The US fleet led by Commodore M. Perry came to Japan in June and he handed the official message to the shogunate(Edo Bakuhu), which asked Japan to establish diplomatic relations. The purpose of U.S. was to build bases for trading vessels and whaling ships.
Japanese
were astonished by the large steam warships, and imagined the western officers.
There weren’t foreigners in Japan because it kept the national isolation
policy. The imagined Americans (below) are so scary.
They knew
the news, but Yoshino family kept everyday life as usual. The Edoperiod (1603～1868) was very stable; there almost no internal and external wars,
the accidents which people had to get over were famines, plagues, earthquakes
and eruptions.
Painting: Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History (part2)、神奈川県立歴史博物館（2）, Photo: Edo-Tokyo Museum 江戸東京博物館 Part2
6月3日にペリーが浦賀に来航し、日本との国交を求めます。人々は、外洋の蒸気船の大きさに驚きました。また、見慣れぬ西洋人･ペリーらについて想像を元にした絵などが出回ります。「いやでござんす（1853）ペリーさん」なんて年号を覚えましたね。
吉野家がある千葉県流山にも6月13日に、「異国船の儀に付」と廻文が来ました。しかし、生活に大きな変化はなさそうです。ほとんど戦乱がなかった江戸時代は、庶民にとって「確実性の時代」に見えますね。ただし、飢饉、疫病、自然災害（地震、噴火）は乗り越えないといけません。
On the New Year’s Day, the villagers gathered and greeted as usual.
The horse
capturing in the shogunate stock farm started at the end of March this
year. On the 8th of April, it was written, “Yasuemon bought the
horse for five-ryo and two-bu yesterday.” The shogunate sold horses which they
didn’t use; the price of a horse was $2,500 – 5,000 (current value). Horses
were valuable workforce; I think it wasn’t expensive..
例年通り、村人の年礼で一年が始まります。
３月末からに、幕府の牧場である小金牧の野馬捕りも例年のように行われました。4月8日に、「安右衛門儀、昨日、野馬御拂代金五両二分にて買受候由」とあります。幕府が使わない馬は農民らに払い下げていたそうです。25～50万円ぐらいですかね。馬は貴重な労働力ですから、安いかも知れません。
On the
29th of April, they started rice planting. Six people were
engaged in, but Gisaburou who had suddenly gone somewhere didn’t join. They celebrated
the Boys’ Day on the 5th of May, and finished planting on the 16th.
Sanaburi afternoon holidays, which were held after all villagers finished
planting, were held on the 28th and 29th of May. They never
farmed on that time, those were party times.
４月29日に田植え始め、メンバーは主以下六人です。昨年、ふらりと外泊していた義三郎さんの名前はありませんでした。5月5日の節句を挟んで、16日に田植え仕舞い。村中の田植えが終わり、28日、29日が「昼より、早稲振（さなぶり）休日」で農作業をしてはいけない日であり、宴会日です。
On the
13th of June, the master received a circulator from the head famer
in his area, in which it was written to gather to talk abut the foreign
ships this evening He dispatched Gunji to the meeting. It was just ten days
after the arrival of the U.S. fleet. They shared the news.
Actually,
Perry told the samurai
officers that he came to Japan next year to get the answer of the official
message, and left Japan on the 13th.
On the
18th, the other circulate said to the master to offer the rates to
supply workers and horses regarding to the foreign ships. The traffic became
busy, because samurais probably started discussing to accept the U.S. proposal
and abandon the long-lasting national isolation policy. It was the most important
political affair at that time.
Picture of U.S. navy officers owned by a
resident near Yoshino; the rightmost is Perry. 流山の人が所有したアメリカ艦隊の軍人の絵（右端がペリー）、Nagareyama
city museum、流山市博物館
6月13日に、「異国船の儀に付、小主助郷近村惣代より、今十三日、同町へ出会い候」と廻文が来て、夕刻、軍次さんを出しています。惣代は地域の代表者、大名主です。ペリーが浦賀に着いてから10日後ですから、情報共有ですかね。18日には、異国船に関連し、人馬雇い賃を惣代に届け出るよう、と廻状が来ているので、武士などの動きが頻繁になっていることが分かります。実は、13日にペリーは、「来年、国交を結かどうか返事を聞きに来る」と言って帰っています。
He wrote
mundane and peaceful matters on his diary. Rain was scarce since June of the
year, however Yoshino didn’t mention it. He had a rich water source probably.
吉野さんの日記には、その後、平和な記述が淡々と続きます。この年は、田植え後に雨が降らなかったそうなのですが、吉野家は水利が良いのか、影響がなかったようです。
On the
10th of September, two villagers went to Kamakura and Katase
(Enoshima-island) to visit a shrine and a temple. Those are popular tourist
spots even until now, and there were also entertainment establishments. There arrival
was not mentioned, so I didn't know the trip duration. Anyway, people
celebrated their departure and took a half-day holiday in the afternoon.
Enoshima by Hokusai. K、葛飾北斎
「富嶽三十六景 相州江の島」、https://publicdomainq.net/katsushika-hokusai-0010972/
9月10日、村人二人が「鎌倉片瀬参詣」に出立しました。参詣とは言え、湘南はこのころも人気観光地、遊び場も多かったようです。帰村の記述が見当たらないので、何日の旅かは分かりません。村人の出立に付、村は昼より休日です。
They harvested
rice and paid tax by rice, then they went to Kawasaki and received a talisman
for preventing diseases on the 2nd of December. They settled all
accounts until at the end of the year which was a practice until the modern era.
The year ended.
米を刈り取り、年貢を納めて、12月2日には、川崎村（川崎大師でしょう）へ疫病除け御符を貰いに行っています。貸し借りの清算をして、この年も暮れていきます。
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Next post: Yoshino’s daily life 29 (1854、嘉永7年）
Yoshino’s
daily life 01, About Yoshino and background 吉野家とその頃
Yoshino’s
daily life 02, Life and fun of Yoshino family 吉野家の暮らしと楽しみ
The details of their live which includes farming and visiting neighbors are written in No.13 - No.25 (1851)、農事や近所付き合いを含む日々の詳細は1851年の日記の記事（No.13～25）に記載しています。
Yoshino’s daily life 13, The first half of January in 1851（嘉永4年1月前半）
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