rice tax; rice levy; tax on rice fields
Historical term from the ritsuryō system; refers specifically to a tax paid in rice from agricultural land. Often appears in compounds like 田租.
See also: 田租
Under the ritsuryō system, farmers paid a portion of their harvest as rice tax.
annual tribute; annual tax
Broader historical use for a yearly levy or tribute, not limited to rice. Rare as a standalone word; mostly encountered in historical texts or compound terms.
In ancient times, the annual tribute could sometimes be paid in goods other than rice.
taxes; taxation
lease of territory
land tax
tax exemption
public tax; taxes
Standard kanji form for this historical tax term.
The kanji 租 combines 禾 (grain) and 且 (a phonetic element suggesting 'to place' or 'to levy'), indicating a tax on grain. The reading そ is the Sino-Japanese on'yomi.