Mutsuura Domain
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese feudal domain of the Edo period
, located in southern Musashi Province
in what is now part of Kanagawa Prefecture
. Mutsuura was a Fudai domain
. It consisted of two separate geographic areas, one in Kuragi District, Musashi, and the other in Osumi District, Sagami
, with its headquarters in Musashi in what is now part of Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama
. From its location near the famous medieval library of Kanazawa Bunko
, it was referred to as or during the Edo period
, although the Kanazawa Bunko itself was not within its territory.
, former retainers of the Takeda clan of Kai Province
, pledged allegiance to Tokugawa Ieyasu
after the Takeda were destroyed by Oda Nobunaga
, and subsequently served as hatamoto
in the Tokugawa shogunate
after the Battle of Sekigahara
in 1603. (1637–1699) was favored by Shogun
Tokugawa Tsunayoshi
, rising rapidly through the ranks until he reached the post of wakadoshiyori
in 1696. The additional revenues provided by this office propelled him past the 10,000 koku
necessary to qualify as a daimyō
, and he became the first lord of Mutsuura Domain. He was subsequently transferred to Minagawa Domain in Kōzuke Province
. His line died out with his grandson (1683–1712), but a son of Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu
was selected to inherit the family name, taking the name Yonekura Tadasuke
and was transferred back to Mutsuura Domain in 1722.
Mutsuura Domain was a jin'ya
domain, and was not allowed a castle
. It also lacked a unified area, but consisted of a number of widely dispersed holdings in what is now Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama
, Hadano, Kanagawa
and Hiratsuka, Kanagawa
. Although the jin'ya itself was located in what is now southern Yokohama, the clan’s family temple was the temple of Zorin-ji in Hadano.
During the Bakumatsu period, the 8th (and final) daimyō, Yonekura Masakoto
, sided with the new Meiji government in the Boshin War
of the Meiji Restoration
. His domain was renamed Mutsuura Domain in June 1868, to avoid confusion with Kanazawa Domain in Kaga Province
. Mutsuura Domain was abolished on July 4, 1871 with the abolition of the han system
, becoming Mutsuura Prefecture. On November 14 of the same year, it was assigned to the new Kanagawa Prefecture
.
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....
, located in southern Musashi Province
Musashi Province
was a province of Japan, which today comprises Tokyo Prefecture, most of Saitama Prefecture and part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province encompassed Kawasaki and Yokohama...
in what is now part of Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
. Mutsuura was a Fudai domain
Fudai
was a class of daimyo who were hereditary vassals of the Tokugawa in Edo period Japan. It was primarily the fudai who filled the ranks of the Tokugawa administration.-Origins:...
. It consisted of two separate geographic areas, one in Kuragi District, Musashi, and the other in Osumi District, Sagami
Sagami Province
was an old province in the area that is today the central and western Kanagawa prefecture. It was sometimes called . Sagami bordered on Izu, Musashi, Suruga provinces; and had access to the Pacific Ocean through Sagami Bay...
, with its headquarters in Musashi in what is now part of Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama
Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama
is one of the 18 wards of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the ward had an estimated population of 209,565 and a density of 6,760 persons per km². The total area was 31.01 km². The ward symbol, established 1987, expresses the image of sea, waves, and a sea...
. From its location near the famous medieval library of Kanazawa Bunko
Kanazawa Bunko
is a private museum located in Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama, Japan. This museum features a private collection of traditional Japanese and Chinese art objects, which is made accessible to the general public....
, it was referred to as or 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....
, although the Kanazawa Bunko itself was not within its territory.
History
The Yonekura clanYonekura clan
The was a cadet branch of the Takeda clan of Kai Province, some members of whom rose to positions of importance within the administration of the Tokugawa shogunate in mid-Edo period Japan....
, former retainers of the Takeda clan of Kai Province
Kai Province
, also known as , is an old province in Japan in the area of Yamanashi Prefecture. It lies in central Honshū, west of Tokyo, in a landlocked mountainous region that includes Mount Fuji along its border with Shizuoka Prefecture....
, pledged allegiance to Tokugawa Ieyasu
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...
after the Takeda were destroyed by Oda Nobunaga
Oda Nobunaga
was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...
, and subsequently served as hatamoto
Hatamoto
A was a samurai in the direct service of the Tokugawa shogunate of feudal Japan. While all three of the shogunates in Japanese history had official retainers, in the two preceding ones, they were referred to as gokenin. However, in the Edo period, hatamoto were the upper vassals of the Tokugawa...
in the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
after 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...
in 1603. (1637–1699) was favored by Shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
Tokugawa Tsunayoshi
Tokugawa Tsunayoshi
was the fifth shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty of Japan. He was the younger brother of Tokugawa Ietsuna, thus making him the son of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu....
