Grass porridge to beat hunger: Wisdom and bonds of a rural community (Tenmei and Tempo periods)

Grass porridge to beat hunger: Wisdom and bonds of a rural community (Tenmei and Tempo periods)

The famines of the Temmei and Tempo periods shook the dietary habits of the Edo period, when rice was the staple food, to its very foundations. When rice cultivation was destroyed by poor harvests due to cold damage and long rains, people had no choice but to rely on food substitutes to survive. Diaries and records show rice porridge and dumplings made of grass, tree bark, potato leaves, millet, and milia. Some of these foods were difficult to digest and lacked nutrition, but they still showed their ingenuity and efforts to stave off hunger.

Community help played an important role in this difficult dietary situation. The serving of porridge to those in need by families who could afford it and the provision of food at festivals, temples, and shrines were important activities to maintain order and cohesion in the village. This was not merely a form of charity, but also served as a form of mutual support and wisdom to help each other overcome crises.

The records of food substitutes and almsgiving are not mere descriptions of food, but vividly reflect the perseverance and ingenuity of people trying to survive amidst poverty, and the bonds of community. The famine was a tragic time, but at the same time it was a testament to how Japanese rural communities supported each other and survived.