Notes on Cash Loans in Ancient Japan (4. On Currency)

application/pdf律令国家により銭貨が発行されると、平城京や平安京などの都城を中心に銭貨が流通すると同時に、銭貨による出挙（利息付き貸付）が広範に行われるようになった。この銭貨出挙については、これまでも古代史の分野で膨大な研究蓄積がある。なかでも正倉院文書に残るいわゆる「月借銭解」」を素材とした研究により、古代の写経生の生活の実態や、各官司・下級官人による出挙運営の実態を明らかになってきた。だが古代の都市生活の中で銭貨出挙が果たした役割についてはなお検討の余地がありそうである。そこで本稿では、正倉院文書、木簡、六国史の記事を再検討し、銭貨出挙が都市民に果たした役割を総体的に検討した。 正倉院文書の「月借銭解」（借銭文書）といえば宝亀年間の奉写一切経所のものが有名だが、宝亀年間より前の借銭文書からは、短期貸付の場合の無利息借貸、銭の運用のために貸し付けられた「商銭」、天皇の即位等にともなう「恩免」など、出挙銭のさまざまな存在形態をうかがうことができる。出土木簡からも銭貨出挙が平城京や平安京で広範に行われていたことが推定でき、借用状の書式の変遷を知る手がかりを与えてくれる。 銭貨出挙の際に作成される借用状は、奈良・平安時代を通じて「手実」「券」などと呼ばれ、不整形な紙が用いられていた。平安時代の借銭文書の実物は残っていないが、書式は奈良時代の借銭文書のそれを踏襲していたとみてよいだろう。 康保年間（九六四〜九六七）の「清胤王書状」の記載から、銭貨出挙のような銭貨融通行為が、銭貨発行が途絶える一〇世紀後半に至ってもなお頻繁に行われていたものとみられることは興味深い。銭貨出挙は律令国家による銭貨発行以降、都を中心に恒常的かつ広範に行われており、これを禁ずることは平安京における都市生活にとって支障をきたすことになったのであろう。それはとりもなおさず、平安京の都市生活における大規模な消費と深く関わっていたと考えられる。Once the Ritsuryo state began to mint coins, they circulated mainly in the castle towns of the Heijo (Nara) and Heian (Kyoto) capitals. At the same time, cash loans called suiko that were interest-bearing loans became a widespread practice. Research undertaken to date using loan documents that remain among the records of the Shosoin have revealed details of the daily lives of low-ranking officials and the management of loans issued by public offices during the ancient period. However, such studies have stopped short of addressing the question of what kind of role these cash loans played in ancient urban life. This paper presents an overview of the role of cash loans in the lives of urban dwellers on the basis of a re-examination of various written materials. Documents from the Shosoin reveal various types of cash loans, including non-interest loans in cases of short-term lending, cash loans for commercial purposes, and special cases in which debtors were exempted from repaying loans. We may surmise from information provided by mokkan (inscribed wooden tablets) as well, that cash loans were widespread in the Heijo and Heian capitals. These mokkan also provide a useful guide to understanding the changes that occurred in the forms of loan documents. Loan documents that were drawn up when a loan was made were referred to by terms such as “shujitsu” and “ken” through the Nara and Heian periods, for which non-standard letters were used. Although there are no extant loan documents from the Heian period, we may conclude that the form they took followed that of loan documents from the Nara period. Even when the issuing of money was suspended during the latter half of the 10th century, these kinds of monetary and financial practices continued with some frequency. From the time when the Ritsuryo state began issuing coins, cash loans were a constant and widespread practice in the capital, and prohibiting this practice would have impeded the way of life in the Heian capital. That is to say, cash loans have strong links to the large-scale consumption that took place in Heian urban life.departmental bulletin pape