Choshu Han - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The was a feudal domain of Japan during the Edo period

Edo period

The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....

(1603–1867) occupying the whole of modern day Yamaguchi Prefecture

Yamaguchi Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Yamaguchi, in the center of the prefecture. The largest city, however, is Shimonoseki.- History :...

. It was coterminous with Nagato Province

Nagato Province

, often called , was a province of Japan. It was at the extreme western end of Honshū, in the area that is today Yamaguchi Prefecture. Nagato bordered on Iwami and Suō Provinces....

: in fact, Chōshū was simply shorthand for the province. The domain played a major role in the Late Tokugawa shogunate

Late Tokugawa shogunate

, literally "end of the curtain", are the final years of the Edo period when the Tokugawa shogunate came to an end. It is characterized by major events occurring between 1853 and 1867 during which Japan ended its isolationist foreign policy known as sakoku and transitioned from a feudal shogunate...

. It is also known as the .

History

The rulers of Chōshū Han were the descendants of the great Sengoku warlord Mōri Motonari

Mori Motonari

was a prominent daimyō in the west Chūgoku region of Japan during the Sengoku period of the 16th century.-Early years:Mōri Motonari was born under the name Shojumaru in a small domain of Aki province in 1497. He is said to have been born at Suzuo Castle, his mother's homeland...

. Mōri Motonari was able to extend his power over all of the Chūgoku region

Chugoku region

The , also known as the , is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori and Yamaguchi. It has a population of about 7.8 million.- History :...

of Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

and occupied a territory worth 1,200,000 koku. After he died, his grandson and heir Mōri Terumoto

Mori Terumoto

Mōri Terumoto , son of Mōri Takamoto and grandson and successor of the great warlord Mōri Motonari, fought against Toyotomi Hideyoshi but was eventually overcome, participated in the Kyūshū campaign on Hideyoshi's side and built Hiroshima Castle, thus essentially founding Hiroshima.Terumoto was a...

became daimyo

Daimyo

is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...

and implemented a strategy of alliance with Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Toyotomi Hideyoshi

was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...

. This would later prove to be a great mistake. After Hideyoshi's death, the daimyo

Daimyo

is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...

Tokugawa Ieyasu

was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...

challenged the Toyotomi power and battled with Hideyoshi's trusted advisor Ishida Mitsunari

Ishida Mitsunari

Ishida Mitsunari was a samurai who led the Western army in the Battle of Sekigahara following the Azuchi-Momoyama period of the 17th century. Also known by his court title, Jibunoshō...

at the Battle of Sekigahara

Battle of Sekigahara

The , popularly known as the , was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 which cleared the path to the Shogunate for Tokugawa Ieyasu...

. Mōri Terumoto was the most powerful ally of the Toyotomi and was elected by a council of Toyotomi royalists to be the titulary head of the Toyotomi force. However the Toyotomi forces lost the battle due to several factors tied to Mōri Terumoto:

His cousin Kikkawa Hiroie
Kikkawa Hiroie
' was a Japanese daimyo of the Azuchi-Momoyama period through early Edo period.Hiroie's father was Kikkawa Motoharu and his mother was a daughter of Kumagai Nobunao. He initially was named Tsunenobu and made his debut on the battle field on 1570 against Amago Katsuhisa with his father...

secretly made a deal with Tokugawa Ieyasu resulting in the inactivity of 15,000 Mōri soldiers during the battle.
His adopted cousin Kobayakawa Hideaki
Kobayakawa Hideaki
Kobayakawa Hideaki was fifth son of Kinoshita Iesada and the nephew of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.He was adopted by Hideyoshi and called himself Hashiba Hidetoshi and Shusen . He was then again adopted by Kobayakawa Takakage and renamed himself Hideaki...

and his 15,600 soldiers betrayed Ishida's force and joined the Tokugawa side.
After assurances from Tokugawa Ieyasu, Mōri Terumoto gave up the formidable Osaka castle without a fight.

Despite its inactivity, the Mōri clan was removed from its ancestral home in Aki

Aki Province

or Geishū was a province in the Chūgoku Region of western Honshū, comprising the western part of what is today Hiroshima Prefecture.When Emperor Shōmu ordered two official temples for each province , two temples were founded in Aki Province...

to Nagato Province

Nagato Province

, often called , was a province of Japan. It was at the extreme western end of Honshū, in the area that is today Yamaguchi Prefecture. Nagato bordered on Iwami and Suō Provinces....

