The , which was in existence from 1600 to 1871, had a significant influence in the region. Initially, it controlled its vast territory of 520,000

koku The is a Chinese-based Japanese unit of volume. One koku is equivalent to 10 or approximately , or about of rice. It converts, in turn, to 100 shō and 1,000 gō. One ''gō'' is the traditional volume of a single serving of rice (before co ...

, which later expanded to 540,000 koku after the division of the 8th generation territory and the establishment of branch domains during the Hosokawa family era. In 1871, the domain faced territorial changes as it lost control over Kuma District and Amakusa District in

Higo Province was an old province of Japan in the area that is today Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. It was sometimes called , with Hizen Province. Higo bordered on Chikugo, Bungo, Hyūga, Ōsumi, and Satsuma Provinces. History The cas ...

(present-day

Kumamoto Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Kumamoto Prefecture has a population of 1,748,134 () and has a geographic area of . Kumamoto Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the north, Ōita Prefecture t ...

), as well as parts of

Bungo Province was a province of Japan in the area of eastern Kyūshū, corresponding to most of modern Ōita Prefecture, except what is now the cities of Nakatsu and Usa. Bungo bordered on Hyūga to the south, Higo and Chikugo to the west, and Chikuze ...

(now

Oita Prefecture Oita often refers to: * Ōita Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan *Ōita (city), the capital of the prefecture Oita or Ōita may also refer to: Places * Ōita District, Ōita, a former district in Ōita Prefecture, Japan *Ōita Stadium, a multi-use stadi ...

), including Tsuruzaki and Saganoseki. This domain was also known as Higohan and its administrative center was situated at

Kumamoto Castle is a hilltop Japanese castle located in Chūō-ku, Kumamoto, in Kumamoto Prefecture. It was a large and well-fortified castle. The is a concrete reconstruction built in 1960, but a number of ancillary wooden buildings remain of the original ca ...

in Kumamoto City. Despite not having complete control over Higo, the

Hosokawa clan The is a Japanese samurai kin group or Japanese clan, clan. The clan descends from the Seiwa Genji, a branch of the Minamoto clan, and ultimately from Emperor Seiwa, through the Ashikaga clan. It produced many prominent officials in the Ashikaga ...

of the Kumamoto Domain held the status of feudal lords, or

Daimyo were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and nominally to ...

, in the region.

History

During the

Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...

, the Kikuchi, Aso clan, and Sagara clans emerged as powerful daimyo, each establishing their bases in the north, central, and southern regions respectively. This led to a relatively peaceful period within the Sengoku era. However, tensions arose when the Aso clan launched an attack on the Kikuchi clan. Despite their victory, the Aso clan faced their own internal conflicts and succession disputes among their relatives. As a result, the Otomo clan from

intervened and pacified the former Kikuchi territory. The Aso clan also came under the influence of the Otomo clan, further solidifying their control over the region. Following the introduction of firearms, the Sagara clan, known for their defensive prowess in

Kagoshima , is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 583,966 in 285,992 households, and a population density of 1100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Etymology While the ...

and Shimazu, ultimately submitted to the

Shimazu clan The were the ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan. The Shimazu were identified as one of the '' tozama'' or outsider ''daimyō'' familiesAppert, Georges ''et al.'' (1888). in contr ...

. Under the rule of the

, they willingly gave up their role as a powerful defense force in the southern region and instead adopted advanced weapons and tactics. This strategic shift allowed them to adapt to the changing times and align themselves with the Shimazu's vision for progress. In a similar vein, the Aso clan experienced a comparable destiny as they were methodically dismantled by the Shimazu army during their conquest of Kyushu. This marked a significant turning point for both clans, as they had to navigate the challenges of relinquishing their traditional roles and embracing new strategies for survival and prosperity. The Shimazu clan, on the brink of conquering Kyushu, faced a crushing defeat at the hands of the formidable army led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi responded to the pleas of Oita and Otomo, mustering a massive force that ultimately subdued Kyushu, including the region of Higo which was abandoned by the Shimazu clan. Following the defeat of the Shimazu clan, Kato Kiyomasa, the ruler of

, emerged as a prominent figure in the northern part of

. With a substantial holding of 250,000 koku, Kiyomasa's military prowess in the

Battle of Sekigahara The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: ; Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization: ''Sekigahara no Tatakai'') was an important battle in Japan which occurred on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu Prefecture, ...

earned him the former territory of Konishi Yukinaga, Additionally, he expanded his domain by acquiring 20,000 koku from areas like Tsurusaki Province in

. As a result of his military achievements and territorial acquisitions, Kato Kiyomasa solidified his power and influence in the region. The Kumamoto Domain was officially established, boasting a total holding of 520,000 koku under Kiyomasa's rule. This marked a significant shift in the balance of power in Kyushu during that period. Kumamoto Castle, built by Kato Kiyomasa, is one of Japan's famous castles. He not only oversaw its construction but also played a key role in developing castle towns and road networks. Kiyomasa also improved agriculture with new fields and irrigation systems. Today, Kumamoto residents still admire his civil engineering projects for their role in the region's prosperity. Recent studies on Kato Kiyomasa reveal his creation of a mobilization and tax system during military expeditions to

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

. This system, which appointed senior vassals as branch lords and gave power to peasants, continued even after the

. However, issues like rural village depletion and power struggles among vassals have led to criticism of Kiyomasa's rule. The Kato clan suffered a setback in 1632 when their leader lost his fief for his involvement in the Suruga Dainagon Incident. He was banished to Shonai, isolating the clan. In 1870, Hosokawa Morihisa transformed into a Chihanji and joined the kzoku, leading the Jitsugaku Party. He requested to dismantle Kumamoto Castle, but dissenting voices halted the demolition.

was established in 1871 after feudal domains were abolished. The

became marquis in 1884. In 1983, Hosokawa Morihiro, later the 79th Prime Minister, became governor of Kumamoto Prefecture before retiring to pursue ceramics.

