Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
(20)
Shirasu:
two prisoners, elaborately roped up, appear before the magistrate. Humanity
allows them rough mats to kneel on.
The magistrate did not deal only with criminal offences, but also had to settle disputes
between individuals. It is interesting to note that the method of dealing with these involved
a “cooling-off ” period, such as might be used today. On the first application to the office,
thecomplainantwouldhavehisstatementrecorded,butwouldbesentawayforafewdays.
If he returned then, the magistrate himself appeared, and ordered him to reconsider. If he
persisted, the duty of investigating the complaint was given to a
yoriki,
who would nor-
mally carry the inquiry through, although in difficult cases it might have to go back to the
magistrate, who would, in any event, deliver the final verdict.
This description of the machinery of justice in Edo serves to give some impression of
the way officials worked, and of the sort of situation in which they came in contact with
ordinary people. Some
samurai
would of course be in direct touch with farmers and with
suppliers, but others also managed certain enterprises that would more usually be run by
merchants. One outstanding example of this was the notorious gold mine of Aikawa in the
island of Sado, where folk memory has preserved tales of the harshness of the
samurai
overseers,andofthesufferingsofyoungmenforcedtolaborinthegalleriesandworkings.
They were in charge of an official who was equal in status to the Edo town magistrate. In
other territories and domains there were other enterprises administered by
samurai,
which
meansthatthereweremanywhoacquiredexperienceinindustrialmatters:withthegrowth
of industry after the middle of the nineteenth century, many former
samurai
were thus able
to play their part in the new developments.
