A hunter and his wife in Akiyama-go: village deep in mountains 3/5 (published in 1983＆1992) 、 秋山郷に生きた猟師とその妻 (part 3)
Contents 目次
（２）Think through how to make a living and try it
（１）Harue’s background、ハルエの生い立ち
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| Kametaro as a hunter from the book、猟師・亀太郎 |
３．The way of life of Kametaro (husband)
（１）Kametaro’s life story
Kametaro was the youngest of five siblings. He grew up on a
meager diet such as thin porridge with a little grain. He even ate buckwheat
leaves, which were far from tasty. He spent his days helping out at home, so
he barely attended school.
He says, "I’m complete fool, half-hearted and don't
know a single character; that’s old man Kametaro." However, he has
given deep thought to the way of earning and has put those ideas into
practice. I can say he is simply being humble.
Believing that his parents' slash-and-burn farming would
not improve their livelihood, Kametaro turned to work that brought in
cash: hunting (specifically for bears, whose gallbladders fetched a
high price), sawyering (felling and milling timber), and char fishing.
Whenever construction projects arose, he worked as a laborer, putting
his large, strong physique to good use.
Unfortunately, he lost the use of his dominant eye (the
right one) during blasting operations for a power plant; it is essential
for shooting. But, a sense of duty toward raising his children (the eldest was
seven) drove him to recover and continue working.
"This old bastard Kametaro..." he began, before
telling the author: "I did it all—I did everything. Everything
except robbery, arson, and murder. That’s what I’ve done. My work is done now;
my life is over. It’s up to my son from here on out." He was under the
influence of alcohol when he said this.
Harue calls Kametaro a "man of invention"—a
dialect term for someone who comes up with various ideas and puts them into
practice.
（２）Think through how to make a living and try it
At 19, Kametaro was adopted into a family that lacked
an heir. Although he fathered three children, two of them passed away, as
did his wife. He supported his elderly father-in-law and surviving child by
working as a hunter and a sawyer; life was a struggle. Eight years after
his first wife's death, he decided to take a second wife.
Kametaro thought about stabilizing his livelihood, which was
unstable because of relying solely on cash income from activities like hunting.
He decided to expand his slash-and-burn farming operations. He took a
second wife partly to have someone care for his elderly father and child.
It was in 1944, when he was 32 (while Kametaro served as local citizen soldier,
he was not called up for active military service).
After WW II, he purchased government land—likely as part of
the land reform program—and set about creating rice paddies. The
expansion of ski resorts in the Shiga area, which led to an increase in
designated no-hunting zones, also served as a motivation for developing the
land for agriculture.
The process of creating a paddy involved removing the
nutrient-rich topsoil, transporting soil from higher ground to lower areas, and
constructing stone retaining walls. Finally, the topsoil was spread back over
the surface.
This work was carried out during the daily task of securing
food; there were no bulldozers available. After four years, he got 0.2
hectares of land which is enough to produce rice for two people. Kametaro
continued to expand his fields and stabilize his livelihood.
He was surely no "complete fool."
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| Slash-and-burn farming operations in Akiyama-go、焼畑農業 |
４．The way of life of Harue (wife)
（１）Harue’s background
While she was single, Harue shouldered a massive
housework. There weren't electric rice cookers or washing machines. Her
father, having lost his wife, had been reluctant to let Harue leave home;
however, when she turned 27, he finally decided to marry her off.
The man introduced to Harue was Kametaro. Her father had
hoped for a marriage to a man from a nearby village. Even after marriage,
she continued to help out at her family home. Domestic tasks—such as
cooking, preparing preserved foods, and making clothing—were time-consuming.
For instance, removing the harsh tannins from horse
chestnuts required ten separate steps, including boiling and soaking them in water.
The effort went into making these ingredients edible, plus transforming meals
delicious by combining them with ampo (stuffed dumpling).
It was a housewife’s love for family.
Their wedding was a lively affair. It takes up
seven pages, detailing everything from the formal betrothal ceremony and the
bride's attire to rites like *yome-korobashi* (a custom involving the bride
being playfully pushed or tripped). It seems to follow standard village customs
across Japan, such as visiting relatives the day after the wedding.
The people of that era let loose and spent money on such
celebratory occasions; it was completely different scale from practices at
present.
（２）Housework and slash-and-burn farming after marrying Kametaro
It took an hour and a half to reach the slash-and-burn field; they built
a hut there and worked on-site. However, once their children started school,
they began commuting from their home instead.
