Daily life of farmers and wisdom

In agricultural communities during this era, there was a taxation system that grouped farmers into units consisting of five families each (goningumi). In the 18th century, when the agricultural communities were gradually exhausted by a succession of natural disasters, famine, and pandemics, some people tried to escape from their intolerable circumstances, some sold themselves, some got a sleep in job at wealthy farm [Weki] who are called [Irichiri] or some started to work on an irregular basis [Shikama].

Cycads as an emergency food source
During the 17th century, when many starved to death due to a lean harvest of the staple crop of yams (owing to either to typhoons or drought) it is said that some resorted to eating cycads in order to survive. Although the cycad is a toxic plant, the stem and seeds could be made edible by soaking them in water to neutralize the toxin. By the middle of the 18th century, methods for their cultivation and cooking had become quite varied, and cycads came in useful as a source of nutrition during lean times.