京都梅ヶ畑の御入木山に関する一考察

Abstract

Umegahata is located in the northwest part of Kyoto City. It is a well-known mountainous area that is known as a historical site. Logs, firewood, and fuel wood had been produced in Umegahata and used in the Imperial Palace since medieval times. This special connection to the Imperial Palace continued during the Edo Period. The forest governed by Kimura Sohemon, Gonyubokuyama, was located in Umegahata, Ohara, and Shishigatani, all in Kyoto City. The historical documents on Gonyubokuyama in Ohara have already been published. In this paper, the forest management by Kimura Sohemon, the magistrate of Gonyubokuyama, was analyzed, based on 13 historical documents, obtained from the archives managed by the Kyoto City History Museum. Five of these documents relate to Umegahata, and the remaining eight pertain to Ichinose-mura, the central village of Umegahata. Residents of Umegahata had several public duties other than the tribute of forest products to the Imperial Palace. These duties included dues relating to Gonyubokuyama. The tribute to the Imperial Palace was conducted thrice every year in the months of May, July, and December. Gonyubokuyama already existed in Umegahata in 1676 at the latest. The number of forest sites under the Gonyubokuyama system was 315 in 1869. The forestry workers of Umegahata had special permission for cutting activities within a limited area because the Umegahata forest was governed by Kimura Sohemon. Kimura Sohemon and his staff inspected Gonyubokuyama infrequently, mainly at the time of the inheritance. Some trees that were suitable for use as building materials were specifi ed as Goyoboku. The diameter of Goyoboku needed to be relatively large, and therefore at the time of cutting, big trees were generally set aside and left. During the inspections, dead trees among Goyoboku were also checked. In 1676, Kimura Sohemon ordered the representative farmers in Ichinose-mura to protect the forest, as directed by the Japanese feudal government. The forest protection law of the government prohibited the plucking of tree roots and also directed the planting of trees in places with low tree density. Today, four documents relating to the investigation results on the Goyoboku in Ichinose-mura still remain. An investigation of the Goyoboku was conducted to prepare for tree cutting in 1854, and other one in 1869, when the forest management by Kimura Sohemon ended after the Meiji Restoration. Analysis of both documents revealed the following facts on Goyoboku in Ichinosemura. The number of trees specified as Goyoboku was 21 in both investigations. Parts of these trees were cut between 1854 and 1869. The trees were selected for cutting considering the species balance, trunk diameter, and accessibility. Even after they were cut, the same number of trees was newly specified as Goyoboku. Hence, the total number of Goyoboku did not change in either investigation.