Obama Domain
Encyclopedia
The Obama Domain was a Japanese feudal domain of the Edo period
, based at Obama Castle
in Wakasa Province
(today Fukui Prefecture
).
The domain's capital of Obama
was a prosperous port city throughout much of the 15th-17th centuries, though it gradually became a quiet provincial castle town later in the Edo period
. Still, it was an important link in the domestic sea routes between Ezo
and the Sea of Japan
coast, and played a significant role in the economic development of the early Edo period.
, Obama was controlled by a succession of lords, including members of the Takeda clan, followed by Niwa Nagashige
, Asano Nagamasa
, and others, including Kinoshita Katsutoshi. In 1600, Kinoshita did not participate in the decisive battle of Sekigahara
in 1600, but he was deprived of Obama because he had not actively supported the winning side.
was established at Obama. In part, this was a reward for his leadership during the Siege of Ōtsu
. In the same week as the Battle of Sekigahara
, Takatsugu did fail to hold the Castle of Ōtsu; but the outcome at Sekigahara marginalized any adverse consequences of his defeat. In moving Takatsugu to Obama, the shogunate effectively acknowledged that Tadatsugu role in the victory at Sekigahara was critical. The siege siphoned men away from the massed array of forces the Tokugawa faced at Sekigahara. In other words, this meant that the attackers at Ōtsu were unavailable to augment the anti-Tokugawa fighters at Sekigahara.
In 1607, Tadatsugu's son Tadataka was married to the fourth daughter of Shogun Hidetada
. Two years later, Tadataka became daimyo when his father died in 1609. Tadataka would remain at Obama until 1634; and then the bafuku ordered him to move to Matsue Domain
in Izumo Province
.
, formerly of the Sakai clan
at Kawagoe Domain
in Musashi Province
, then became lord of Obama. Sakai was one of the shogunate's top officials, serving on the rōjū
council, and later as its head, or Tairō
. He was succeeded in the domain by his fourth son, Sakai Tadanao.
Tadanao distributed out parts of his income to create new domains. The 10,000 koku domain of Katsuyama in Awa Province
was thus established for his nephew in 1668, and the 10,000 koku domain of Tsuruga in Echizen Province
was created in 1682 by his son. After another 3000 koku was given to Tadanao's fifth son Sakai Tadane, the domain was reduced to 103,500 koku.
Tadakatsu had done a lot to establish the domain's governance and to ensure its strength and stability. He implemented a taxation system, and installed town magistrates (machi-bugyō) and local governors. However, a flood ravaged the domain in 1735, and famine set in, as it did in many other areas at this time. The peasants sought aid from their lord, but their cries went unheeded for a long time. In 1770, there was an outright peasant revolt
. Efforts were made to shore up the domain's finances and to relieve the peasant's suffering, but famine struck again several decades later in 1836.
The twelfth Sakai lord of Obama, Sakai Tadaaki
, was also the shogunal deputy in Kyoto (Kyoto shoshidai
). He worked with Ii Naosuke
to effect the Ansei Purges, links between the shogunate and the Imperial Court, and the suppression of the revolt of Takeda Kōunsai. In 1868, he fought for the shogunate in the Boshin War
; defeated, he was nevertheless returned to his post at Obama, under the new name Sakai Tadayoshi. When the daimyō were eliminated in 1869, he became governor of Obama; two years later, the han (feudal domains) were abolished, and Obama became a prefecture. It was absorbed into Shiga Prefecture in 1876, and into Fukui in 1881.
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....
, based at Obama Castle
Obama Castle (Fukui)
is a castle located in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, Japan. The castle is also known as . In 1601 , after receiving Wakasa Province due to successes in the Battle of Sekigahara, Kyōgoku Takatsugu built Obama Castle by using local fisherman as workers. In 1634 , Sakai Tadakatsu took control of the...
in Wakasa Province
Wakasa Province
was an old province of Japan in the area that is today southern Fukui Prefecture. It is also known as or .The province's ancient capital was at Obama, which continued to be the main castle town through the Edo period.-Neighboring Provinces:...
(today Fukui Prefecture
Fukui Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Fukui.- Prehistory :The Kitadani Dinosaur Quarry, on the Sugiyama River within the city limits of Katsuyama, has yielded the Fukuiraptor kitadaniensis and Fukuisaurus tetoriensis as well as an unnamed...
).
The domain's capital of Obama
Obama, Fukui
is a city located in Fukui Prefecture, Japan.It faces Wakasa Bay due north of Kyoto, and is about four to five hours by train from Tokyo. As of October 1, 2005, the city had an estimated population of 32,185 and a population density of 138.22 persons per square kilometer...
was a prosperous port city throughout much of the 15th-17th centuries, though it gradually became a quiet provincial castle town later in 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....