(also known as Chōshū), and its holdings were drastically reduced from 1,200,000 to 369,000 koku

Koku

The is a Japanese unit of volume, equal to ten cubic shaku. In this definition, 3.5937 koku equal one cubic metre, i.e. 1 koku is approximately 278.3 litres. The koku was originally defined as a quantity of rice, historically defined as enough rice to feed one person for one year...

.

This was seen as a great act of betrayal to the Mōri clan, and Chōshū han later became a hotbed of anti-Tokugawa activities. The origins of this were evident in the tradition of the clan's New Year's meeting. Every year during the meeting, the elders and the administrators would ask the daimyo whether the time to overthrow the shogunate has come, to which the daimyo would reply: "Not yet, the shogunate is still too powerful."

This dream would eventually be realized some 260 years later, when the domain joined forces with the Satsuma Domain and sympathetic court nobles

Kugyo

is the collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre-Meiji eras. The kugyō was broadly divided into two groups: the , comprising the Chancellor of the Realm, the Minister of the Left, and the Minister of the Right; and the , comprising the...

to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate. They also led the fight against the armies of the former shogun, as did the Ouetsu Reppan Domei

Ouetsu Reppan Domei

-External links:**...

, Aizu

Aizu

is an area comprising the westernmost third of Fukushima Prefecture in Japan. The principal city of the area is Aizuwakamatsu.During the Edo period, Aizu was a feudal domain known as and part of Mutsu Province.-History:...

, and the Ezo Republic, during the Boshin War

Boshin War

The was a civil war in Japan, fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the imperial court....

. The domains' military forces of 1867 through 1869 also formed the foundation for the Imperial Japanese Army

Imperial Japanese Army

-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...

. Thanks to this alliance, Chōshū and Satsuma natives enjoyed political and societal prominence well into the Meiji and even Taishō

Taisho period

The , or Taishō era, is a period in the history of Japan dating from July 30, 1912 to December 25, 1926, coinciding with the reign of the Taishō Emperor. The health of the new emperor was weak, which prompted the shift in political power from the old oligarchic group of elder statesmen to the Diet...

periods.

Economics

The initial reducing of 1.2 million to 369,000 koku

Koku

resulted in a large shortfall in terms of military upkeep and infrastructure maintenance. In order to bring the domain's finance out of debt, strict policies were enforced on the retainers:

All retainers' fiefs were drastically reduced.
Some retainers who were paid in land began to be paid in rice.
Some retainers were laid off and encouraged to engage in agriculture.

Previously, as a result of high taxation, farmers secretly developed farms far inside the mountains as a private food source. A new land survey was conducted within the domain in which many hidden farms were discovered and taxed. The domain also began a strict policy with regard to trade.

Laws were also passed in which the profitable trade of the "four white"s were controlled by the domain: paper, rice, salt and wax. Some of the profits, and a large amount of the tax revenues from this trade, went into the domain coffers.

These policies greatly strengthened the domain's finances and allowed the daimyo more effective control over his territory. However, these policies angered peasants and displaced samurai alike, resulting in frequent revolts

Ikki

The term Ikki can refer to:*In Japanese history, leagues of samurai, farmers, and clergy who engaged in common defense against shogunal forces and greater lords, initiating large and destructive agrarian uprisings. The uprisings were also called ikki...

Politics

The capital of the domain was the castle town of Hagi

Hagi

Hagi may refer to:* Japanese bush clover or Lespedeza* Hagi, Yamaguchi, a city in Japan** Hagi ware, a type of pottery originating in Hagi* Gheorghe Hagi, a Romanian football player...

, which was the source of Chōshū's alternate name of Hagi han (萩藩).

The domain remained under the rule of the Mōri family for the duration of the Edo period

Edo period

The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....

. Because the shogunate frequently confiscated domains whose daimyo were unable to produce heirs, the Mōri daimyo created four subordinate han ruled by branches of the family:

Iwakuni han
Iwakuni Domain
The ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Suō Province .-List of lords:*Kikkawa family #Hiroie#Hiromasa#Hiroyoshi#Hironori#Hiromichi#Tsunenaga#Tsunetomo#Tsunetada...

: 60,000 koku, ruled by descendants of Kikkawa Hiroie
Kikkawa Hiroie
' was a Japanese daimyo of the Azuchi-Momoyama period through early Edo period.Hiroie's father was Kikkawa Motoharu and his mother was a daughter of Kumagai Nobunao. He initially was named Tsunenobu and made his debut on the battle field on 1570 against Amago Katsuhisa with his father...

