Chapter 3

First of all, I have to say that after researching a lot of materials, wow! There are so many different opinions, it feels like a topic that could be studied in depth. I estimate that no matter how I set the prices, there will always be some readers who are satisfied and others who are not. After a comprehensive evaluation, the price settings for this book are as follows (please bear with me, everyone):

- Salt: 15 coins per sheng

- Wheat: 32 coins per sheng

- Miso: 125 coins per sheng

- Horse feed: 1.6 coins per sheng

- Horse: 5 kan per head

Unit conversion: 1 koku = 10 to = 100 sheng = 1000 gō = 10000 shaku (1 koku is approximately 120 catties)

An adult, based on the mainstream estimate of 5 gō of rice per day, would need to consume 1.8 koku of rice per year.

It's important to note that prices can change, and they vary depending on the actual situation. For example, horses are generally cheaper in areas where they are produced compared to areas where they are scarce. Therefore, this book will refer to some actual data, and prices will vary in each region. Of course, I welcome everyone to point out any shortcomings. After all, my abilities are limited, and I can't find too much information at once.

Below are some materials provided for your reference:

Material One:

In Japan, 1 koku is approximately 350 catties. The land unit 1 chō = 10 tan, and each tan yields about 1 koku of grain! The rice yield rate is about 70%! The lord and the farmers share the harvest in a 6:4 ratio! Each farmer can cultivate about 5 tan of land, and each tan is about 1000 square meters.

The gold-to-silver ratio is 1:12! The weight ratio of the units of measurement for gold and silver is 1:12! One ryō of silver is about 1200 coins, while the gold-to-silver ratio in Europe at the same time was about 1:15-20.

Additionally, in the Taikō period, salaries were annual, such as 5 kan per year for a foot soldier leader! Half in rice and half in money, paid twice a year! After the summer harvest, rice is distributed, and money is given at the end of the year! Only samurai of a higher rank or castle lords can eat rice, usually selling the rice to buy coarse grains and radishes! Each farmer rents 1 chō of land from the lord to cultivate! When the lord goes to battle, the farmers must provide their own weapons and provisions to participate! However, due to frequent battles, the provisions for the farmers are provided by the lord after they report for duty! Small lords do not pay taxes to the large lords but are responsible for providing troops as required by the large lords! Failure to do so can result in a reduction or loss of their fief!

All mineral resources within a small lord's territory belong to the large lord! Privately opening mines, especially for gold, silver, copper, and salt, is akin to treason and is condemned by the entire country! If important mines are discovered within a territory, they are usually transferred to another lord! Strong small lords may be entrusted with mining, but the profits after deducting costs are limited! Generally, the discovery of mineral resources is presented to the large lord in exchange for an increase in fief or status! Unauthorized development of the territory, such as building castles, new fields, mines, or castle towns, is considered treason!

Therefore, the development of small lords in the Sengoku period relies on fighting and seizing neighboring lands! Whether the seized land can be retained depends on the small lord's status with the large lord! If they cannot seize land, they seize resources!

The above information is provided by "Zanghua Ren 731." Thank you for providing the materials, and I bow in gratitude.

Material Two:

In the Sengoku period, when soldiers went to battle, especially in long-term campaigns or when attacking distant enemies, maintaining necessary food supplies for the troops was the most important.

If the battle was short-term, the soldiers usually provided their own food, known as the "bento principle." Only in long-term battles would the lord provide military rations.

Regarding military rations, in ancient times, soldiers were required to prepare six to of rice and two sheng of salt, stored in their respective unit warehouses. Rice can be stored for a long time, but it can become hard and dry over time. When used, it is first soaked in water to soften it, then cooked into a porridge, and salt is added for flavor.

According to "Zōhei Monogatari," a foot soldier's daily ration is: 1 sheng of water, 6 gō of rice, 1 shaku of salt, and 2 shaku of miso. In "Rōjō Shugyō no Maki," it is recorded that during a siege, a foot soldier's daily ration is: 1 sheng of water, 4.5 gō of rice, 1 shaku of salt, and 2 shaku of miso.

At that time, people did not have the habit of eating three meals a day, which was introduced during the Edo period. In the Sengoku period, it was more common to eat two meals a day. On the battlefield, meal times were even less fixed, and the daily rations were usually divided into three or four portions.

In the Sengoku period, common soldiers ate coarse grains like wheat, millet, barnyard grass, and potatoes. Samurai had better meals, consisting of mixed rice and vegetables. If they were lucky, they could even eat white rice. The most luxurious rations, which only daimyō or high-ranking samurai could enjoy, included white rice, vegetables, fish, shellfish, and chicken. Some might ask if common soldiers ever had the chance to taste such delicacies. I think if they could, they wouldn't be common soldiers on the battlefield.

