Ōhara Yūgaku

Pioneering agricultural reformer who transformed Edo-period farming practices through innovative collectivism

Ōhara Yūgaku (1797–1858), an agronomist-philosopher from Japan's Edo period, revolutionized rural economies through his Hotoku movement. Unlike conventional farming advisors, he created mutual aid systems that redistributed wealth within villages, challenging feudal hierarchies.

His 『Hotoku-ki』 treatise introduced crop rotation calendars and soil management techniques that boosted yields by 40% in Nagoya regions. The Hotoku societies he founded established grain banks and educational funds – radical concepts when 80% of peasants lived in debt.

Persecuted for teaching that 'farmers are the nation's roots', Yūgaku's legacy survives through preserved farming tools at the Hotoku Memorial Museum. His collectivist models later influenced Meiji-era land reforms.