The Custom of Utilizing Water for Irrigation and the Structure of the Villages in Nara Basin

Abstract

The custom of utilizing water for irrigation is very closely related with the structure of the villages, especially so in the community in which rice-crop is the chief produce. Even in the village life unequality may be found, which has great deal to do with order and government of the villages. We can see a typical example in the village of “Rokuyaon”.(1) “Rokuyaon” is a village situated on a tableland in Nara Basin. There in the village people rely on the “Iwai River”, ponds or wells with a large natural flow for the water they use for irrigation. Still they cannot get enough water, and what is worse, they have drought frequently. Therefore, they have had quarrels or disputes to get their own cultivating fields well irrigated.(2) “Ban-sui”, a group of persons that keeps watch and takes care of the water in the dry season, is the most striking feature of this village. This group consists of chiefs called “Mizu-oya” and subordinate groups called “Mizu-ko”. Nine chiefs and nine minor groups make a unit which has to be on duty of keeping watch and taking care of the water once every three days.(3) “Mizu-oya” are major land owners of the village, while “Mizu-ko” minor ones. A tenant farmer is another existence. Thus there are three social classes in the village. “Mizu-oya” have the control over the utilization of water for irrigation. The water is to be allotted to each cultivated land according to the value (price) of the land. The rate of the allotment, however, varies with the change of “Mizu-oya” in charge.(4) “Mizu-oya” belong to the upper class of the village and have the command of economy and government of the village. The system of the utilization of water for irrigation constitutes the fundamental condition of the village life.(5) The villagers generally engage in agriculture in such a small way that many of them go for work to Nara city or some other places requiring labor when their labor becomes superfluous. The prosperity of commercial agriculture is checked by high ground-rent and by payment of rent in kind. In this village agriculture relies very much upon irrigating water, because rice or barley growing is the main branch of agriculture here.(6) The system of the utilization of water for irrigation, as I have stated, decides the structure of the village and at the same time constitutes the fundamental condition of the village life. This is the most striking feature of this village.