.
Chōfū han
Chofu Domain
The ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Nagato Province .-List of lords:*Mōri clan #Hidemoto#Mitsuhiro#Tsunamoto#Mototomo#Motonori#Masahiro...

: 50,000 koku, ruled by descendants of Mōri Hidemoto
Mori Hidemoto
was a senior retainer beneath the clan of Toyotomi throughout the latter Sengoku Period of Feudal Japan. Hidemoto was the eldest son of Mōri Motokiyo and initially began service under the Toyotomi at the time at which he was of the age to become a military commander under his cousin Terumoto, the...

.
Tokuyama han
Tokuyama Domain
The ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Suo Province . It was a branch of the neighboring Chōshū Domain.-List of lords:*Mōri clan #Naritaka#Motokata#Mototsugu#Mototaka...

: 40,000 koku, ruled by descendants of Mōri Naritaka.
Kiyosue han
Kiyosue Domain
The ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Nagato Province. It was ruled for the entirety of its history by a branch of the Mōri clan of the neighboring Chōshū Domain.-List of lords:*Mōri clan #Mototomo#Motohira...

: 10,000 koku, ruled by descendants of Mōri Mototomo.

During the Edo period, the main branch died out twice and heirs were adopted from both the Chōfu branch and the Kiyosue branch.

The Mōri daimyo, as with many of his counterparts throughout Japan, was assisted in the government of his domain by a group of karō

KARO

KARO is a radio station licensed to serve Nyssa, Oregon, USA. The station is owned by the Educational Media Foundation.It broadcasts a Contemporary Christian music format as part of the Air 1 network.-History:...

, or domain elders. There were two kinds of karō in Chōshū: hereditary karō (whose families retained the rank in perpetuity) and the "lifetime karō," whose rank was granted to an individual but could not be inherited by his son.

The hereditary karō were either members of minor branches of the Mōri family, or members of related families such as the Shishido and the Fukuhara, or descendants of Mōri Motonari's most trusted generals and advisors such as the Mazuda, the Kuchiba and the Kunishi.

The lifetime karō were middle or lower samurai who displayed great talent in economics or politics and was promoted to karō by the daimyo. One such person was the great reformer Murata Seifu.

List of Daimyo

Mōri clan
Mori clan
The Mōri clan was a family of daimyō, descended from Ōe no Hiromoto and established themselves in Aki Province. Their name was derived from a shōen in Mōri, Aikō District, Sagami Province. The generation of Hiromoto began to name themselves Mōri.After the Jōkyū War, Mōri was appointed to the jitō...

(Tozama, 369,000 koku
Koku
The is a Japanese unit of volume, equal to ten cubic shaku. In this definition, 3.5937 koku equal one cubic metre, i.e. 1 koku is approximately 278.3 litres. The koku was originally defined as a quantity of rice, historically defined as enough rice to feed one person for one year...

), 1600–1871

	Name	Tenure
1		1563–1623
2		1623–1651
3		1651–1682
4		1682–1694
5		1694–1707
6		1707–1731
7		1731–1751
8		1751–1782
9		1782–1791
10		1791–1809
11		1809–1824
12		1824–1836
13		1836
14		1836–1869
15		1869–1871

Famous people

Middle Edo period

Murata Seifū
Murata Seifū
was a Japanese Samurai, Karō of Chōshū Domain and a prominent economic reformer of the Edo period.- Sources :* Albert M. Craig: Chōshū in the Meiji restoration, Lexington Books, 2000, ISBN 0739101935 - External links :*...

(1783–1855), conducted the Tempō reforms in Chōshū

Bakumatsu period

Yoshida Shōin
Yoshida Shoin
Yoshida Shōin was one of the most distinguished intellectuals in the closing days of the Tokugawa shogunate...

(1830–1859), educator and teacher of many reformers
Takasugi Shinsaku
Takasugi Shinsaku
was a samurai from the Chōshū Domain of Japan who contributed significantly to the Meiji Restoration.He used the alias to hide his activities from the shogunate.-Early life:...

(1839–1867), founder of the Kiheitai
Kiheitai
The ' was a volunteer militia raised by Chōshū domain during the Bakumatsu period of Japan.Founded in 1863 by Takasugi Shinsaku, the Kiheitai militia consisted of 300-400 men, who came from all social classes, including farmers, merchants, samurai and others. Most were from Chōshū, but a few...
Kijima Matabei
Kijima Matabei
, also known as Masahisa , was a Japanese samurai who served as a retainer to Lord Mōri of Chōshū. Though his name was Masahisa, he is known by his "common" name of Matabei. While his income may not have been particularly high, his voice was certainly one closest to the ear of the daimyo...