Kumamotoshinden Domain

Kumamotoshinden Domain (肥後新田藩), also known as the Kumamotoshinden domain, was a branch domain of the larger Kumamoto Domain. It was established in 1666 by Toshige, the younger brother of Hosokawa Tsunatoshi, the third lord of the Kumamoto Domain. Toshige received 35,000 koku of rice from the Kumamoto domain's rice store and set up his own domain. Unlike other feudal lords, Toshige resided in Teppozu, Edo and did not practice sankin kotai, the system of alternate attendance. However, with the advent of the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...

in 1868, a provisional domain office was established at the Takase Town Magistrate's Office in Tamana City. Consequently, the domain's name was changed to Takase Domain. In 1870, a formal jinya, or administrative center, was completed and relocated to Iwasaki Village in Tamana District. In the same year, the domain was merged with the Kumamoto domain and ultimately abolished.

Holdings at the end of the Edo period

***

** Akata-gun - 177 villages ** Takoma-gun - 59 villages ** Kamimashiki-gun - 201 villages ** Shimomashiki-gun - 191 villages ** Uto-gun - 64 villages ** Ashikita-gun - 204 villages ** Tamana-gun - 257 villages ** Yamamoto County - 62 villages ** Kikuchi-gun - 81 villages ** Koshi-gun - 104 villages ** Yamaga-gun - 67 villages ** Aso-gun - 214 villages ** Yatsushiro County - 91 villages ***

** Oita County - 39 villages (72 villages) ** Kaifu County - 22 villages (39 villages) ** Naoiri County - 2 villages (6 villages)

List of daimyōs

; Kumamotoshinden Domain :

Genealogy

*Hosokawa Fujitaka (1534–1610) **Tadaoki (1563–1645) *** I. Tadatoshi, 1st ''daimyō'' of Kumamoto (cr. 1632) (1586–1641; r. 1632–1641) **** II. Mitsunao, 2nd ''daimyō'' of Kumamoto (1619–1650; r. 1641–1650) ***** III. Tsunatoshi, 3rd ''daimyō'' of Kumamoto (1641–1712; r. 1650–1712) *****Toshishige (1646–1687) ****** IV. Nobunori, 4th ''daimyō'' of Kumamoto (1676–1732; r. 1712–1732) ******* V. Munetaka, 5th ''daimyō'' of Kumamoto (1716–1747; r. 1732–1747) ******* VI. Shigekata, 6th ''daimyō'' of Kumamoto (1721–1785; r. 1747–1785) ******** VII. Harutoshi, 7th ''daimyō'' of Kumamoto (1758–1787; r. 1785–1787) ***Tatsutaka (1615–1645) ****Yukitaka, 1st ''daimyō'' of Udo (1637–1690) *****Aritaka, 2nd ''daimyō'' of Udo (1676–1733) ******Okinari, 3rd ''daimyō'' of Udo (1699–1737) *******Okinori, 5th ''daimyō'' of Udo (1723–1785) ******** VIII. Narishige, 6th ''daimyō'' of Udo, 8th ''daimyō'' of Kumamoto (1755–1835; r. 1787–1810) *********Tatsuyuki, 7th ''daimyō'' of Udo (1784-1818) ********** X. Narimori, 8th ''daimyō'' of Udo, 10th Lord of Kumamoto (1804–1860; r. 1826–1860) *********** XI.Yoshikuni, 11th ''daimyō'' of Kumamoto, 25th Hosokawa family head (1835–1876; r. 1860–1869. Governor of Kumamoto 1869–1871). ***********Morihisa, 26th Hosokawa family head, 1st Marquess (1839–1893; family head 1876–1893; 1st Marquess Hosokawa: 1884–1893) ************Morishige, 27th Hosokawa family head, 2nd Marquess (1868–1914; family head and 2nd Marquess 1893–1914) ************Morikei, 1st Baron Hosokawa (cr. 1896) (1882–1898) ************Moritatsu, 28th Hosokawa family head, 3rd Marquess, 2nd Baron (1883–1970; 2nd Baron Hosokawa 1898, 14th Hosokawa family head 1914–1970, 3rd Marquess 1914–1947) *************Morisada, 29th Hosokawa family head (1912–2005; family head 1970–2005) ************** Morihiro, 30th Hosokawa family head (b. 1938; family head 2005–). Prime Minister of Japan 1993–1994 *************** Morimitsu (b. 1972) ********* IX. Naritatsu, 9th ''daimyō'' of Kumamoto (1788–1826; r. 1810–1826) Genealogy
/ref>

References

External links

{{Authority control Domains of Japan Higo-Hosokawa clan