Abstract

In medieval Japan a number of feudal manors were developed in certain parts of the country, and from those manors the tributes were despatched to the nobles' residences, temples, and shrines in Kyoto-Nara area and their vicinity. The interest of the author in this paper is focussed on sea-borne transportation of tributes from feudal manors in Aichi and Shizuoka areas to Ise Jingu Shrine in the present Mie prefecture, during the period from the 11th to the 15 th centuries. Since the manors in these areas were not linked directly with Kyoto, the sea-borne transportation routes have not been studied so far.The author made an examination of the following manors. Numbers (i) to (iii) were situated in the medieval province of Totomi, western section of the present Shizuoka Prefectue, and (iv) to (vi) in Mikawa, eastern section of Aichi Prefecture.(i) Hamana-Kanbe Manor(ii) Miyakoda-Mikuriya Manor(iii) Kamata-Mikuriya Manor(iv) Atsumi-Kanbe Manor(v) Akumi-Kanbe Manor(vi) Irako-Mikuriya ManorKanbe was a kind of manors which had originally been establihed in the ancient times, from which sake wine, silk, textiles, etc. as well as rice were sent as sacred tributes to Ise Jingu Shrine. The tributes from Mikuriya manors consisted mostly of rice and fish, whereas those from Misono manors were a variety of upland field products. In any case the medieval manors were developed either on the sea-coasts or along the river courses, and it is easily imaginable that some sort of facilities for water transportation were generally available to most manors.Through a study of selected manors, several points of interest seem to be disclosed. They are summarised below.1) Feudal manors of Ise Jingu Shrine situated in Mikawa and Totomi most probably depended on the sea-borne transportation as a means of despatching tributes.2) The tributes from Kanbe manors, which had been established earlier, were very much ceremonial in nature, and there remains a doubt as to actual importance of despatching goods.3) There were several newly developed Misono manors surrounding Kanbe. Harvests in Misono were sent to storehouses in Kanbe manors to be accumulated there.4) Each of Mikuriya manors had a group of fishermen, and these people were engaged in transporting tributed goods on board to Ise Jingu.5) A tribute transporting system covering those manors was formed at this early stage, and dispersed manors were organised in a network which was ultimately connected with Ise Jingu.

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