Otaki Domain
Encyclopedia
Han (Japan)
The or domain was the name of the estate belonging to a warrior in Japan after the 17th century. The fiefs of the daimyos of the samurai class of Japan during the Edo period were called han.-Edo period:...
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....
, located in Kazusa Province
Kazusa Province
was a province of Japan in the area of modern Chiba Prefecture. It lies on in the middle of the Bōsō Peninsula , whose name takes its first kanji from the name of Awa Province and its second from Kazusa and Shimōsa Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was or .Kazusa is classified as one of the...
(modern-day Chiba Prefecture
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
), 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...
. It was centered on Ōtaki Castle
Ōtaki Castle (Chiba)
is a Japanese castle located in Ōtaki, southeast Chiba Prefecture, Japan. In the Edo period, Ōtaki Castle was home to the daimyō of Ōtaki Domain of Kazusa Province, the Satomi clan...
in what is now the town of Ōtaki, Chiba
Otaki, Chiba
is a town located in Isumi District, Chiba, Japan, occupying the center of the Bōsō Peninsula. The town is known for its association with Edo period general Honda Tadakatsu and its prominent castle. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 10,794 and a population density of 83.1 persons...
.
History
The original Ōtaki Castle was built by the Satomi clanSatomi clan
The Satomi clan was a clan of samurai which claimed descent from Nitta Yoshishige , whose son Yoshitoshi took 'Satomi' as his surname. The Satomi moved from Kōzuke province to Awa province in the mid-15th century, and remained there into the Edo Period. During the Sengoku period, the Satomi were...
, rulers of most of the Bōsō Peninsula
Boso Peninsula
thumb|Locationthumb|Landsat image with high-resolution data from Space Shuttle is a peninsula in Chiba prefecture on Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It forms the eastern edge of Tokyo Bay, separating it from the Pacific Ocean....
during the Sengoku period
Sengoku 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...
. Following the Battle of Odawara
Siege of Odawara (1590)
The third ' occurred in 1590, and was the primary action in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's campaign to eliminate the Hōjō clan as a threat to his power. The months leading up to it saw hasty but major improvements in the defense of the castle, as Hideyoshi's intentions became clear...
in 1590, the Kantō region
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
by was assigned 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...
by the warlord 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...
, who also restricted the Satomi to Awa Province
Awa Province (Chiba)
was a province of Japan in the area of modern Chiba Prefecture. It lies on the tip of the Boso Peninsula , whose name takes its first kanji from the name of Awa Province and its second from Kazusa and Shimōsa Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was or...
for their lukewarm support of his campaigns against the Late Hōjō clan. Tokugawa Ieyasu appointed Honda Tadakatsu
Honda Tadakatsu
, also called Honda Heihachirō , was a Japanese general of the late Sengoku through early Edo period, who served Tokugawa Ieyasu. Honda Tadakatsu was one of the Tokugawa Four Heavenly Kings along with Ii Naomasa, Sakakibara Yasumasa and Sakai Tadatsugu. - Biography :A native of Mikawa Province in...
, one of his Four Generals
Shitenno (Tokugawa clan)
The is a Japanese sobriquet describing four highly effective samurai generals who fought on behalf of Tokugawa Ieyasu in Sengoku period. They were famous during their lifetimes as the four most fiercely loyal vassals of the Tokugawa clan in the early Edo period....
, to be 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...
of the new 100,000 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...
Ōtaki Domain.
Following 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...
, Honda Tadakatsu was promoted to Kuwana Domain
Kuwana Domain
The ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Ise Province .-List of Daimyo:*Honda clan #Tadakatsu#Tadamasa*Matsudaira clan...
, and Ōtaki was assigned to Honda Tadatomo, from another branch of the Honda clan
Honda clan
The ' is a Japanese family that claims descent from the medieval court noble Fujiwara no Kanemichi. The family settled in Mikawa and served the Matsudaira clan as retainers. Later, when the main Matsudaira family became the Tokugawa clan, the Honda rose in prestige. The clan includes thirteen...
, with a reduction in revenues to 50,000 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...
. Honda Tadatomo died at the Battle of Tennoji
Battle of Tennoji
The was fought in 1615 between the forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu and the forces of Toyotomi Hideyori. Tokugawa was laying siege to Osaka, and Hideyori had planned a counterattack. Both sides were plagued by mistakes until Hideyori's side finally fell. He committed suicide. The Toyotomi army...
and his son, Honda Masatomo was reassigned to Tatsuno Domain
Tatsuno Domain
The ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Harima Province ....
in Harima Province.
The Honda were replaced by the Aba Masatsugu, a hero of the Siege of Osaka
Siege of Osaka
The was a series of battles undertaken by the Tokugawa shogunate against the Toyotomi clan, and ending in that clan's destruction. Divided into two stages , and lasting from 1614 to 1615, the siege put an end to the last major armed opposition to the shogunate's establishment...
, but the domain’s size was further reduced to 30,000 koku. Abe Masatsugu was later transferred to Odawara Domain
Odawara Domain
was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in western Sagami Province. It was centered on Odawara Castle in what is now the city of Odawara.-History:...
following the disgrace of the Ōkubo clan
Okubo clan
The were a samurai kin group which rose to prominence in the Sengoku period and the Edo periods. Under the Tokugawa shogunate, the Ōkubo, as hereditary vassels of the Tokugawa clan, were classified as one of the fudai daimyō clans....
, and Ōtaki Domain was suppressed in 1619.
The domain was briefly revived from 1623-1625 for Aoyama Tadatoshi
Aoyama Tadatoshi
was a Japanese daimyo of the early Edo period.-Biography:Tadatoshi was the son of Aoyama Tadanari, a Tokugawa vassal of the Sengoku period who was born in Mikawa Province...
