今年度は、有力林業家である奈良県の永田家と三重県の吉田家の歴史資料の分析を行った。そして、永田家についての研究成果を、学会大会でパネル報告として発表し、吉田家についての研究成果を、学会誌に投稿した。永田家は、近代日本における先進的林業地の奈良県吉野地域で、近世後期より大規模な植林事業を進めた。そして、1910年代に輸送と電力のインフラ整備が進んだなかで、大規模に製材業へ展開し、事業規模を急速に拡大した。しかし、1920年代は外国からの輸入材が大量に日本へ輸入されたために、国産材の価格が下落し、永田家も事業規模を縮小した。ただし、そのなかでも永田家は植林事業を継続し、1930年代に外国からの木材輸入が急減した際に、再び奈良県吉野地域の林業が見直された。三重県瀧原の吉田家は、三重県南部の大台林業地域で近世後期から植林事業を開始したが、大台林業地域は吉野地域に比べると後進的林業地であり、同時期に大規模に植林事業が行われたため、資金需要が急増して林業への金融が重要となった。それに対して吉田家は自ら銀行を設立して林業への金融を積極的に行い、地域の林業家の資金需要に応えた。永田家も吉野地域の銀行経営に関わったが、永田家は資金の借り手として銀行を利用して大規模に製材業を行ったのに対し、吉田家は資金の貸し手として、林業家を支えた。こうした林業資産家の経営展開が、近代日本における林業の持続的成長を支えつつ、林産資源の大都市への安定的供給を可能にしたと言える。なお、昨年度学会誌に投稿した埼玉県の平沼家の林業経営の研究成果は、今年度学会誌に掲載された。また、新型コロナウィルスの感染拡大のために、資料調査が行えなかったため、これまでマイクロフィルムに撮影した歴史資料のデジタルデータへの変換とプリントを行い、研究環境の整備を進めた。
In the current year, we analyzed historical materials of the Eida family in Nara Prefecture and the Yoshida family in Mie Prefecture. The research results on the Eida family were presented in a panel discussion at the academic conference, and the research results on the Yoshida family were applied to the academic journal. The Eida family carried out a large-scale afforestation project from the latter half of the early-modern period in Yoshino area, Nara Prefecture, which was an advanced forestry area in modern Japan. In the 1910s, the family expanded into the lumber industry on a large scale, and rapidly expanded its business scale, as transportation and electric power infrastructure improved. In the 1920s, however, a large amount of imported wood was imported into Japan, which caused the price of domestic wood to fall, and the Eida family also downsized its business. Among them, the family continued the afforestation business, and the forestry of Yoshino region in Nara Prefecture was re-appreciated in the 1930s when the import of wood from abroad decreased sharply. The Yoshida family in Takihara, Mie Prefecture, began afforestation projects in the Odai forestry region in the southern part of Mie Prefecture in the latter half of the early-modern period. But the Odai forestry region was a less developed forestry region than the Yoshino region, and since afforestation projects were carried out on a large scale at the same time, demand for funds increased rapidly and financing for forestry became important. On the other hand, the Yoshida family established a bank by themselves and actively financed forestry to meet the demand for funds from local foresters. The Eida family was also involved in the management of the bank in the Yoshino region, and the Eida family used the bank as a borrower and carried out lumber business on a large scale, while the Yoshida family supported the foresters as a lender of funds. It can be said that the management of these wealthy foresters supported the sustainable growth of forestry in modern Japan and enabled the stable supply of forest resources to large cities. The research results on forestry management by the Hiranuma family in Saitama Prefecture, which were submitted to the academic journal last year, were published in the academic journal this year. Due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, it was not possible to conduct research on materials. Therefore, historical materials photographed with microfilm were converted into digital data and printed, and the research environment was improved.