Sanshichinobe (三七延)

Sanshichinobe was one of the ways to pay nengu (an annual tribute, or land tax) in the Edo period.

Summary
A payer added two sho (a unit of volume, approx. 1.8 liters) of nobemai (additional rice to cover the loss in weight of the land tax rice) to one bale (a traditional unit of measurement for rice, equalling 60 kilograms) three to (a measure of volume, approx. 18 liters) and five sho (a unit of volume, approx. 1.8 liters) of annual rice tax, and paid a total of three to and seven sho of rice tax.

Previously, a payer filled a masu (a measure) to overflowing with rice and rendered it because the amount of nobemai (additional rice to cover the loss in weight of the land tax rice) was not set. However, starting in 1616, a payer had to pay three to (a measure of volume, approx. 18 liters) and seven sho (a unit of measure, approx. 1.8 liters) of rice tax to the okura (a rice storehouse of the Edo shogunate) because one bale was set at three to (a measure of volume, approx. 18 liters) and five sho (a unit of measure, approx. 1.8 liters), with two sho of nobemai added on (Jikata Hanreiroku 5).

In Joshu Takasaki, though, four to (a measure of volume, approx. 18 liters) and six sho (a unit of measure, approx. 1.8 liters) of nobemai were added to each koku (about 180 liters; an old unit of volume) of hontomai (Jikata Ochiboshu 5).

[Original Japanese]