Takahashi Family Documents

The Takahashi family in Sakahama has a collection of 364 ancient documents from the Edo period. The contents of these documents mainly include land survey records, tax-related documents, and irrigation-related documents from Sakahama Village during the Edo period, providing materials to understand the conditions of Sakahama Village at that time and the lives of the farmers who lived there. The documents were created over a span of 153 years, from the 2nd year of Kyoho (1717) to the 3rd year of Meiji (1870). We will introduce particularly important basic materials among these valuable early modern documents. (In addition to the early modern documents introduced here, the Takahashi family also preserves modern materials from the Meiji period onward.)

Yamakata Annual Tax Payment Small Note (Takahashi Family Documents 4)

The annual tax payment receipt is a certificate given by the village head to the farmer who made the payment at the time of tax submission. It is the most prominent document among the Takahashi family documents, with a total of 220 items, accounting for more than half of the entire Takahashi family documents. This document is the oldest among the annual tax payment receipts, created in December of the 3rd year of Enkyō (1746), and it may be related to the development of new rice fields in Sakahama village.

Village Regulations Joint Signature Ledger (Takahashi Family Documents 54)

This document is generally referred to as the "Village Expense Ledger." During the Edo period, village administration was carried out mainly by village officials, and the costs associated with this administration were borne by all the farmers in the village. This is commonly known as "village expenses," and the ledger that recorded the expenses and the distribution of the burden was called the "Village Expense Ledger." This document was created in the first month of the 9th year of Meiwa (1772) and provides specific insights into the administration of Sakahama Village at that time and the details of the expenses borne by the village. The ancient document of the Village Expense Ledger discovered within Inagi City includes only one item from Yanokuchi Village and this document, making it a valuable resource.

Dounomae Waterway Construction Request (Takahashi Family Documents 120)

This document is from when the dam at Donomae, located on the east side of the current Keio Line Wakabadai Station, was damaged by a strong storm, and the repair costs were received from the lord. Repairs to dams and similar structures were sometimes carried out at our own expense, as well as in cases like this document where assistance was received from the lord. One of the characteristics of the Takahashi family documents is the collection of materials related to irrigation. This document was created in August of the 3rd year of the Kansei era (1791).

Certificate of Payment Request for Foreign Ship Arrival (Takahashi Family Documents 304)

In June of the 6th year of the Kaei era (1853), Perry appeared off the coast of Uraga with four warships. During this incident, the surrounding villages were tasked with providing horses, men, and provisions. This document is a receipt from the local lord for the expenses incurred when collecting these costs from the villages to fulfill military duties for defense. Perry's arrival had an impact on the villages of Inagi in this way.

Travel pass for entry to Izu (Takahashi family documents 291)

This document is a travel pass for going to an onsen in Izu for medical treatment. It certifies that the person is a parishioner of Takakatsu-ji in Sakahama Village and requests permission to pass through the Hakone checkpoint and others, issuing a "travel pass" to guarantee their identity. This document was created in the first year of the Kaei era (1848), and it seems that during the late Edo period, it was common for people in the Tama region to travel to hot spring areas like Izu and Hakone for recuperation.

Reference materials: 'Ancient Documents of Inagi City (Volume 2)', 'History of Inagi City Volume 1', 'Inagi City Historical Materials Compilation 2'