The Sengoku period was globally known as the "Little Ice Age." Compared to the 21st century, the average temperature was nearly two degrees lower. As a result, crops were difficult to grow, and the common people were often starving. Tanabe is located at the northernmost tip of Honshu. The severity of winter here is incomparable to that of Owari or Sagami.
"It's fortunate that the charcoal briquettes arrived in time. Each household should be able to keep warm sufficiently."
In the 18th century, during the Edo period, "charcoal briquettes" were commercialized. These briquettes were made by solidifying the "charcoal fragments" produced in large quantities during the manufacturing of charcoal with "funori," a type of seaweed. Although they have less heat output compared to charcoal, they can burn continuously for a whole day, making them ideal for indoor heating. With the assumption of daily use, 150 charcoal briquettes were prepared for each household.
"Once spring comes, we will build a thousand-koku ship and trade with Tsuruga. We will sell soap and charcoal briquettes, and buy Echizen washi paper and ramie from Tsuruga. Ramie is particularly important. If we can get seeds or seedlings, we will definitely acquire them."
While eating a meal of dried fish, mountain udo and fern pickles, seaweed and scallop soup, and mixed grain rice, Yoshimatsu spoke about his plans for after spring. Masaharu simply nodded and looked at the child in front of him.
(What a child. I barely know the name Tsuruga. Is Yoshimatsu possessed by a yokai? Still, the food is delicious. This is apparently something Yoshimatsu thought of. The umami from dried kelp is amazing. He called it "dashi," which is used in court cuisine. Indeed, it is delicious.)
Katsuobushi and kelp have existed as ingredients since the Nara period. Kelp was presented to the imperial court and used as dashi in cooking. However, the "dashi cuisine" that developed centered around Kyoto had not spread to the far north, where meals consisted mainly of mixed grains and salt, and meat from fish, deer, or boar when available.
"Grandfather, we will make a big move from next year. However, I want to keep the method of making charcoal briquettes as secret as possible. I want to use them as a specialty product of our domain for trade."
"Tanabe is, in a sense, isolated. To get here, one must either cross by boat from Nobeoka or cross the Blowover Pass. Besides, Shinden is on the periphery of the Nanbu clan, but it is just one of the local lords. You can do as you please."
The Nanbu clan, which was divided into six branches, further subdivided, each with its own independent territory. Nanbu Harumasa attempted to integrate them and become a Sengoku daimyo, but in the end, he remained only the head of the Nanbu clan. Each local lord had a certain amount of influence, making it difficult even to pass on the family leadership to a young son. Eventually, the Nanbu clan split due to the emergence of Tsugaru Nobuhira.
(There wasn't even a bungo-ho. While Nanbu Harumasa was undoubtedly a remarkable figure, without the input of information, there is no output. In this Mutsu, there is a critical lack of information. The concept of industrial promotion did not exist. In a warm region, it might be fine, but in this Mutsu, planned industrial promotion is essential.)
"There is a place called Daibata to the north of this land, which faces the sea. According to Jukaku, it is almost uninhabited, but it would be an ideal place to hide the production of bricks and charcoal briquettes. Once the population increases, I plan to establish a settlement in Daibata."
Saying this, the child slurped the soup with relish. The old man looked at him with a dazzled expression.
Deep snow fell. Even in the 21st century, the Shimokita Peninsula can see snow accumulation exceeding four meters. In the Sengoku period, during the Little Ice Age, the snowfall was even more extreme. The people of Tanabe were busy shoveling snow from morning. Thanks to newly developed tools like shovels and wheeled push carts, the efficiency of snow removal dramatically improved.
"After sweating from shoveling snow, be sure to wipe yourself with a hand towel. Otherwise, your body will get cold and you might get sick."
Thanks to Yoshimatsu's detailed instructions, the snow removal was completed by mid-morning, and winter work began in the afternoon. In the newly built "brick warehouse," they were processing wood in preparation for spring. They would build a ship as the snow melted. They were also mass-producing crossbows, which had been put into practical use, and making soap and charcoal.
"The brick warehouse is warm, so the villagers gather there to keep warm. They can help with childcare and carrying loads."
Yoshisuke's job was to assist Yoshimatsu. Yoshimatsu would come up with new plans for after spring, and Yoshisuke would write them down. Sometimes Masaharu would join in to provide political judgment. Yoshimatsu lacked information about the Nanbu clan, which could lead to incorrect judgments. While military force could be ignored, it was crucial for the Shinden family, which could barely gather a few dozen soldiers, to avoid drawing attention from stronger powers.
"Following Grandfather's advice, we will start with a 500-koku ship. But the problem is people. We are severely lacking in manpower. Ideally, we would like to bring people from Ando, but..."
"That's unlikely. Ando is far away, and Kakiyazaki in Tokuyama hates the Nanbu. Even if we gather people, they will likely betray us. It would be better to borrow manpower from Sanno and Negoro for now."
