great famine

Reign of the Tokugawa, 260 years.

There was three times great famine during this time.
Once in the first half of the 18th century.
This occurred mainly in western Japan.　

And maximum famine.
Second half of the 18th century, it occurred mainly in eastern Japan.

Large volcanic eruptions.
Cold weather damage.
Water damage.
This unusual weather was continued several years.　
　
Rice harvest in eastern Japan was nearly wiped out.

Therefore tax revenue reached zero.
Above all，their food was lost.
　
Starvation became commonplace landscape.
Japan's population fell by nearly 1 million at that time.
　
Of course，Soma clan was no exception.
　
　
・・・・・・・・・　

　
Escape of farmers by the hardships of life.　
Significant decrease in tax revenues by it.　
Increased borrowing by it.　
Negative effects of land surveying had already appeared to Soma.　
　
Great famine struck them at that time.
Starvation in Soma also became commonplace landscape.
　
They tried to rescue desperately the people under one's dominion.
However, there was no food.
East was the same situation everywhere.
They bought the food with a heavy debt.
　
And they survived this time somehow.　
　
　
・・・・・・・・・
　
　
However，many difficulties were left to them.

Decline in population.
Devastation of farmland.
Their tax revenue fell to third.
And heavy debt.
　
Finally they lost even the ability to pay interest on debt.

At this time，they were submitted petition to the Tokugawa regime.

"Please drop our status to ten thousand（koku)."