Historical geography of the developed field in the middle age

Abstract

I can dare to say that the conception of historical geography as a subject of human geography is not established yet. The most important reason, I think, is how the historical factor would be conquered. So at the temporal steps the mistake of thought is inevitable. This report is one of the sort. In this report the object of study is the Inano-sho, Manor of Todaiji Temple, (Hyôgo Prefecture) as the earlier manor which has been already studied by the many materials. The convenience of field survey and investigated materials are the reason why I took this area up. But nobody has investigated Inano-sho from the geographical standpoint. At least the localization and location of Inano-sho has not been explained yet, so I am intending to have the main subject of the report to clearify these facts. I take the old map of Inano-sho, the fundamental material of geographical study, the manuscript made in one or two centuries after entry to Todaiji Manor. Therefore I use its manuscriptive items as the material of reappearance of landscape. I take the earlier manor as the progressed type of developed field to study the character of developed field, especially the relation to Miyake. The classification of land taken as the object of developed field was the waste land. So at first I made the reappearance of the Muko Plain in middle age micro-geographically by the geological condition, underground materials and the today's natural landscape. I suppose the antecedent Inano-sho was the Miyake in this area. I would go on to the localisation of Miyake from its character, and limit the location of Sho gradually by the old road. At last I found the key point to study the relation of manor and the compartment of Jori in the old map. So I made the reappearance of Jori of the southern part of Kawabegun and I could the location of Inano-sho on the transportation route. In short this report is engaged in finding the location of a manor with the reappearance of natural and cultural landscape by the old map and old manuscripts. © 1953, The Human Geographical Society of Japan. All rights reserved.