, the tutor of the 3rd Tokugawa Shogun, Iemitsu
Tokugawa Iemitsu
Tokugawa Iemitsu was the third shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Iemitsu ruled from 1623 to 1651.-Early life :...
, with its size further reduced to 20,000 koku. After his death, Ōtaki Domain reverted to tenryō territory directly under the control of 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...
until 1638.
The Abe clan regained control of Ōtaki Domain in April 1638, and ruled it to 1702, when they were replaced by Inagaki Shigetomi, who ruled for only 21 days before being reassigned to Karasuyama Domain in Shimotsuke Province
Shimotsuke Province
is an old province of Japan in the area of Tochigi Prefecture in the Kanto region. It was sometimes called or .The ancient capital of the province was near the city of Tochigi, but in feudal times the main center of the province was near the modern capital, Utsunomiya.-History:Different parts of...
. The domain then came under the control of the Ōkōchi branch of the Matsudaira clan
Matsudaira clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Minamoto clan. It first originated in and took its name from Matsudaira village, in Mikawa Province . Over the course of its history, the clan produced many branches, most of which also centered around Mikawa Province...
, who continued to rule Ōtaki until 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...
. The final daimyo of Ōtaki Domain, Ōkōchi Masatada, initially served fought for the pro-Tokugawa forces at the Battle of Toba-Fushimi
Battle of Toba-Fushimi
The occurred between pro-Imperial and Tokugawa shogunate forces during the Boshin War in Japan. The battle started on 27 January 1868 , when the forces of the Tokugawa shogunate and the allied forces of Chōshū, Satsuma and Tosa domains clashed near Fushimi...
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....
, but later changed his allegiance to the new Meiji government. He was appointed domain governor under the new administration, until 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...
in July 1871 and subsequently became a 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. Ōtaki Domain became “Ōtaki Prefecture”, which merged with the short lived “Kisarazu Prefecture” in November 1871, which later became part of Chiba Prefecture.
List of daimyō
- Honda clanHonda clanThe ' is a Japanese family that claims descent from the medieval court noble Fujiwara no Kanemichi. The family settled in Mikawa and served the Matsudaira clan as retainers. Later, when the main Matsudaira family became the Tokugawa clan, the Honda rose in prestige. The clan includes thirteen...
(fudai) 1590-1617# Name Tenure Courtesy title Court Rank revenues 1 1590–1601 Nakatsuka-daisuke Lower 5th (従五位下) 100,000 koku 2 1601–1615 Izumo-no-kami Lower 5th (従五位下) 50,000 koku 3 1615–1617 Kai-no-kami Lower 5th (従五位下) 50,000 koku
- Abe clanAbe clanThe was one of the oldest of the major Japanese clans ; and the clan retained its prominence during the Sengoku period and the Edo period. The clan's origin is said to be one of the original clans of the Yamato people; they truly gained prominence during the Heian period , and experienced a...
(fudai) 1617-1623# Name Tenure Courtesy title Court Rank revenues 1 1617–1623 Bitchu-no-kami Lower 4th (従四位下) 20,000 koku
-
Aoyama clanAoyama clanThe ' was a Japanese clan which came to prominence during the Sengoku period. Its origins were in Kōzuke Province; however, members of the family moved to Mikawa Province and served the Matsudaira clan...
(fudai) 1623-1625# Name Tenure Courtesy title Court Rank revenues 1 1623–1625 Hoki-no-kami Lower 5th (従五位下) 20,000 koku
- Abe clanAbe clanThe was one of the oldest of the major Japanese clans ; and the clan retained its prominence during the Sengoku period and the Edo period. The clan's origin is said to be one of the original clans of the Yamato people; they truly gained prominence during the Heian period , and experienced a...
(fudai) 1638-1702# Name Tenure Courtesy title Court Rank revenues 1 1638–1652 Harima-no-kami Lower 5th (従五位下) 10,000 koku 2 1671–1702 Iyo-no-kami Lower 5th (従五位下) 16,000 koku
- Inagaki clan (fudai) 1702
# Name Tenure Courtesy title Court Rank revenues 1 1702-1702 Izumi-no-kami Lower 5th (従五位下) 15,000 koku
- Matsudaira clan (Nagasawa/Ōkōchi branch)Matsudaira clanThe was a Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Minamoto clan. It first originated in and took its name from Matsudaira village, in Mikawa Province . Over the course of its history, the clan produced many branches, most of which also centered around Mikawa Province...
(fudai) 1703-1871# Name Tenure Courtesy title Court Rank revenues 1 1703–1720 Bizen-no-kami Lower 5th (従五位下) 20,000 koku 2 1720–1749 Bitchu-no-kami Lower 5th (従五位下) 20,000 koku 3 1749–1767 Bizen-no-kami Lower 5th (従五位下) 20,000 koku 4 1767–1803 Bizen-no-kami Lower 5th (従五位下) 20,000 koku 5 1803–1808 Danjoshin Lower 5th (従五位下) 20,000 koku 6 1808–1826 Oribesho Lower 5th (従五位下) 20,000 koku 7 1826–1837 Bitchu-no-kami Lower 5th (従五位下) 20,000 koku 8 1837–1862 Orebesho Lower 5th (従五位下) 20,000 koku 9 1862–1871 Danjoshin Lower 5th (従五位下) 20,000 koku
Further reading
- Kodama Kōta 児玉幸多 , Kitajima Masamoto 北島正元 (1966). Kantō no shohan 関東の諸藩. Tokyo: Shin Jinbutsu Ōraisha.