Naomasa298

The use of wheeled vehicles was restricted or outlawed during the Edo period.

Most people will have seen the depictions of the litters and palanquins used by samurai and others during this time - a lot of transport was done through human power alone.

We know that the terrain of Japan is mostly unsuited to wheeled transport, and Japanese horses were generally too small to pull carts.

My question is how far was the wheel restricted and why?

Here is an interesting article:
The Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens Kuruma: The Wheel in Japanese Life and Art

leakbrewergator

I'm just taking a shot in the dark, but maybe it was restricted due to the strict inter-domainal travel policies. You weren't allowed to leave your province unless you had a good reason. Perhaps it was easier to enforce this with no wheels around for relatively fast transport? Just a guess.

Indy11

I have seen mentioned but have not had any success in finding authoritative sources that confirm that the restrictions were militarily motivated:

By not permitting transport by carts in most cases, the ability to rapidly move men and arms was militated against. The road systems could have been upgraded to support wheeled vehicles had there been a desire to do so.

Salah

I've always gotten the impression that Japan must have been a remarkably boring and claustrophobic place to live in between Tokugawa and the mid 19th Century.

Naomasa298

Not allowing wheels did have one big advantage as far as military restrictions go - it would have been virtually impossible to move cannon without wheels.

This website suggests that wheeled vehicles were restricted on the inter-city roads:
TOKYO KNOWLEDGE : EDO LIFE - Edo's Transportation Network

But that ox-drawn carts were permitted in Edo.

I can't imagine that daily life for a Japanese peasant or the middle classes would have been too much worse than that of his Chinese or European counterparts, even with all the restrictions.

leakbrewergator

It could also be argued that it was a much safer place to live than other countries during this period. At least until the end of the Tokugawa Period.

leakbrewergator

FWIW, I opened some of my older books last night and it seems the ban on wheels is a myth. There are various woodblock prints of the era that show wheeled carts being used. However, the rough terrain made it more difficult to transport goods using wheeled carts. It was also apparently very expensive.

Indy11

Naomasa's link suggests that there was a military motive to restricting the use of anything other than ox drawn carts and by excepting the use of those carts for specific purposes in Edo.

I don't think terrain of itself is as good a reason as presented. The plains of the Kansai and Kanto regions, for example, are highly conducive to the use of wheeled vehicles ... and not just ox drawn.

But ... I have no authoritative sources.

leakbrewergator

There is no documentary evidence, that I am aware of, of a written ban on the usage of carts.

Indy11

I figured as much. But terrain, imo, is not a very strong explanation.


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Edit

Curiously though Naomasa's link makes it rather matter of fact, including the exception to the rule for ox-drawn carts in Edo. I wonder how the military hypothesis originated?