sakawa river

Kinjiro was born in the territory of Odawara clan.

According to Hōtoku-ki.

Sakawa River is flowing through this area.
The water source of this river is the foot of Mount Fuji.

This river had caused massive damage to their territory on every time of the flood.
Because this river was very torrent at that time.

Civil works of its measures.
It was carried out every year.

One person per family.
People under Odawara clan's dominion.
They had obligations of this labor.

However，Wages have been paid to this work.
For example，Public works for the agricultural off-season.
Just maybe，There was such a meaning.

Anyway this would have made ​​on the occasion of the money income for farmers.

Kinjiro worked in this civil engineering work from the time of the 12-year-old.
(At birth was 1 year old in Japan at that time.
So this may be 11 years old.)

Of course, he was not able to work like a adult.
But everyone seems to have treated him as an adult. (Wages etc..)


・・・・・・・・・　


At that time, the father of Kinjiro was sick already.
They seems had to sold the farmland as treatment charges.

"The farmland"
By the way，I can not understand a little.
　
This is the farmland that was ruined by the flood?
Or farmland that were safe?
　
It is presumed most their farmland has became ruin.
　
Is it can sell the land like that?
Is it not possible to paddy fields again by the power of their?　
　
I can not be judgment.

Anyway when he begun to living together with relatives.
Ancestral land has not been left mostly to him and his little brothers.
　
He plowed farmland of relatives and made straw sandals at night.
Of course he worked in the civil engineering work at the same time.　
　
　
Straw sandals called "Waraji".　(草鞋)
This is one of the traditional shoes of Japan.