also: くでん
noun
public rice paddy; paddy administered directly by a ruler
Historical term referring to rice paddies under direct control of a ruler or government, as opposed to private or temple-owned fields. Used in contexts of ancient land systems.
律令制では、公田は国衙が管理した。
Under the Ritsuryō system, public paddies were managed by provincial government offices.
Refers to privately owned rice paddies, in contrast to 公田 which were publicly administered.
From 公 (public) + 田 (rice paddy). The term originates from ancient Japanese land allocation systems.