Research on the Reform Policy in the Kansei Era and Its Effects on People in Western Japan ― Especially in the Domains of the Edo Shogunate in the Kinki District ―

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Research on the Kansei reforms carried out by the Edo shogunate was behind that on the Kyoho reforms and the Tempo reforms, but it began to advance in the 1960s. The main research subject, however, was the agricultural administration for the shogunate domains in Eastern Japan in the reform period, and research on that in Western Japan lagged behind. Therefore, the purpose of this research, is to restudy the reform policy in the Kansei era, dealing mainly with the shogunate domains in the Kinki district, more advanced in Western Japan.Matsudaira Sadanobu, leader of the Kansei reforms, is well known as a statesman who tried to revise the hitherto imbalanced economic situation, "the rich West and the poor East", and to improve the economy of Eastern Japan. What is noted in this respect is the fact that the agricultural administration in the reform period was performed on the basis of the actual state in the shogunate domains both in Western and Eastern Japan. A typical example of this is the public loan policy, which was partly intended to utilize the economic abundance in Western Japan for the relief of the deprived in the shogunate domains in Eastern Japan. Also, in the Eastern domains, the recovery of the devastated farm villages was emphasized, while in the Western domains, especially in the advanced Kinki district, land tax increase was stressed against people's expectation. During the latter part of the reform period, Katsu Yohachiro pushed forward with the policy aiming to increase taxes. This policy was successful in a certain degree, but the voice of the people against increased taxes became louder and in the end, together with the help of other political issues, Matsudaira Sadanobu was forced to resign without satisfactory results.