(1817–1864), swordsman, took part in the Hamaguri Rebellion
Hamaguri rebellion
The rebellion at the Hamaguri Gate of the Imperial Palace in Kyōto took place on August 20, 1864 and reflected the discontent of pro-imperial and anti-alien groups...
Kunishi Shinano (1842–1864), committed seppuku to take responsibility for the Hamaguri Rebellion
Kido Takayoshi
Kido Takayoshi
, also referred as Kido Kōin was a Japanese statesman during the Late Tokugawa shogunate and the Meiji Restoration. He used the alias when he worked against the Shogun.-Early life:...

(Kido Kōin) (1833–1877), Bakumatsu reformer

Meiji statesmen

Chōshū Five
Choshu Five
The were members of the Chōshū han of western Japan who studied in England from 1863 at University College London under the guidance of Professor Alexander William Williamson. It was still illegal to leave Japan when they left, as sakoku was still practically in force until the Meiji...
- Ito Shunsuke, later Ito Hirobumi
  Ito Hirobumi
  Prince was a samurai of Chōshū domain, Japanese statesman, four time Prime Minister of Japan , genrō and Resident-General of Korea. Itō was assassinated by An Jung-geun, a Korean nationalist who was against the annexation of Korea by the Japanese Empire...
  
  (1841–1909), first Prime Minister of Japan
- Inoue Monta, later Inoue Kaoru
  Inoue Kaoru
  Count , GCMG was a member of the Meiji oligarchy during the Meiji period Empire of Japan. As one of the senior statesman in Japan during that period, he had a tremendous influence on the selection of the nation's leaders and formation of its policies.-Early years:...
  
  (1836–1915), Meiji statesman
- Yamao Yōzō
  Yamao Yozo
  Viscount was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period who became an influential member of the Meiji era government of Japan.-Early life:Yamao was born in Akiu, a village in Chōshū domain , and had received the traditional training of a samurai at a private school in Edo...
  
  (1837–1917), later studied engineering at the Andersonian Institute, Glasgow, 1866–68, Meiji statesman
- Endō Kinsuke
  Endo Kinsuke
  was a Japanese statesman in the early Meiji period.Endō was born to a samurai family in Hagi, Chōshū Domain was a Japanese statesman in the early Meiji period.Endō was born to a samurai family in Hagi, Chōshū Domain was a Japanese statesman in the early Meiji period.Endō was born to a samurai...
  
  (1836–1893), Meiji statesman
- Nomura Yakichi, later Inoue Masaru
  Inoue Masaru
  Viscount was the first `Director of Railways` in Japan and is known as the "father of the Japanese railways".He was born into the Chōshū clan at Hagi, Yamaguchi...
  
  (1843–1910), "father of the Japanese railways"
Yamagata Aritomo
Yamagata Aritomo
Field Marshal Prince , also known as Yamagata Kyōsuke, was a field marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army and twice Prime Minister of Japan. He is considered one of the architects of the military and political foundations of early modern Japan. Yamagata Aritomo can be seen as the father of Japanese...

(1838–1922), Prime Minister and Field Marshal of the Imperial Japanese Army
Katsura Tarō
Katsura Taro
Prince , was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, politician and three-time Prime Minister of Japan.-Early life:Katsura was born into a samurai family from Hagi, Chōshū Domain...

(1848–1913), general in the Imperial Japanese Army and three-time Prime Minister of Japan
Terauchi Masatake
Terauchi Masatake
, GCB was a Japanese military officer and politician. He was a Field Marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army and the 18th Prime Minister of Japan from 9 October 1916 to 29 September 1918.-Early period:...

(1852–1919), Field Marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army and 18th Prime Minister of Japan
Tanaka Giichi
Tanaka Giichi
Baron was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, politician, and the 26th Prime Minister of Japan from 20 April 1927 to 2 July 1929.-Early life and military career:...

(1864–1929), general in the Imperial Japanese Army and 26th Prime Minister of Japan
Aoki Shūzō
Aoki Shuzo
was a diplomat and Foreign Minister in Meiji period Japan.-Biography:Viscount Aoki was born to a samurai family as son of the Chōshū domain's physician in what is now part of Sanyō Onoda in Yamaguchi Prefecture)...

