Shogun’s ranch in Kogane - Japanese style round-up in Edo period

Shogun's horse and horse boys in the Kogane ranch
(C)Matusdo City/Matusdo City Board of Education

The view of Kogane ranch with Mt.Fuji by Hiroshige Utagawa

At least until 1614, Tokugawa shogunate established the Kogane ranch, as a shogunate bailiwick, for breading military horses in Kazusa Province. It occupied almost half of Kashiwa City, Matsudo City, and Nagareyana City. According to the Agency of Culture Affairs, there were about 1,000 horses in this ranch, even late of Edo period.

One of "Mokushi" residence in Kashiwa
(C)JAPAN a while ago

As the way of the world, there are horse boys in horse ranch. In the case of Kogane ranch, the shogunate assigned "Noma-Bugyo (meaning official of wild horses)" and some "Mokushi (meaning breading squire)" in this bailiwick.

Round-up in Kogane ranch from a travel journal published in 1858
(C)JAPAN a while ago

Japanese style stirrups, Samurai in Kogane ranch used
(C)JAPAN a while ago

A uniform for "Seko", looks like Japanese armor, used in Kogane ranch
(C)JAPAN a while ago

Name plates for ”Seko”, used in Kogane ranch
(C)JAPAN a while ago

They was engaged in grazing horses for shogun and capturing these horses yearly. Capturing horses, as Japanese style round-up, was large in scale. The shogunate rallied 870 peasant as "Seko (meaning lower horse boys engaged in chasing horse into fence)" and many Mokushi.

"Oranda Kannon", meaning Dutch Kannon in Nagareyama, as memorial for Persian hourse imported via Nederland
(C)JAPAN a while ago

Bronze statues of houses at a park in Nagareyama
(C)JAPAN a while ago

In 1676, Ietsugu Tokugawa, the 4th shogun of Tokugawa shogunate, introduced a Persian grey horse in Kogane ranch via Nederland. But it was difficult for this horse to get acclimatized in Japan. Finally, the horse which became unruly was shooted by horse boys. After that, they made small temple for this horse so called "Oranda Kannon (meaning Dutch Kannon)". Even today, after the abolish Kogane ranch by Meiji new government and development as housing land, A shogun's horse turned Kannon still stand in Nagareyama, former part of ranch.