. Still, it was an important link in the domestic sea routes between Ezo
Ezo
is a Japanese name which historically referred to the lands to the north of Japan. It was used in various senses, sometimes meaning the northern Japanese island of Hokkaidō, and sometimes meaning lands and waters further north in the Sea of Okhotsk, like Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands...
and the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
coast, and played a significant role in the economic development of the early Edo period.
History
In the Sengoku periodSengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
, Obama was controlled by a succession of lords, including members of the Takeda clan, followed by Niwa Nagashige
Niwa Nagashige
was a Japanese daimyo who served the Oda clan. Nagashige was the eldest son of Niwa Nagahide and married an adopted daughter of Oda Nobunaga. He took part in his first campaign in 1583, assisting his father in the battles against Shibata Katsuie...
, Asano Nagamasa
Asano Nagamasa
was the brother-in-law of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and one of his chief advisors. Asano also fought for Hideyoshi in a number of campaigns during the Sengoku period of the 16th century of Japan....
, and others, including Kinoshita Katsutoshi. In 1600, Kinoshita did not participate in the decisive 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 1600, but he was deprived of Obama because he had not actively supported the winning side.
Kyōgoku
In 1600, Kyōgoku TakatsuguKyōgoku Takatsugu
was a daimyo of Omi Province and Wakasa Province during the late-Sengoku Period of Japan's history.Takatsugu is recognized as the founder of the modern Kyōgoku clan. His forebears had been powerful since the 13th century, but their fortunes had waned after the Ōnin War...
was established at Obama. In part, this was a reward for his leadership during the Siege of Ōtsu
Siege of Otsu
The took place in 1600, occurring concurrently with the battle of Sekigahara. Kyōgoku Takatsugu held Ōtsu castle for the Tokugawa, and commanded the garrison. Mōri Motoyasu and Tachibana Muneshige laid siege. The sides negotiated and Takatsugu surrendered...
. In the same week as 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...
, Takatsugu did fail to hold the Castle of Ōtsu; but the outcome at Sekigahara marginalized any adverse consequences of his defeat. In moving Takatsugu to Obama, the shogunate effectively acknowledged that Tadatsugu role in the victory at Sekigahara was critical. The siege siphoned men away from the massed array of forces the Tokugawa faced at Sekigahara. In other words, this meant that the attackers at Ōtsu were unavailable to augment the anti-Tokugawa fighters at Sekigahara.
In 1607, Tadatsugu's son Tadataka was married to the fourth daughter of Shogun Hidetada
Tokugawa Hidetada
was the second shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate.-Early life :...
. Two years later, Tadataka became daimyo when his father died in 1609. Tadataka would remain at Obama until 1634; and then the bafuku ordered him to move to Matsue Domain
Matsue Domain
The ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period. It was headquartered in what is now Matsue, Shimane.-List of lords:*Horio clan, 1600-1633 #Horio Yoshiharu#Horio Tadauji#Horio Tadaharu*Kyōgoku clan, 1634-1637...
in Izumo Province
Izumo Province
was an old province of Japan which today consists of the eastern part of Shimane Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province is in the Chūgoku Region.- History :It was one of the regions of ancient Japan where major political powers arose...
.
Sakai
Sakai TadakatsuSakai Tadakatsu
, also known as Sanuki-no-kami, was tairō, rōjū, master of Wakasa-Obama castle and daimyo of Obama Domain in Wakasa province in the mid-17th century...
, formerly of the Sakai clan
Sakai clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Nitta branch of the Minamoto clan, who were in turn descendants of Emperor Seiwa. Serata Arichika, a samurai of the 14th century, was the common ancestor of both the Sakai clan and the Matsudaira clan, which the Sakai later served...
at Kawagoe Domain
Kawagoe Domain
The was a feudal domain of Japan during the Momoyama and Edo periods of the history of Japan. It was located in Iruma District, now part of Saitama Prefecture, in Musashi Province . The domain had its headquarters at Kawagoe Castle in the present-day city of Kawagoe.The domain had its beginning in...
in 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...
, then became lord of Obama. Sakai was one of the shogunate's top officials, serving on the rōjū
Roju
The ', usually translated as Elder, was one of the highest-ranking government posts in Tokugawa Japan. The term refers either to individual Elders, or to the Council as a whole; under the first two shoguns, there were only two Rōjū...
council, and later as its head, or Tairō
Tairo
Tairō was a high-ranking official position in the bakuhan taisei government of Japan. The tairō would preside over the governing Rōjū council in the event of an emergency. A tairō would be nominated from among a group of samurai families who supported Tokugawa Ieyasu...
. He was succeeded in the domain by his fourth son, Sakai Tadanao.
