v_charneau
Registered: December 2004
Posts: 4,164
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No. 307 — 38.2 x 54.4. Watercolour and ink.
What the text says:
Mid-Meiji era (1890s): Coal Miners, “Sakiyama” (Hewer), “Atoyama” (Pusher), “Hitosaki” or
“Sashi” (“Buddy”; a pair of workingmen); All these terms are used to describe a pair of workers
who worked in the early mines.
If the coal bed is more than 1.5 m thick, miners can mine the coal while standing. If coal bed is pure coal without stone, called “Kiritaoshi” (“chop down”), the seam can be worked efficiently and results in high profits for the mine owners.
However, the mountains in the Chikuho Area contain a lot of stone with thin coal seams “Teisoutan”, and miners have to dig the coal in a squatting position or lying down. These are low-profit mines. "Keidotasanjudoshosan" describes mines with rich seams of coal, more easily worked and earning more profit.
A “Sakiyama” or experienced miner is expected to use both arms to swing a pickaxe to dig coal.
Around Meiji 32 (1899) wages for miners were as follows: one box (skip) of coal is 20-sen to 25-
sen maximum; a pair could produce 5 or 6 boxes a day (20 sen x 5 or 6 boxes).
20% (two go) of a miner’s wage was withheld , 10% going into a retirement and compensation
fund, and 10% into a long-term bonus system. This was called “Kanbiki”.
Rice costs 10-sen (for one Saki bottle measure); radish pickles (“Takuwan Kon-Kon”) cost 1-sen; potato (“Satsumaimo”) costs 1 to 1.5 sen for one whole piece (weighing 160 monme; or 600
grams).
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