The Japanese term "kokudaka" refers to the assessed value of a feudal lord's lands and income. The spelling of this word can be explained using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) system. It is pronounced /kɔːkudɑːkə/, with stress on the first syllable. The "k" sound is pronounced with more aspiration than in most English words, and the "u" in the second syllable is almost silent. The final "a" in "daka" is pronounced as a schwa, a neutral vowel sound.
Kokudaka is a term in Japanese feudalism that refers to a unit of land measurement and its corresponding economic value or income potential. Literally meaning "national value," kokudaka represents the estimated yield or annual income (in koku — a unit of rice measurement) that a particular parcel of land could generate in feudal Japan.
During the Edo period (1603-1868), the central government implemented a system known as sankin-kōtai or alternate attendance, requiring daimyōs, the regional feudal lords, to regularly attend the capital. As part of this system, the kokudaka was crucial in determining the rank and status of the daimyō. The higher the kokudaka of a lord's domain, the greater their prestige, authority, and social standing within the feudal hierarchy.
Kokudaka was assessed based on various factors, including the productivity and fertility of the land, its geographical location, natural resources, and the labor required for cultivation. The assessment was conducted by officials known as jashiu, who assessed the kokudaka periodically to reflect changes in the land's productivity.
The kokudaka had significant financial ramifications for the daimyōs as well. The income generated by their domains, based on the kokudaka, was used to maintain their households, pay salaries to retainers and samurai warriors, support their military forces, and participate in the mandatory sankin-kōtai system.
Overall, in the context of Japanese feudalism, the term kokudaka represents the economic and social value of a specific land holding within the hierarchical structure, determining the power and position of the daimyō within the feudal society.
The word "kokudaka" is believed to have originated from the Japanese language. "Koku" (石) refers to a unit of measurement for crop yield, while "daka" (高) means high or value. Therefore, "kokudaka" can be translated as "high crop yield" or "high agricultural productivity". In the feudal system of Japan, kokudaka was used to measure the value of a domain or territory based on its agricultural output, often determining the political and economic power of the ruling lord.