, rising rapidly through the ranks until he reached the post of wakadoshiyori
Wakadoshiyori
The ', or "Junior Elders", were high government officials in 17th century Tokugawa Japan. The position was established around 1631, but appointments were irregular until 1662....
in 1696. The additional revenues provided by this office propelled him past the 10,000 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...
necessary to qualify as a daimyō
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 he became the first lord of Mutsuura Domain. He was subsequently transferred to Minagawa Domain in Kōzuke Province
Kozuke Province
was an old province located in the Tōsandō of Japan, which today comprises Gunma Prefecture. It is nicknamed as or .The ancient provincial capital was near modern Maebashi. During the Sengoku period, Kōzuke was controlled variously by Takeda Shingen, Uesugi Kenshin, the late Hōjō clan, and...
. His line died out with his grandson (1683–1712), but a son of Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu
Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu
was a Japanese samurai of the Edo period He was an official in the Tokugawa shogunate and he was a favorite of the fifth shogun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi....
was selected to inherit the family name, taking the name Yonekura Tadasuke
Yonekura Tadasuke
was a daimyō in mid-Edo period Japan.His courtesy title was Tango-no-kami.-Biography:Yonekura Tadasuke was the sixth son of Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, a favorite of Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi who served in a number of important posts within the administration of the Tokugawa shogunate...
and was transferred back to Mutsuura Domain in 1722.
Mutsuura Domain was a jin'ya
Jin'ya
During the Edo period of Japanese history, a was the administrative headquarters of a small domain or parcel of land held by the Tokugawa shogunate, as well as the residence of the head of the administration, and the associated grain storehouse. While larger domains had castles, certain smaller...
domain, and was not allowed a 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...
. It also lacked a unified area, but consisted of a number of widely dispersed holdings in what is now Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama
Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama
is one of the 18 wards of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the ward had an estimated population of 209,565 and a density of 6,760 persons per km². The total area was 31.01 km². The ward symbol, established 1987, expresses the image of sea, waves, and a sea...
, Hadano, Kanagawa
Hadano, Kanagawa
is a city in west-central Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2010, Hadano has an estimated population of 170,293 and a population density of 1,640 persons per km²; it had a total area of 103.61 km².-Geography:...
and Hiratsuka, Kanagawa
Hiratsuka, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 259,991 and the density of 3,830 persons per km²...
. Although the jin'ya itself was located in what is now southern Yokohama, the clan’s family temple was the temple of Zorin-ji in Hadano.
During the Bakumatsu period, the 8th (and final) daimyō, Yonekura Masakoto
Yonekura Masakoto
was the 8th and final daimyō of Mutsuura Domain in southern Musashi Province, Honshū, Japan during the Bakumatsu period.-Biography:Yonekoto Masakoto was the 6th son of the 7th daimyō of Mutsuura Domain, Yonekura Masanaga...
, sided with the new Meiji government in 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....
of the Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
. His domain was renamed Mutsuura Domain in June 1868, to avoid confusion with Kanazawa Domain in Kaga Province
Kaga Province
was an old province in the area that is today the southern part of Ishikawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called .Ruled by the Maeda clan, the capital of Kaga was Kanazawa. Kaga bordered on Echizen, Etchū, Hida, and Noto Provinces...
. Mutsuura Domain was abolished on July 4, 1871 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...
, becoming Mutsuura Prefecture. On November 14 of the same year, it was assigned to the new Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
.
List of daimyo
- Yonekura clanYonekura clanThe was a cadet branch of the Takeda clan of Kai Province, some members of whom rose to positions of importance within the administration of the Tokugawa shogunate in mid-Edo period Japan....
(fudai) 1722-1871# Name Tenure Courtesy title Court Rank revenues 1 1722–1735 主計頭 Lower 5th (従五位下) 12,000 koku 2 1735–1749 - | - 12,000 koku 3 1749–1786 Tango-no-kami Lower 5th (従五位下) 12,000 koku 4 1786–1798 Nagato-no-kami Lower 5th (従五位下) 12,000 koku 5 1798–1803 Tango-no-kami Lower 5th (従五位下) 12,000 koku 6 1803–1812 Tango-no-kami Lower 5th (従五位下) 12,000 koku 7 1812–1860 Tango-no-kami Lower 5th (従五位下) 12,000 koku 8 1860–1871 Tango-no-kami 3rd (従三位), Viscount 12,000 koku