. ▁He ▁achieved ▁considerable ▁wealth ▁as ▁a ▁land l ord ▁while ▁in ▁his ▁ 2 0 s . ▁He ▁was ▁then ▁rec ru ited ▁to ▁run ▁a ▁small ▁fe ud al ▁district ▁which ▁was ▁facing ▁considerable ▁financial ▁difficulty . ▁He ▁achieved ▁this ▁by ▁rev iving ▁local ▁economy , ▁particularly ▁through ▁agricult ural ▁development . ▁The ▁da im y ō , ▁hearing ▁of ▁his ▁achiev ement , ▁eventually ▁rec ru ited ▁Son to ku ▁to ▁run ▁O da w ara ▁Domain ▁then ▁S ag ami ▁Province . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁said ▁that ▁during ▁his ▁administration ▁a ▁fam ine ▁struck ▁O da w ara . ▁Son to ku ▁proposed ▁opening ▁up ▁the ▁public ▁gran aries ▁to ▁feed ▁the ▁star ving ▁popul ace . ▁He ▁was ▁opposed ▁by ▁his ▁fellow ▁b ureau cr ats ▁who ▁rem ind ed ▁him ▁that ▁permission ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁granted ▁by ▁the ▁sh ō gun ▁for ▁common ers ▁to ▁have ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁rice ▁stores . ▁In ▁that ▁case , ▁Son to ku ▁replied , ▁no ▁one , ▁including ▁the ▁b ureau cr ats , ▁could ▁eat ▁the ▁public ▁rice ▁before ▁getting ▁the ▁sh ō gun ' s ▁appro val . ▁They ▁quickly ▁changed ▁their ▁minds ▁and ▁decided ▁that , ▁since ▁it ▁was ▁an ▁emer gency , ▁the ▁people ▁should ▁be ▁fed ▁immediately . ▁He ▁was ▁eventually ▁entr usted ▁with ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁sh og un ate ' s ▁estate , ▁which ▁was ▁a ▁great ▁honour ▁for ▁someone ▁of ▁his ▁low ▁origin . ▁ ▁His ▁philosophy ▁and ▁method ology ▁became ▁a