Modern Japanese & English Translations and Content Analysis of 'The Scope of the Bureau of Forest Administration' from the 'Eight Volumes on Forest Administration.'

摘要

Yamabugyousho Kimocho covers areas such as systems, techniques and punishments related to somayama, ship-building and silviculture. What follows is a list of a number of new insights extracted from the contents of the document. First, at the magiri and village level in addition to both the souyamaatai and yamaatai who were officials involved in forest administration there were technical forest specialists such as the yamashi, yamakounin and kobikinin. The yamashi was a technician in the field who assessed the measurements of trees intended for use prior to them being cut down. Yamakounin were technicians who carried out tree cutting, processing and nurturing duties. Yamakounin possessed knowledge about methods of caring for forests and they were positioned so as to play a critical role in the protection of (somayama) government-administered forests. Kobikinin are forest technicians who use saws to cut up trees. The most common method of shaving off and cutting up large trees prior to the influx of kobikinin was with an axe. The problem with the axe method was that too much wood was wasted. The Royal Government provided guidance on the use of saws to cut up wood and thereafter the number of kobikinin increased. Second, the administration of useful trees grown in places such as the somayama, satoyama (forests that could be freely used by local people for their lumber needs) and local village communities was carried out in accordance with the Royal Government's 'Goyoubokuchou' (Register of Government-Use Trees). The Goyoubokuchou was a set of documents that recorded a range of details about the kind of trees required by the government for public purposes. Details included tree types, locations of specific tree types and tree trunk measurements. Even today in forest administration a 'Shinrinbo' (Forest Register) is used that describes forest types, location and accumulation. According to the Goyoubokuchou there were 21 types of tree (recorded in the 'Yamabugyousho Kujichou' [Operational Affairs of the Forest Administration Bureau]) forbidden from being cut down and this was strictly administered. Third, in order to assure the lumber resources required for Chinese-style vessels used to cross to and from China the number of private boats and ships throughout the Ryukyu Kingdom were surveyed and certification marks branded on all of them for more effective administration. The administration of boat and ship-related timber was carried out by forest officials in terms of tree cutting and also by oversight officials stationed at each port to monitor boat and ship construction in accordance with 'tegata' (details on the vessel design). 'Kurifune' were a type of log or dugout canoe made by hollowing out large trees but were very wasteful in terms of some of the most important lumber to the kingdom. As such, after the issuance of the Yamabugyousho Kimocho instructions were given to replace the kurifune with 'hagifune,' a type of boat made by assembling sawn planks of wood. Fourth relates to the sentences imposed on people who cut down trees designated as for government-use without permission. There are numerous punitive regulations for people who do things like illegally reclaim land for cultivation purposes from government-administered forests. Depending on the type of violation there were a few rather harsh punishments, such as exile for life. Most of the punishments were fines, with half of the fine typically going to the whistle-blower(s) and the other half allocated to afforestation costs. Fifth, in order to improve the administration of somayama in a state of devastation a new reform of the systems and organizational structure was carried out. For example, up to that point the administration of somayama had been carried out by several magiri like the 'moyaiyama' (communal use forests), but after the issuance of the Yamabugyousho Kimocho a specific administrative area of forest was attached to one single magiri unit. The procurement of government-use timber was then carried out by each individual magiri unit. The magiri units of forest administration were later subdivided so that the administration was handled at the village level. It gradually became clear that any given area of forest was being administered by each village communally. Furthermore, the forest management system was strengthened with new yamabugyou and hissha officials dispatched to the Kunigami and Nakagami regions in a shake up of the organizational structure.