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Centuries-old records of crimes, often blamed on alcohol, exhibited in Japan's Chiba Pref.
SODEGAURA, Chiba -- Records of crop thefts and crimes blamed on alcohol are among Edo-period (1603-1867) documents on display at a museum in this eastern Japan city, hinting that society is not much different centuries later.
The exhibition, whose title roughly translates to "Village life and serious incidents: Exploring case records from the Edo period," is underway at the Sodegaura City Local Museum in Chiba Prefecture and will run until July 21, shedding light on village life during the Edo period through old documents related to criminal cases. Admission is free.
The Mainichi Shimbun spoke to Kumiko Kirimura, 58, a curator at the museum who planned the exhibition and deciphered the old documents, for insights on the event. Below are excerpts from the interview.
Mainichi Shimbun: Why was the exhibition organized?
Kumiko Kirimura: Our museum has about 90,000 old documents entrusted or donated by families in the city, and we wanted to create an exhibition that would engage visitors. We chose incidents as the theme, which would likely interest many people, displaying around 80 documents related to the cases.
MS: How were incidents resolved back then?
KK: In farming villages of that era, much reliance was placed on discussions. When a crime occurred, village officials acted as mediators between the perpetrator and the victim to seek reconciliation. If unresolved, the matter was brought to the feudal lord's office.
MS: What types of crimes occurred?
KK: The documents on display mainly date from the late Edo period. Repeated famines and disasters left people exhausted, leading to burglaries, robberies and the like even in the seemingly peaceful farming villages of Sodegaura. Theft of crops was an issue back then, just as it is today.
One document (from 1796) is titled "ginmi negai." In it a village head in Kisarazu (today a city neighboring Sodegaura) appeals to government authorities to punish a bamboo shoot thief. It describes a case in which a farmer was caught on the spot after breaking into the village head's bamboo grove and stealing 40 to 50 shoots. But the thief escaped while being transported, and the village head became the victim of theft again.
What surprised me was the large number of incidents claimed to have been caused by "the influence of alcohol." There was a case where a man committed "outrageous acts" against a maid on an errand. A letter dating back to 1756 from the man and his relatives to the maid's master states, "We humbly accept your early settlement of the matter, agreeing that it was due to alcohol." And the case was closed.
For victims, having terrible incidents dismissed on the grounds that they were "due to alcohol" would be infuriating.
MS: What did you learn about society back then?
KK: I felt that the continuity of families and the village's peace were considered paramount. In a case involving the mysterious death of a village official, the head of the village prioritized the succession to the deceased official's family headship, and sought withdrawal of the complaint, stating in an 1840 document, "He had a habit of climbing trees when drunk, so I think he fell and froze to death." Perhaps the village head wanted to settle the family matter quickly rather than prolonging the investigation.
There is also a document dating to 1810 suggesting that the village bore the compensation costs for a farmer who filed a suit over damaged property, likely to resolve the issue swiftly.
MS: What are your impressions from reading many old documents?
KK: The ways people confronted incidents and turmoil felt very real. Though old documents appear as mere old paper, they are incredible sources filled with the thoughts of people from those times. I'd like to shed light on the many individuals who laid the foundations of the region by introducing these old documents.
