Konden (New rice field) (墾田)
Konden means a newly developed rice field in the Ritsuryo period of Japan.
The Sanze-isshin Law (promoting reclamation) of 723 allowed private ownership of konden for a certain period. However, it also prescribed that such privately owned konden was to be confiscated after the expiration of such period. In contrast, the Konden einen shizai Law of 743 allowed permanent ownership of konden. As a result, development of konden became activated. The theorists who support the Kochi-komin System (a system of complete state ownership of land and citizens) advocate that the promotion of konden accelerated the fall of the Ritsuryo system (a system of centralized government based on the ritsuryo code). However, the research after the 1990's has gradually strengthened another theory that konden was in line with the policy of expanding agricultural land, a policy which was undertaken by the Ritsuryo Government (an ancient Japanese government of centralized governance).