Farris reveals that the solution to the first problem resulted from more productive agriculture taking place on more arable land, the rise of an expansive commercial network, new technologies in industry, and more cohesive social units such as the corporate village and stem family. Gradual improvements in housing, nutrition, clothing, sanitation, and other aspects of daily existence reduced infant mortality and boosted the standard of living for many commoners. The end to endemic warfare and removal of most warriors to the cities brought relief to a populace that had been constantly harassed by their military overlords, who stole their crops, kidnapped their wives and children, and exploited their labor. Farris makes the case that the benefits of peace were wrought by the peasantry through their hard work, ingenuity, and open resistance to a demanding and abusive warrior class. It was, moreover, peasant efforts that laid the groundwork for further gains made during Japan’s early modern period after 1600.
Japan’s Medieval Population will be required reading for specialists in pre-modern Japanese history, who will appreciate it not only for its thought-provoking arguments, but also for its methodology and use of sources. It will be of interest as well to modern Japan historians and scholars and students of comparative social and economic development.
