hidden rice field; unregistered rice paddy
Historical term for a rice field concealed from official tax registers, typically during the Edo period. Used in discussions of pre-modern Japanese taxation and land surveys.
During the Edo period, some farmers created hidden rice fields to evade land taxes.
Many hidden rice fields were uncovered through the land survey.
Compound of 隠し (kakushi, 'hidden') and 田 (da, 'rice field'). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but the term emerged in the context of pre-modern tax evasion.