Tadanao distributed out parts of his income to create new domains. The 10,000 koku domain of Katsuyama in Awa Province
Awa Province
Awa Province may refer to:* Awa Province in modern-day Chiba Prefecture* Awa Province in modern-day Tokushima Prefecture...
was thus established for his nephew in 1668, and the 10,000 koku domain of Tsuruga in Echizen Province
Echizen Province
was an old province of Japan, which is today the northern part of Fukui Prefecture. It was sometimes called , with Etchū and Echigo Provinces.Echizen is famous for washi . A text dated AD 774 mentions the washi made in this area. Echizen-produced Washi is still the most commonly sold traditional...
was created in 1682 by his son. After another 3000 koku was given to Tadanao's fifth son Sakai Tadane, the domain was reduced to 103,500 koku.
Tadakatsu had done a lot to establish the domain's governance and to ensure its strength and stability. He implemented a taxation system, and installed town magistrates (machi-bugyō) and local governors. However, a flood ravaged the domain in 1735, and famine set in, as it did in many other areas at this time. The peasants sought aid from their lord, but their cries went unheeded for a long time. In 1770, there was an outright peasant revolt
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...
. Efforts were made to shore up the domain's finances and to relieve the peasant's suffering, but famine struck again several decades later in 1836.
The twelfth Sakai lord of Obama, Sakai Tadaaki
Sakai Tadaaki
, also known as Sakai Tadayoshi, was a Japanese daimyo of the Edo period, and he was a prominent shogunal official. He was also known as Shūri-daibu ; as Wakasa-no-kami ; and Ukyō-daibu...
, was also the shogunal deputy in Kyoto (Kyoto shoshidai
Kyoto Shoshidai
The was an important administrative and political office in the early modern government of Japan. However, the significance and effectiveness of the office is credited to the third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu, who developed these initial creations as bureaucratic elements in a consistent and...
). He worked with Ii Naosuke
Ii Naosuke
was daimyo of Hikone and also Tairō of Tokugawa Shogunate, Japan, a position he held from April 23, 1858 until his death on March 24, 1860. He is most famous for signing the Harris Treaty with the United States, granting access to ports for trade to American merchants and seamen and...
to effect the Ansei Purges, links between the shogunate and the Imperial Court, and the suppression of the revolt of Takeda Kōunsai. In 1868, he fought for the shogunate 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....
; defeated, he was nevertheless returned to his post at Obama, under the new name Sakai Tadayoshi. When the daimyō were eliminated in 1869, he became governor of Obama; two years later, the han (feudal domains) were abolished, and Obama became a prefecture. It was absorbed into Shiga Prefecture in 1876, and into Fukui in 1881.
Daimyo of Obama
- Kyōgoku daimyo
- Kyōgoku TakatsuguKyōgoku Takatsuguwas a daimyo of Omi Province and Wakasa Province during the late-Sengoku Period of Japan's history.Takatsugu is recognized as the founder of the modern Kyōgoku clan. His forebears had been powerful since the 13th century, but their fortunes had waned after the Ōnin War...
. - Kyōgoku Tadataka (1648–1720).
- Kyōgoku Takatsugu
- Sakai daimyo
- Sakai TadakatsuSakai Tadakatsu, also known as Sanuki-no-kami, was tairō, rōjū, master of Wakasa-Obama castle and daimyo of Obama Domain in Wakasa province in the mid-17th century...
- Sakai Tadanao
- Sakai Tadataka
- Sakai Tadasono
- Sakai Tadashige
- Sakai Tadaakira
- Sakai TadamochiSakai Tadamochiwas a Japanese daimyo of the mid-Edo period.The Sakai were identified as one of the fudai or insider daimyō clans which were hereditary vassels or allies of the Tokugawa clan, in contrast with the tozama or outsider clans.-Sakai clan genealogy:...
- Sakai Tadakatsu
- .
- Sakai Tadayoshi
- Sakai Tadatsura
- Sakai TadayukiSakai Tadayukiwas a Japanese daimyo of the mid to late Edo period, who ruled the Obama Domain.The Sakai were identified as one of the fudai or insider daimyō clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan, in contrast with the tozama or outsider clans.-Sakai clan genealogy:Tadayuki was part...
- Sakai Tadayori
- Sakai TadaakiSakai Tadaaki, also known as Sakai Tadayoshi, was a Japanese daimyo of the Edo period, and he was a prominent shogunal official. He was also known as Shūri-daibu ; as Wakasa-no-kami ; and Ukyō-daibu...
- Sakai Tadauji
- Sakai TadatoshiSakai Tadaaki, also known as Sakai Tadayoshi, was a Japanese daimyo of the Edo period, and he was a prominent shogunal official. He was also known as Shūri-daibu ; as Wakasa-no-kami ; and Ukyō-daibu...