Goto Morinori
Encyclopedia
was the 11th and final Daimyō
of Fukue Domain
in Hizen Province
, Kyūshū
, Japan (modern-day Nagasaki Prefecture
). He was the 31st hereditary head of the Gotō clan. His courtesy titles were Ōmi-no-kami, and later Hida-no-kami, and he held lower 5th court rank.
However, as he was of weak constitution, his retired father continued to play an active role in his administration. In 1863, he completed the reconstruction of the family seat at Ishida Castle, the last Japanese castle
to be constructed under the Tokugawa Bakufu. He was an early supporter of the Sonnō jōi
movement, and was ordered to Kyoto
in October 1867 to pledge his loyalty to Emperor Meiji
. He arrived in Kyoto in 1868, and the new Meiji government ordered him to strength the maritime defenses of his island domain against possible incursions by foreign ships. To defray the costs of this program, the new government abolished the subsidiary fief of Tomie, and added its 3000 koku to his revenues. However, the people of Tomie were highly opposed to the union with Fukue, and it was not until July 1869 that he was able to take possession of the new territories. By this time, the position of daimyō had already been abolished, and his official title was that of domain governor.
On July 15, 1871, Fukue domain itself was abolished with the abolition of the han system
, and became part of the new Nagasaki Prefecture
. Morinori relocated to Tokyo
. He died in 1875, predeceasing his father, and his grave is at the temple of Kichijo-ji. His descendents were later given the peerage title of shishaku (viscount
) under the kazoku
peerage system.
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...
of Fukue Domain
Fukue Domain
' was a tozama Japanese feudal domain of the Edo period, located in the Gotō Islands, off the western coast of Kyūshū in the East China Sea, which were considered part of Hizen Province. The domain was also called '...
in Hizen Province
Hizen Province
was an old province of Japan in the area of Saga and Nagasaki prefectures. It was sometimes called , with Higo Province. Hizen bordered on the provinces of Chikuzen and Chikugo. The province was included in Saikaidō...
, Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
, Japan (modern-day Nagasaki Prefecture
Nagasaki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. The capital is the city of Nagasaki.- History :Nagasaki Prefecture was created by merging of the western half of the former province of Hizen with the island provinces of Tsushima and Iki...
). He was the 31st hereditary head of the Gotō clan. His courtesy titles were Ōmi-no-kami, and later Hida-no-kami, and he held lower 5th court rank.
Biography
Morinori was the 3rd son of the 10th daimyō of Fukue Domain, Gotō Moriakira. However, as both of his elder brothers died at early ages, he was selected as heir, and became 11th daimyō on the retirement of his father on January 21, 1858.However, as he was of weak constitution, his retired father continued to play an active role in his administration. In 1863, he completed the reconstruction of the family seat at Ishida Castle, the last Japanese castle
Japanese castle
' were fortresses composed primarily of wood and stone. They evolved from the wooden stockades of earlier centuries, and came into their best-known form in the 16th century...
to be constructed under the Tokugawa Bakufu. He was an early supporter of the Sonnō jōi
Sonno joi
is a Japanese political philosophy and a social movement derived from Neo-Confucianism; it became a political slogan in the 1850s and 1860s in the movement to overthrow the Tokugawa bakufu, during the Bakumatsu period.-Origin:...
movement, and was ordered to Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
in October 1867 to pledge his loyalty to Emperor Meiji
Emperor Meiji
The or was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death...
. He arrived in Kyoto in 1868, and the new Meiji government ordered him to strength the maritime defenses of his island domain against possible incursions by foreign ships. To defray the costs of this program, the new government abolished the subsidiary fief of Tomie, and added its 3000 koku to his revenues. However, the people of Tomie were highly opposed to the union with Fukue, and it was not until July 1869 that he was able to take possession of the new territories. By this time, the position of daimyō had already been abolished, and his official title was that of domain governor.
On July 15, 1871, Fukue domain itself was abolished with the abolition of the han system
Abolition of the han system
The was an act, in 1871, of the new Meiji government of the Empire of Japan to replace the traditional feudal domain system and to introduce centralized government authority . This process marked the culmination of the Meiji Restoration in that all daimyo were required to return their authority...
, and became part of the new Nagasaki Prefecture
Nagasaki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. The capital is the city of Nagasaki.- History :Nagasaki Prefecture was created by merging of the western half of the former province of Hizen with the island provinces of Tsushima and Iki...
. Morinori relocated to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. He died in 1875, predeceasing his father, and his grave is at the temple of Kichijo-ji. His descendents were later given the peerage title of shishaku (viscount
Viscount
A viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
) under the kazoku
Kazoku
The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan that existed between 1869 and 1947.-Origins:Following the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the ancient court nobility of Kyoto regained some of its lost status...
peerage system.