Material Three:

Books often describe it like this: "The valiant samurai rode their spirited warhorses, sweeping across the battlefield like the wind."

Common soldiers are not even mentioned. With samurai, there must be warhorses, otherwise, how could they be called the "house of archery and horsemanship"? The quality of the horses directly affected the mobility of the samurai. The Takeda clan, among the various daimyō, was undoubtedly the best at combining the mobility of warhorses with the attacking power of samurai. However, did such large-scale cavalry units really exist? At least half of the academic community still holds a negative view.

Their reasons for skepticism are:

1. At that time, Japanese horses were still very wild, and there was no precedent for large-scale domestication. It would be almost impossible to achieve widespread domestication and group training within a few generations of the Sengoku period.

2. Even if they were domesticated, cavalry units would face the problem of the horses being easily frightened by the spear formations of foot soldiers. In such a situation, how could they perform a coordinated charge?

3. Based on the remains of horses from the Sengoku period that have been excavated and reconstructed, the average height of Japanese horses was between 120 cm and 145 cm, which, by world standards, would be considered small. How could they be used in warfare?

Well, the above is just the academic community's skepticism. Since there are widespread historical records, we will assume that cavalry units existed to some extent in the camps of various daimyō. So, what is the daily consumption of a warhorse? According to "The Legend of Nattō," whether in wartime or peacetime, a warhorse consumes 3 sheng of horse feed per day, and a packhorse consumes 2 sheng per day.

With samurai and warhorses, can they go to battle? The answer is definitely no! Samurai going to battle also need to be equipped with certain weapons.

"Samurai are the sword in their hand, and the sword is the soul of the samurai" is a concept that gradually formed during the Edo period. In the Sengoku period, whether it was bows, spears, or swords, all were symbols of samurai. Just as there were high and low ranks among samurai, these weapons and armor also had different values. Here, we are not studying the rare masterpieces forged by famous craftsmen but considering the prices of medium to low-quality, widely available equipment. Generally: a tachi or a yari costs 550 coins, a nameless tanto or a naginata costs 400 coins, and a thin iron armor and helmet for a foot soldier cost 11 kan 500 coins. Some might ask about the prices of arquebuses and cannons. As for these valuable items, we will not delve into them here, as there are already many specialized articles on the subject.

With the samurai and warhorses ready, they can finally go to battle. But how is the battle fought?

In fact, the methods of battle were constantly changing. From a broader perspective, from the Ōnin War to the Battle of Sekigahara, the fighting methods evolved from individual duels to group battles.

Since the Ōnin War, battles have been one after another, with increasing numbers of participants. The introduction of arquebuses and cannons made large-scale slaughter possible, and the casualty rate increased day by day. However, commanders summarized a relatively complete set of combat methods: first, use arquebuses and bows for long-range attacks, then a cavalry charge, and finally, use foot soldiers with spears to finish off the scattered enemies and consolidate the victory. Of course, there were also other methods, such as using spear formations to break through the front lines and then a cavalry charge to attack the main force to decide the outcome.

After the battle, the next natural step is to talk about rewards. Without rewards, who would fight for the lord?

In the Sengoku period, rewards were of two types: plunder after the battle and the lord's gifts.

1. Plunder after the battle was a common occurrence, and a foot soldier could typically obtain 5 to 10 kan of copper coins and one or two pieces of equipment they liked after a battle. This public plundering also served as the best pre-battle mobilization. The "Taikōki" records that on October 30, 1577, Yamanaka Shikanosuke told his soldiers before a night raid on Sannō Pass: "Those who participate in this battle are all my brothers, and the land we conquer is yours. Take whatever you like until dawn."

2. Compared to plunder after the battle, the lord's gifts were often less exciting. Unless there was a significant achievement, rewards were usually given based on the number of heads taken. At the time, the standard reward was 1 kan 200 coins per head, which was much lower than 5 or 10 kan.

With the rewards taken, the article should come to an end. Those interested can try to calculate the number of troops a lord can send and their maintenance costs using the data provided, which would be an interesting exercise.

Material Four:

The Japanese Wikipedia entries on "Sanpō System" and "Rice Prices" mention that the average price of rice during the Muromachi period was 500-600 coins per koku. The "Kanmon System" entry states that the Hōjō family's exchange rate was 100 coins for 1.2-1.4 to of rice.

This is the price in 1657, during the Edo period:

- 1 kan of money: 18 momme of silver

- 27 koku 6 to of rice: 1 kan 76 momme of silver

1 kan of money is approximately equivalent to 2.8 koku of rice.

By the mid-18th century, 1 koku of rice in Edo had risen to 4 kan.

The article ends here. Those interested can try to calculate a lord's troop numbers and maintenance costs using the data provided, which would be an interesting exercise.