Kiln, the Scent of the Sea
"The blacksmith clan (O-shi) made the sound of iron striking ring out from the morning. Sparks flew, the iron glowed red, and the sound was like the 'heartbeat' of the village. The pottery clan (Suebe) lit the kiln and fired Sueki pottery. The heat inside the kiln exceeded a thousand degrees. The moment the clay vessel turned blue-gray was like magic.
The fishing clan (Amabe) took their boats out before dawn, pulled nets, gathered shellfish, and lived with the sea.
The sea is bountiful, but sometimes it takes lives. Even so, they loved the sea."
Tachi gasped. "It feels like... every job is about 'being alive.'"
"That's right. For people in the old days, work itself was 'living.'"
■ Festivals and Prayers - What Connects the Village
"The village had 'festivals.' Festivals to pray for a good harvest, to wish for rain, and to drive away illness.
The Imibe prepared for the festivals, the shrine maidens conveyed the words of the gods, the men beat drums, the women sang songs, and the children ran around. Only on festival days did the poor, the sick, and the hardworking all gather in the same place."
Tachi said quietly, "Festivals were the 'heart' of the village, weren't they?"
■ Giant Kofun and Commoners - Who Carried the Earth?
"And then, the giant Kofun tombs. It wasn't the powerful clans who built them. It was the commoners.
Tabe, Tsuchibe, Shinabe, woodworkers, pottery clans—every clan was mobilized." Tachi frowned.
"That must have been hard." "It was hard. But the commoners thought like this:
'Under this Great King, we are living.'
'This tomb is proof of our era.' Pride and suffering are mixed into the soil."
■ To the Stories of Nameless People
Obaba stood up and arranged the charcoal. "Now, this is where the real story begins. From next time, one story per clan, I will tell you about the 'way of life' of the nameless people."
Tachi's eyes sparkled. "The blacksmiths, the potters, the sea people... I want to hear everyone's stories!"
Obaba smiled. "Then next time—the blacksmith clan (O-shi). The story of the people whose sound of striking iron changed the country." The fire in the hearth popped. The heartbeat of the ancient people was beginning to resonate within Tachi's chest.
(To be continued)