Sustainability in Japan's Edo Period--300 Years Ago!
On this page, we introduce the translation of
“Japan in the Edo Period - An Ecologically-Conscious Society”,
("O-edo ecology jijo," published in 2000, Kodansha Publishing Company)
by Eisuke Ishikawa.
We received much feedback from our readers on
articles “Japan’s Sustainable Society
in the Edo Period (1603-1867)” in our March and April 2003 newsletters which drew upon Mr. Ishikawa’s
research.
The requests for more information on the sustainable
society in the Edo period were overwhelming, which
prompted us to contact the author for his permission
to translate the book for this website. The group
of JFS volunteers including native speakers together
worked on the translation originally done by Mr.
Oki.
| Chapter 1-8 | Chapter
9-14 |
Chapter 8 - 
The
Principle of Nishiki-e (PDF file : 19KB)
Japan in the Edo era had technologies to make it
possible to mass-produce nishiki-e, plate prints
in multicolor. Nishiki-e is one of the most original
art forms created by the Japanese. Nishiki-e artwork
was a creative commodity for the general public.
It not only nurtured the Japanese people's sensitivity
to art over the centuries, but also inspired French
impressionists so much that its influence is still
evident in today's visual art of the world.(Read
More... / PDF file : 19KB)
Chapter 7 -
Starting
Out Slowly (PDF file : 19KB)
Dependent heavily on solar energy, it was no easy
task for the people of the Edo Period to make well-prepared
rice, as it required certain skills to adjust irregular
heat levels by firewood. In reference to the secret
of this rice preparation over a wood fire, there
is a traditional Japanese saying composed of a series
of 7-5-7 syllabic verses which is: "Hajime
choro-choro, naka pap-pa, akago nakutomo futa toruna,"
which literally means: "Start with a low flame
and bring to a vigorous boil - even if the baby
cries, don't remove the lid." (Read
More... / PDF file : 19KB)
Chapter 6 -
Know
when you have enough (PDF file : 20KB)
One characteristic of the times when people only
depended on solar energy is a low capacity to manufacture
commodities. As a result, the lives of our ancestors
in the Edo period was very simple--in fact, it had
to be so, because once they resigned themselves
to being satisfied with a simple life, they could
live with small amounts of energy. Though it is
difficult to know objectively how our ancestors
lived in the Edo Period, one clue is provided by
some documents written and left by foreigners who
came to Japan from the last years of the Edo Period
to the beginning of the Meiji Period.(Read
More... / PDF file : 20KB)
Chapter 5 -
The
Sun and the Forests (PDF file : 18KB)
Japanese rice farming was inseparable from the surrounding
nature. In other words, it was a combined output
of neighboring forests, rich soil produced by the
forests, and abundant water that contains natural
fertilizing elements and micronutrients gradually
discharged from the soil. (Read
More... / PDF file : 18KB)
Chapter 4 -
Living with Nature's Cycle
(PDF file : 7KB)
Once a fossil fuel is burned, it can never return to its original state. In today's modern society, it is as if
we are living comfortably on a runaway train with no brakes. On the other hand, the traditional life in the
Edo Period was like living on a big disk making one revolution per year. The disk was linked to the sun,
and moved on solar power, not fossil fuels. (Read
More... / PDF file : 7KB)
Chapter 3 -
The
Unpaved Roads Play as a Natural Air Conditioner
(PDF file : 43KB)
I have recently come to think that people in the
olden days did not pebble roads in order to keep
off the summer heat. Unpaved roads act as a natural
air conditioner helping to keep surrounding temperatures
cooler than pebbled or asphalt roads. (Read
More... / PDF file : 43KB)
Chapter 2 -
Darker
Side of Convenience (PDF file : 16KB)
Western civilization invented many conveniences,
so that the Japanese admired the civilization's
merits without considering its shortcomings. Meanwhile,
we ignored the strengths of traditional Japanese
culture and instead scrutinized it for its weaknesses.
This was the stamp of a "modern outlook"
during that era. (Read
More... / PDF file : 16KB)
Chapter 1 -
The
Sun and Petroleum (PDF file : 24KB)
Throughout the Edo Period the Japanese were living
only with solar energy. This was the case with all
of humanity prior to the Industrial Revolution,
which was founded in Britain and marked the beginning
of the use of fossil fuels as the primary energy
source, Japan began industrialization approximately
one hundred years after Britain (around the late
nineteenth century. Among all of the present so-called
advanced nations, Japan was the last to use solar
energy as its only energy source. Our ancestors
built the unique Edo culture by utilizing stored
solar energy (which had a maximum life of two years)
and plants (which requires solar energy and is an
indirect way solar energy was used). They also used
solar energy directly. (Read
More... / PDF file : 24KB)
About the Author:
Eisuke Ishikawa is a writer who specializes in
the environmental and ecological issues in the
Edo period (1603-1867). He is also a lecturer
at Musashino Art University. His recent books
introduce wisdom of sustainable living in the
Edo period from the angles of technology, energy,
resource management, and recycling systems of
the period.
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