They would finish the work on the slash-and-burn field
before the Ebisu-kou event on
November 20th and prepare a feast for it.
One year, Kametaro took on a paid job cutting firewood;
consequently, Harue could not finish the work on the field alone in time and
was unable to prepare for the event. However, thanks to the cooperation of
their neighbors, the dishes were ready in time.
Annual events involving mutual visits among relatives were
much important than today. Details regarding the Ebisu-kou event are also
recorded.
*In Japan, there is a thought of offering food and alcohol
to deities and Buddhas, performing a ritual, and then sharing the meal with the
deities, Buddhas, family members, and the local community on a particular day.
Harue describes the walk back from the slash-and-burn fields
in her recollections of childhood: "On the way home, everyone from my
village was together. We’d all leave the fields at once—it was like a
procession. With such a large, lively villagers, there was no chance of
encountering a bear." Perhaps her steps grew heavier once she became a
parent.
（３）Taking the eldest son for a hot spring cure: the couple’s
unforgettable memory
Their eldest son (age four) was diagnosed with intestinal
worms and prescribed medication, but his condition wouldn't clear up; no
matter where they sought treatment, he showed no improvement.
Hearing that the waters of Hoppo hot-spring (in Shiga highland)
were effective, the family set out through the snow. Harue couldn't make the trip to
Hoppo—taking along her eldest son and her two-year-old second son; furthermore,
she was three months pregnant. So, she went when her husband did for bear
hunting to Shiga.
This episode is incredibly powerful. It vividly conveys her
love for her eldest son and the strong bonds of the family (an entire section
spanning over ten pages is dedicated to this story).
Reflecting on that time, Kametaro recalled: "I
should avoid going into debt—but even if I did have some debt, say ten or
twenty thousand yen, I was determined to save the son no matter what."
He continued, "So I took him with me, and after about
half a month, he recovered from illness and became quite healthy..."
Kametaro had not been idling away his time; he had traveled to Kumanoyu
in Shiga, where he brought down a massive bear and sold its meat. He
brought back the valuable gall bladder and skin, as well as the head—since the
brain was prized for medicinal use. Unable to board a train with the head
and raw skin, they decided to cross over the mountains to return to
Akiyama-go. It was a familiar road for Kametaro.
The path was unfamiliar to Harue. Moreover, they had to
spend the night in a hunter’s hut. Harue said, "I could see the sky; there
was no thatch, just the bare poles. The inside was filled with snow, and we
slept right on top of it." Although having other hunters along likely made
her relief, the children were also unable to sleep due to the cold.
The trek through the snow was breathtakingly hard.
Even though she was in the stable phase of her pregnancy, she navigated the
difficult path to bring her sons home.
Once his eldest son recovered, Kametaro returned to serious
hunting, and hunted a massive bear that probably saved them from debt. He
carried parts of the bear, his gear, and his son all the way back. I cannot
imagine his strength from the face seen in the photograph.
The passage describing their return to Akiyama-go brought a
sense of relief to me. Harue called her family home from the power station at
Kiriake, asked her nephew to come, and had him carry both the child and the
luggage. She stayed at her family home for two nights—she must have slept
soundly. Kametaro, meanwhile, had a single drink, declared that his fatigue had
vanished, and headed back down to his own home. What incredible energy he had!
（４）Winter migrant works
Winter brought isolation due to the snow. At home, people
made clothing and straw footwear, and prepared preserved foods.
Meanwhile, the younger generation left Akiyama-go for
"winter work." Both Kametaro and Harue had experience working
in places like Tokyo. They left for work in November or December and
returned in April or May, then worked at their home village.
Harue worked as a live-in employee at a Chinese restaurant
in Ginza (the heart of Tokyo), and also at a spinning mill in Osaka. However,
once a woman had a household, she could no longer go away for winter work.
Cooking, laundry, and sewing—there was plenty of work to be done at home during
the winter.
In the winter of his fifteenth year, Kametaro worked at a
bookbindery in Tokyo with three cousins. While in the city, he enjoyed good
food and movies; by the end, all he had left was the five yen he had borrowed
from the head family which was equal to his monthly salary, and the train fare
for his return trip.
Although the bookbindery asked him to come back the
following winter, he quit after just one season.
