The multifaceted role of mulberry sapling cultivation at the Igarashi sericultural farmhouse in Kami-hasunuma, Gunma prefecture.

This study examines the contributions of the Igarashi family, sericultural seed farmers active since the late Edo period, to the local community of Kami-Hasunuma in Toyouke Village, Sawa District, Gunma Prefecture, an area that has received little scholarly attention. Using diaries and archival documents from the Meiji period, the study analyzes the multiple roles of mulberry sapling production and sales. The findings show that the Igarashi family supported the expansion of mulberry fields through large-scale production and the provision of low-cost, lower-grade saplings, fundamentally shaping the local landscape. The study further demonstrates that the mulberry sapling business functioned as a complex management system tied to financing and land leasing, fostering both economic returns and strong social ties with tenant farmers. We believe that our study makes a significant contribution to the literature because it not only fills a gap in historical sericulture and landscape studies but also provides a valuable case study of how agricultural practices shaped the rural economy, society, and landscape.