【明治22年北海道への集団移住 十津川と「新十津川」-8】

　前章までで触れたような独特の地域風土と歴史経緯をもった十津川の地を大水害が明治22年夏におそう。
　地域産のスギ材などを出荷する地域の大動脈となっていた十津川自体の流路が大破綻してしまって、その復元のメドすら立たない中で、母村の破綻を知った明治政府に出仕していた同郷人たちが即座に政権中枢に働きかけて、折から移民を募り続けていた北海道への集団移住実現のために奔走し、超スピードでその難民救済という国家的な政策対応が実現する。明治22年８月の発災から10月には神戸港から集団移住の船が総数2691人を乗せて出航したという。すごい速度感。
　船は北海道・小樽港に着岸し、そこから汽車や徒歩で内陸部に入り、翌年６月半ばまで「屯田兵屋」で越冬した後、入植地として定められていた「トック」に入っていった。この地名はアイヌ語の「トックブト」（川の入口の突起）を意味し、石狩川と徳富（トップ）川の合流点の原野を指していた。その後、奈良県十津川村から村社・玉置神社を分祀して「新十津川」を地名とした。ちなみに玉置神社は世界遺産の絶景パワースポットとして知られる。日本人と神社信仰の関わり方、民俗性も伝わる故実。


　明治帝はこの十津川の惨事に際して当時の「千円」を下賜されて十津川の民の再起を祈念されたとされている。上の「告諭文」は当時の奈良県知事が「吉野郡十津川郷北海道移住者」に宛てたもの。
　「今や諸氏が墳墓の地を去って北海道に移るは今年八月、未曾有の災いに罹り一朝にして家産を失い生活其の方途を得さるが為にして心事を察すれば転々痛悼に堪えざるものあり然り・・・」と語り始めやがて「諸氏は古来勤皇を以て聞こゆる十津川郷の名族にして北海道はわが北門の鎖鑰（さやく）なり。」と記されている。そして「聖恩に答え奉らんことを諸氏、其れ勤めよや。別れに望み特にこれを告ぐ。」と締めくくられている。
　日本の歴史と北海道が出会ったワンシーンだけれど、象徴的な意味合いが感じられる。わたしたち北海道人のDNAの一断面にはこうした基底が存在していることが伝わってくる。


English version⬇

[Mass emigration to Hokkaido in 1889, Totsukawa and ‘New Totsukawa’ - 8]
The Meiji Emperor was also anxious about the disaster in Totsukawa and supported it. The mass emigration of the Tunda people. One episode in the history of Hokkaido. ...

　In the summer of 1889, a major flood hit the region of Totsukawa, which had a unique local climate and historical background as mentioned in the previous chapters.
　The Totsukawa River itself, which was the main artery of the region for the shipment of locally produced cedar timber and other products, suffered a major breakdown, and with no time frame for restoration, the local people who had served in the Meiji Government, upon learning of the collapse of their mother village, immediately approached the centre of government and worked hard to realise mass emigration to Hokkaido, which had long been inviting immigrants. The national policy response to provide relief for the refugees was achieved with super speed. In October after the disaster in August 1889, a ship carrying a total of 2,691 people set sail from the port of Kobe. Amazing speed.
　The ships landed at the port of Otaru, Hokkaido, from where they entered the interior by train or on foot, wintered at the ‘Tondenbeiya’ until mid-June the following year, and then entered ‘Tok’, which had been designated as a settlement area. The name of this place means ‘Tokkbut’ (a projection at the entrance of a river) in Ainu, and referred to the wilderness at the confluence of the Ishikari and Tokutomi (Top) rivers. Later, a village shrine, Tamaki Shrine, was enshrined as a branch shrine from Totsukawa Village, Nara Prefecture, and ‘Shin Totsukawa’ was used as the place name. Incidentally, Tamaki Shrine is known as a World Heritage Site and a spectacular power spot. This is a late fact that also conveys the way Japanese people relate to shrine beliefs and their folklore.

　It is said that at the time of the Totsukawa disaster, the Meiji Emperor gave the people of Totsukawa ‘one thousand yen’ to pray for their revival. The above ‘letter of warning’ was addressed by the Governor of Nara Prefecture at the time to the ‘emigrants of Hokkaido, Totsukawa-go, Yoshino-gun’.
　The above ‘letter’ was addressed to the ‘emigrants of Totsukawa-go, Yoshino County, Hokkaido’ by the Governor of Nara Prefecture at the time. （Hokkaido is the key to our northern gate.’ Hokkaido is the key to our northern gate’. It then goes on to say: ‘Let us all work to answer to the Holy Ghost. In parting, I wish to say this in particular.’ It concludes.
　It is a scene where the history of Japan and Hokkaido meet, but it has a symbolic meaning. It shows us that this basis exists in a section of the DNA of the people of Hokkaido.