He knew his parents would feel more at ease if he stayed
home. On top of it, there are wild animals like bears and rabbits in
Akiyama-go. There are also bandori (a local term for giant flying
squirrels and Japanese dwarf flying squirrels), which fetched a high price at
the time. So, he reasoned that he would be better off becoming a hunter.
Beyond that, it seems Kametaro simply loves living with
his family and hunting.
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| Living room of a high-class house in Akiyama-go |
Preserved house “ex-Fukuhara head family’s
residence”、秋山郷保存民家 福原総本家旧宅
３．夫・亀太郎の生きざま
（１）亀太郎が生きてきた道
亀太郎は、５人兄弟の末っ子。粗食（固形物が少なくて箸がいらない粥や雑炊）で育った。うまくない蕎麦の葉も食べた。家の手伝いばかりで、学校には行かなかった。
“オラ頭はまるバカで、中ぶら（宙ぶらりん）で、字は一つ知らねえ、この亀太郎のクソジジィは。”と回想する。しかし、彼は生きる術を深く考え、実行している。
親の焼畑では、暮らしは上向かないと考えた亀太郎は、現金が入る猟師（特に胆が高く売れる熊猟）、木挽き（伐採と製材）、イワナ漁をした。工事があれば、土木作業員として働いた。体力があり、力も強い大きな体を生かしたのだ。発電所の発破工事では、射撃で必要な利き目（右）を失ったが、子供（上が７歳）を育てる義務感で復活し、仕事を続けた。
亀太郎は、“この亀太郎のクソジジィは。”と言ったあと、”オラやったやった、なんでもやった。強盗と火付けと人殺し以外は、なんでもやった。やって来た。もうオラのやることは、オラの一生はこれで終わったんだ、あとは忰だ。“と著者に語った。酒が入っている。
ハルエは、亀太郎を“発明の人”という。方言で、いろいろ考えてやってみる人のことだ。
（２）食い扶持を考える、やってみる
亀太郎は、19歳で跡取りがない家の養子に入った。３人の子ができたが、２人は死に、妻も死んだ。亀太郎は、鉄砲と木挽きで老父と子どもを養い働くが、苦しい。後妻をもらうことにした。妻が死んで８年後だ。
亀太郎は、猟師などの現金収入だけでは不安定だから、焼畑を大きくして生活を安定させようとしたのだ。老父と子どもの世話をしてもらうために、後妻をもらった。昭和19年、32歳の時であった（亀太郎は、地元で国民兵として務めたが、招集されていない）。
戦後は政府の土地を買って（農地改革かもしれない）、田圃を作った。志賀高原のスキー場開発で禁猟区が増えたことも田圃を作る動機になった。
田圃作りでは、養分がある表土を取り除いた後、高い土地の土を低い土地に運び、石垣も作る。最後に表土を戻す。
普段の食糧確保を続ける中での作業だ。ブルドーザーはない。4年で0.2haを開拓した（２人分の米を作れる広さ）。亀太郎は、その後も、田畑を広げ、生活を安定させていった。「オラ頭はまるバカ」ではない。
４．妻・ハルエの生きざま
（１）ハルエの生い立ち
独身時代のハルエは女手がない家の膨大な量の家事を担っていた。炊飯器も洗濯機もない時代だ。父はハルエを手放さなかったが、ハルエが27歳の時、嫁に出すことにした。
紹介されたのは亀太郎。父は近く集落を希望した。結婚後も、実家の手伝いだ。料理や保存食作り、服作りなどの家事は時間がかかる。例えば、栃の実のアク抜きは煮たり、水にさらしたり、10工程も要した。
それでも、栃を食べられるようにし、粟などがほとんどのアンポに加えておいしく食べられるようにした。主婦の家族愛が加わっている。
彼らの結婚式はドンチャン騒ぎ。結納、花嫁衣装、嫁転ばしなどが7ページほどにわたって書かれている。祝言の翌日の親戚回りなど、一般的な村の習俗と同じだと思う。ハレの日のはじけ方、お金の使い方が桁違いなのが当時の人たちだ。
（２）亀太郎に嫁いでからは家事と焼畑