(1844–1914), diplomat and Foreign Minister
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Japan)
The of Japan is the Cabinet member responsible for Japanese foreign policy and the chief executive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Since the end of the American occupation of Japan, the position has been one of the most powerful in the Cabinet, as Japan's economic interests have long relied on...

in Meiji Japan
Shinagawa Yajirō
Shinagawa Yajirō
Viscount was a former Chōshū Domain samurai, who became Home Minister in early Meiji period Japan.-Biography:Shinagawa was born in Hagi, in former Chōshū Domain . His father was an ashigaru, or lower ranking foot soldier in the service of the Mōri clan...

(1843–1900), Home Minister
Home Ministry (Japan)
The ' was a Cabinet-level ministry established under the Meiji Constitution that managed the internal affairs of Empire of Japan from 1873-1947...

in early Meiji Japan
Sone Arasuke
Sone Arasuke
Viscount was a Japanese politician, diplomat, cabinet minister, and second Japanese Resident-General of Korea.-Biography:Sone was born in Nagato Province in Chōshū Domain Viscount was a Japanese politician, diplomat, cabinet minister, and second Japanese Resident-General of Korea.-Biography:Sone...

(1849–1910), politician, diplomat, cabinet minister, and second Japanese Resident-General of Korea
Resident-General of Korea
When Korea was a protectorate of Japan, Japan was represented by the Resident-General.- List of Japanese Residents-General :#Itō Hirobumi#Sone Arasuke#Terauchi Masatake...

.

Imperial Japanese Army

-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...

personnel

Ōmura Masujirō
Omura Masujiro
-External links:* * * http://www.jstor.org/view/03636917/di973569/97p0119n/0...

(1824–1869), “Father of the Modern Japanese Army”
Ōshima Yoshimasa (1850–1926), general in the Imperial Japanese Army during the First Sino-Japanese War
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
Nogi Maresuke (1849–1912), general in the Imperial Japanese Army, and a prominent figure in the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
Miura Gorō (1847–1926), lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army
Sakuma Samata
Sakuma Samata
-External links:*...

(1844–1915), general in the Imperial Japanese Army, and 5th Governor-General of Taiwan
Governor-General of Taiwan
The position of Governor-General of Taiwan existed when Taiwan and the Pescadores were part of the Empire of Japan, from 1895 to 1945.The Japanese Governors-General were members of the Diet, civilian officials, Japanese nobles or generals...

(1906–1915)
Kodama Gentarō (1852–1906), general in the Imperial Japanese Army and government minister in Meiji Japan
Oka Ichinosuke
Oka Ichinosuke
- Notes :...

(1860–1916), general in the Imperial Japanese Army and Minister of War during World War I
Arisaka Nariakira (1852–1915), lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army, inventor of the Arisaka Rifle
Arisaka
Arisaka is a family of Japanese military bolt action rifles, in production from approximately 1898, when it replaced the Murata rifle, until the end of World War II in 1945...

Imperial Japanese Navy

The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...

personnel

Tsuboi Kōzō
Tsuboi Kozo
- Notes :...

(1843–1898), admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Nashiba Tokioki
Nashiba Tokioki
- Notes :...

(1850–1924), admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy
Arichi Shinanojō
Arichi Shinanojo
Baron was an admiral in the early Imperial Japanese Navy, and served as Chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff in the late 19th century.-Biography:...

(1843–1919), admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, Chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff
Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff
The was the highest organ within the Imperial Japanese Navy. In charge of planning and operations, it was headed by an Admiral headquartered in Tokyo.-History:...

Writers

Inoue Koichi
Inoue Kenkabo
was the pen-name of a journalist and writer of senryū in late Meiji, Taishō and early Shōwa period Japan. His real name was Inoue Koichi.-Early life:...

(pen-name: Inoue Kenkabō) (1870–1934), journalist and writer of senryū
Senryu
is a Japanese form of short poetry similar to haiku in construction: three lines with 17 or fewer total morae . Senryū tend to be about human foibles while haiku tend to be about nature, and senryū are often cynical or darkly humorous while haiku are more serious...

(short, humorous verse)

Entrepreneurs

Aikawa Yoshisuke
Yoshisuke Aikawa
-External links:*...

(1880–1967) Japanese entrepreneur, businessman, and politician, founder and first president of the Nissan zaibatsu (1931–1945)

History

Economics

Politics

List of Daimyo

Famous people

See also

Further reading