"But if we do that, Young Master's activities will become known. Young Master wants to keep the prosperity of Tanabe hidden, right?"
"It's fine if it reaches my father, but I don't want the Nanbu clan to know. If they do, we might be attacked."
"I don't think that will happen..."
Masaharu denied it, but what Yoshimatsu feared most was Nanbu Harumasa. For Harumasa, who aimed to become a Sengoku daimyo, a powerful local lord would be a nuisance. Whether absorbed or eliminated, neither outcome would be favorable.
"I want to focus on the prosperity of Tanabe for the next five years, preferably ten. But that's probably not possible. Maybe three years..."
In three years, how much strength could they gain? That would determine the limits of his ambitions. Yoshimatsu felt a growing sense of urgency.
The winter in Mutsu is harsh. As a heavy snowfall area, people are often confined to their homes. During the winter, Yoshimatsu practiced writing and thought about how to develop Tanabe in the future.
"I was thinking of making dried persimmons for sweets, but I remember that there were no persimmons in this era. Since Acer mono grows naturally in the Shimokita Peninsula, I could make maple syrup. Also, I could make sake from millet. The Ainu people make tonoto from millet, so it should be possible to produce it in this era."
In the warm Kinki region, sake is made from rice, but in the northern limit of Mutsu, rice production is low. In Tanabe, mixed grain rice, which includes millet and sorghum, is the norm. Despite this, Yoshimatsu's creative efforts have resulted in quite delicious dishes, but he genuinely wanted to eat rice.
"By leveling the rice fields, planting in rows, and using seedling cultivation, we can expect some increase in production. If possible, I would like to grow seedlings in a greenhouse, but... no, could I use sulfur from Osorezan to make phthalic acid?"
Yoshimatsu's plan was to expand clothing, food, and housing. As the next head of the Shinden family, who was only two years old, he was far from being able to go to war. Even with 3,000 koku in Tanabe, the number of peasant soldiers available was limited. Moreover, in the event of war, they would have to cross the Shimokita Peninsula. For the time being, it was unlikely that Tanabe would be drawn into a war.
"I'm sorry to my father, but I want the war to be fought by the Negoro family. During that time, I will take control of the Shimokita Peninsula and acquire economic and military power surpassing the Nanbu. I will control Nobeoka and make the Mutsu Bay an inland sea, and then advance into Tsugaru..."
He placed stones on a map drawn on a wooden board. It was a simple map of the Tohoku region and Hokkaido, drawn from memory. But it was sufficient for his planning.
"Can we bring people from Sanno, Negoro, and Namioka? Especially the Namioka Kitahata clan is a nuisance. They are connected to Ando, so they are also a nuisance to the Nanbu clan. Namioka Danjo Masahisa was a good leader, but the current head, Masahiro, is incompetent. Perhaps the decline has already begun?"
The Namioka clan was a prominent family in Mutsu, with its roots in the Kitahata clan, which moved to Oshu during the Nanbokucho period. However, there are various theories, and the family tree written during the Edo period claims they are descendants of Kitahata Akinori, who opened the Oshu Shogunate. Kitahata Akinori was the greatest warrior of the Southern Court, who, at the age of 14 (12 in modern terms), became a councilor and led an army from Mutsu to Kyoto to defeat Ashikaga Takauji during the Kenmu Rebellion. He then led another army from Mutsu to capture Kamakura and defeat the Northern Court's guardian, Toki Yoritaka, in the Battle of Aono in Mino. He was only 20 (19 in modern terms) at the time. However, he was young and strong in battle but weak in politics. He needed the authority of the rear to move the dedicated samurai, but the system of rewarding land as a prize was not established, leading to his defeat by the more advanced governance system of the Muromachi Shogunate. He died at the young age of 21, but the fact that he attacked Kyoto from the farthest reaches of Japan, Mutsu, is a source of pride for the people of Oshu. This is why the Nanbu clan, despite being enemies, did not destroy the Namioka clan. The Namioka clan was ultimately destroyed by Tsugaru Nobuhira.
"But I am different. To me, past glory is worth no more than a grain of rice. I will dominate Kakiyazaki, Ando, Namioka, Nanbu, Hachinohe, and Kunohe. And I will rule the world."
It was the winter of 1547 (Tensho 16). Yoshimatsu, at the age of two, had eyes that shone with ambition for a distant future.
(=゜ω゜=): The Sengoku period was during the Little Ice Age. How cold was it?
(´・∀・`): Due to the stagnation of solar activity and volcanic eruptions around the world, the average global temperature was about one degree lower during the 100 years from 1500 to 1600.
(=゜ω゜=): One degree doesn't sound like much.
(´・∀・`): You can't apply the global average to a specific region like Japan. Meteorologically, a one-degree drop in global average temperature means a six to ten-degree drop in summer temperatures in Japan. The reverse is also true.
(=゜ω゜=): Ah, that's why recent summers are so hot.
(´・∀・`): Global warming is a serious issue for Japan, more so than you might think.
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