焼畑までは１時間半。そこに小屋を建て働いたが、子どもが学校にあがると、家から通った。
焼畑の仕事は11月20日のエビス講の前に終えて、エビス講のご馳走を作る。しかし、亀太郎が現金が入る薪切の仕事へ出て、焼畑の仕事が終わらず、エビス講の準備ができなさそうな年もあったが、隣家の協力を得て間に合わせた。親類縁者と相互訪問する年中行事は大切なのだ。エビス講の詳細も記されている。
ハルエは、子どもの頃の回想で、焼畑からの帰りを“帰りはみんな一緒さ。みんな出て来て、まーるで行列さ。だから、大勢でにぎやかだったから、クマに会うことなんてなかったよ。”と語っている。親になると足取りが重くなったかもしれない。
（３）長男の湯治は夫婦最大の思い出
長男（４歳）が虫下しと診察され薬がでたが、治らない。どこへ行っても良くならない。
発哺（ほっぽ、志賀高原）の湯がいいと聞き、雪の中、出かける。長男と２歳の次男を連れて、夫の熊猟に付いて行く。ハルエだけでは、子どもと荷物を持てないのだ。しかも、腹の中に３月目の子がいる。
このエピソードは強烈。長男に対する愛情、家族の強い結びつきがビンビンと伝わってくる（10ページ以上の紙面が割かれている）。
この時、亀太郎は、“まあオレは、この度はもう借金さえしなければよいと、まあたとえ借金したって、一万や二万は借金しても、とにかくこの子を助けてやろうと、そういう気で連れてった。“と回想している。
続けて、”そうして連れてったところが、半月ほどいたら、そのアニ（長男）が病気が治っちゃって、とても元気になったから･･･“。亀太郎は、遊んでいない。熊ノ湯に出かけて大熊を仕留め、肉を売った。金になる胆と皮、脳みそが薬になる頭は持ち帰った。頭と生皮を持って汽車には乗れないので山を越えて、秋山郷に戻ることにした。
亀太郎にとっては慣れた場所だが、ハルエは慣れていない。しかも、猟師小屋で一泊する。“空が見えるの、カヤ（茅）がもうないの、棒だけ。それで中も雪、雪の上に建ってるの”。他の猟師も一緒で心強かったろうが、子どもも寒さで眠れなかった。
マジカ！としか思えない雪中歩行が続く。胎児が安定期に入っていたとはいえ、難路を進み長男を連れて帰る。亀太郎は、長男が回復したら、猟しっかりする。大熊を仕留めたので、借金を回避できたのかもしれない。熊も道具も息子も担いで帰る。写真の風貌からは想像ができないパワーだ。
秋山郷へ帰り着いたときの記述で、読んでいた私もホッとした。切明の発電所から実家へ電話し、甥に迎えに来てもらい、子どもも荷物も持ってもらった。ハルエは実家で２泊。よく眠れただろう。亀太郎は、酒を一杯飲んだら、疲れがとれたと言い、家へと下って行った。なんてパワーだ。
（４）出稼ぎ（冬働き）
冬は雪に閉ざされる。家で服や藁靴を作ったり、保存食を作ったりする。若い世代は秋山郷を下りて「冬働き」をするようで、２人とも東京などで働いた経験がある。11月か12月に働きに出て、4月か5月に帰ってくるのだ。
ハルエは銀座四丁目の中華料理屋で住み込みで働いたし、大阪の紡績会社でも働いた。女性は、所帯を持ったら冬働きにはでられない。炊事洗濯、裁縫。冬は仕事が多いのだ。
亀太郎は、15歳の冬に、いとこ３人で東京・木挽町の製本屋で働いた。東京では美味いものを食べ、映画を見に行き、本家から借りた五円（給料も五円）と帰りの汽車賃だけが残った。
製本屋からは「来年も」と言われたが一冬でやめた。
家にいれば、“親ども安心だし、クマはいる、ウサギはいる、何でもケダモンいて、バンドリ（ムササビとモモンガの俗称）ってのがその頃値がよくて、これ鉄砲ぶちになった方が得だと思った” のだ。
亀太郎は、家族と住むこと、狩猟をすることが好きだったのだろう。
Previous post (Part 2 of this article): Life in Akiyama-go: an
innermost mountain villages、秘境の里・秋山郷の暮らし
Next post (Part
4 of this article): Fun of life in Akiyama-go、秋山郷で生きた楽しみ (coming soon)
Reference articles、参考記事 :
Akiyama-go
community hall (1/2)、秋山郷総合センター・とねんぼ（その１）
Akiyama-go
community hall (2/2)、秋山郷総合センター・とねんぼ（その２）
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