Transportation and Trade of Commodity between Hida and Echu along the Jintsu-River, in the Late Edo Era

Abstract

Being central high-land, Hida was one of the typical mountain community areas which not yet attained self-sufficiency with regard to food. Echu lies in the northern part, on the Japan Sea, and was a rice producing district. Besides, fisheries were extensive, too. Trading in rice, salt, and fish between Echu and Hida had been well developed from older times, and the course along the Jintsu River as a passage-way attached great importance to transportation, since it had linked Hida with Echu in the Edo era. In Echu there had been two routes along the bank of the east and west sides. The first route passed through the east side of the Jintsu and its tributary, the Takahara River from Hida; and the other route branched from the main road into two roads: a middle road, which weas on the west bank of the Takahara, and the west road, which ran along the Miya River, the upper reaches of the Jintsu River. As these rivers become ravines in the border line and neighborhood, the roads on both sides became ledges, and were bad. There were several places where one could get across the rivers by palanquin and boat; nevertheless, this place was a route difficult of access. No other means were left, consequently, except that essential commodities were carried across on people's backs or pulled by bulls. During deep snowfalls in winter, traffic was almost entirely held up by storms. The middle road, however, was comparatively easy, and was used considerably in winter. In Echu the east side of the Jintsu River belonged to the Kaga clan, and the west side belonged to the Toyama clan. On the east road there was much merchandise transported from Kaga territory, and shopping in the Toyama territory was active on the middle and west roads. Both clans established barriers, which they controlled strictly checking the persons and commodities which had entree to each of the territories. Fish of light weight was easily carried from a coast district on a pole; a porter and a bull carried several bundles containing One Koku (150kg) of rice from the plains. On the middle road, however, a baggage weight was decreasing considerably. The obstruction was due to a ropebridge traversed by a basket. From the viewpoint of the volume of traffic, the greatest amount went along the east road, the middle road, and the west road in order. Development of the east road is based upon the following benefits. This road is adjacent to Kaga territory, a district where enormous quantities of rice and fish were produced, and it was posible to carry a large quantity of goods because the place was easy of access, bordering on silver and lead mines on the route. The Toyama clan government protected home fish transportation to Hida, by granting porters special rights, planning an increase of the volume of traffic along the west road.