Changes

The system owed much to the cadastral surveys undertaken by [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]] in the 1580s-90s, which were the first to standardize the tools (and [[Japanese Measurements|units of measurement]]) throughout the process, across the archipelago. The surveys recorded and documented the location, size, and soil quality of each section of land, as well as the name of the chief cultivator, the crops being grown there, and the assessed taxable agricultural yield.<ref>[[Albert M. Craig]], ''The Heritage of Japanese Civilization'', Second Edition, Prentice Hall (2011), 64.</ref> Though ostensibly a measure of the amount of rice the domain could produce, in practice, the ''kokudaka'' of many domains was in fact calculated in part from a conversion of their agricultural production in other products, such as wheat or beans, into an equivalent amount in rice, with the distance from market and other considerations factored in as well; a few domains which were quite poor in agricultural production but quite important in, for example foreign relations or trade, such as [[Tsushima han]], were assigned ''kokudaka'' far in excess of their agricultural production, in order to reflect their importance and thus confer a degree of rank.<ref>Luke Roberts, ''Mercantilism in a Japanese Domain: The Merchant Origins of Economic Nationalism in 18th-Century Tosa'', Cambridge University Press (1998), 36-37.</ref>

The system owed much to the cadastral surveys undertaken by [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]] in the 1580s-90s, which were the first to standardize the tools (and [[Japanese Measurements|units of measurement]]) throughout the process, across the archipelago. The surveys recorded and documented the location, size, and soil quality of each section of land, as well as the name of the chief cultivator, the crops being grown there, and the assessed taxable agricultural yield.<ref>[[Albert M. Craig]], ''The Heritage of Japanese Civilization'', Second Edition, Prentice Hall (2011), 64.</ref> Though ostensibly a measure of the amount of rice the domain could produce, in practice, the ''kokudaka'' of many domains was in fact calculated in part from a conversion of their agricultural production in other products, such as wheat or beans, into an equivalent amount in rice, with the distance from market and other considerations factored in as well; a few domains which were quite poor in agricultural production but quite important in, for example foreign relations or trade, such as [[Tsushima han]], were assigned ''kokudaka'' far in excess of their agricultural production, in order to reflect their importance and thus confer a degree of rank.<ref>Luke Roberts, ''Mercantilism in a Japanese Domain: The Merchant Origins of Economic Nationalism in 18th-Century Tosa'', Cambridge University Press (1998), 36-37.</ref>

The ''kokudaka'' of the entire archipelago totalled around 24 million ''koku''. The Tokugawa were the largest landholders, with about four million ''koku'' worth of direct shogunate lands, while the [[Maeda clan]] of [[Kaga han]] and [[Shimazu clan]] of [[Satsuma han]] were second and third, at one million and 770,000, respectively. About 500,000 koku worth of land was controlled by the Imperial family, major temples, and other such groups. ''[[Hatamoto]]'' controlled about ten percent of the land, and the ''daimyô'' the rest. The smallest ''daimyô'' domains, by definition, possessed at least 10,000 ''koku'', while some samurai retainers were granted sub-domains within a ''han'', with a much smaller rating in ''koku''. The majority of ''han'' were officially assessed at a ''kokudaka'' in the range of 10,000 to 200,000 ''koku'', though the ''kokudaka'' of the most powerful domains exceeded 500,000 ''koku''.

The ''kokudaka'' of the entire archipelago totaled around 25 million ''koku'' around 1700,<ref>[[Mark Ravina]], ''Land and Lordship in Early Modern Japan'', Stanford University Press (1999), 7.</ref> after considerable growth in the 17th century, but remained relatively static over the course of the remainder of the [[Edo period]]. The Tokugawa were the largest landholders, with about four million ''koku'' worth of direct shogunate lands, while the [[Maeda clan]] of [[Kaga han]] and [[Shimazu clan]] of [[Satsuma han]] were second and third, at one million and 770,000, respectively. About 500,000 koku worth of land was controlled by the Imperial family, major temples, and other such groups. ''[[Hatamoto]]'' controlled about ten percent of the land, and the ''daimyô'' the rest. The smallest ''daimyô'' domains, by definition, possessed at least 10,000 ''koku'', while some samurai retainers were granted sub-domains within a ''han'', with a much smaller rating in ''koku''. The majority of ''han'' were officially assessed at a ''kokudaka'' in the range of 10,000 to 200,000 ''koku'', though the ''kokudaka'' of the most powerful domains exceeded 500,000 ''koku''.

This figure, though ostensibly based on the actual agricultural production of the domain's territory, often did not change over the course of the period. A domain's ''kokudaka'' might be changed as a political reward or punishment, but the shogunate did not engage in regular surveys of agricultural production, and did not update domains' ''kokudaka'' on the basis of their production.

This figure, though ostensibly based on the actual agricultural production of the domain's territory, often did not change over the course of the period. A domain's ''kokudaka'' might be changed as a political reward or punishment, but the shogunate did not engage in regular surveys of agricultural production, and did not update domains' ''kokudaka'' on the basis of their production.