The was a

domain Domain may refer to: Mathematics *Domain of a function, the set of input values for which the (total) function is defined **Domain of definition of a partial function **Natural domain of a partial function **Domain of holomorphy of a function * Do ...

of the

Tokugawa Shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

during the

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...

from 1601 to 1871. The Hiroshima Domain was based at

Hiroshima Castle , sometimes called , is a castle in Hiroshima, Japan that was the residence of the '' daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the Hiroshima Domain. The castle was originally constructed in the 1590s, but was destroyed by the atomic bombing on August 6, 1945. ...

Aki Province or Geishū () was a province in the Chūgoku Region of western Honshū, comprising the western part of what is today Hiroshima Prefecture. History When Emperor Shōmu ordered two official temples for each province (one for male Buddhist prie ...

, in the modern city of

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui h ...

, located in the

Chūgoku region The , also known as the region, is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi. In 2010, it had a population of 7,563,428. History '' ...

of the island of

Honshu , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island separ ...

. The Hiroshima Domain was ruled for most of its existence by the ''

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

'' of the

Asano clan The was a Japanese samurai clan that descended from the Minamoto clan, and the Emperor Seiwa (850-881), the 56th Emperor of Japan. The Main Lineage (''sōke'', 宗家) were Lords (daimyō) of the Hiroshima Domain in Aki Province and another f ...

and encompassed Aki Province and parts of Bingo Province with a ''

Kokudaka refers to a system for determining land value for taxation purposes under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo-period Japan, and expressing this value in terms of ''koku'' of rice. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"Koku"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 54 ...

'' system value of 426,500 ''

koku The is a Chinese-based Japanese unit of volume. 1 koku is equivalent to 10 or approximately , or about . It converts, in turn, to 100 shō and 1000 gō. One ''gō'' is the volume of the "rice cup", the plastic measuring cup that is supplied ...

''. The Hiroshima Domain was dissolved in the

abolition of the han system The in the Empire of Japan and its replacement by a system of prefectures in 1871 was the culmination of the Meiji Restoration begun in 1868, the starting year of the Meiji period. Under the reform, all daimyos (, ''daimyō'', feudal lords) ...

in 1871 by the

Meiji government The was the government that was formed by politicians of the Satsuma Domain and Chōshū Domain in the 1860s. The Meiji government was the early government of the Empire of Japan. Politicians of the Meiji government were known as the Meiji o ...

and its territory was absorbed into

Hiroshima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Hiroshima Prefecture has a population of 2,811,410 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 8,479 km² (3,274 sq mi). Hiroshima Prefecture borders Okayama ...

History

In 1589,

was commissioned by

Mōri Terumoto Mōri Terumoto (毛利輝元, January 22, 1553 – June 2, 1625) was a Japanese ''daimyō''. The son of Mōri Takamoto, and grandson and successor of the great warlord Mōri Motonari, he fought against Oda Nobunaga but was eventually overco ...

, head of the powerful

Mōri clan The Mōri clan (毛利氏 ''Mōri-shi'') was a Japanese samurai clan descended from Ōe no Hiromoto. Ōe no Hiromoto was descended from the Fujiwara clan. The family's most illustrious member, Mōri Motonari, greatly expanded the clan's power ...

and a member of

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...

Council of Five Elders The Council of Five Elders (Japanese: :jp:五大老, 五大老, ''Go-Tairō'') was a group of five powerful feudal lords (Japanese: 大名, ''Daimyō'') formed in 1598 by the Regent (Japanese: 太閤 ''Sesshō and Kampaku, Taikō'') Toyotomi Hideyo ...

. In 1591, Terumoto relocated to Hiroshima while it was still under construction, using it as his base to rule his domain covering most of the

. Following the

Battle of Sekigahara The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: ; Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization: ''Sekigahara no Tatakai'') was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu prefecture, Japan, at the end of ...

in 1600, the Mōri were forced out of Hiroshima by

Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fellow ...

and relocated their base to Hagi Castle, losing most of their eastern territories. The Hiroshima ''

han Han may refer to: Ethnic groups * Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group. ** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...

'' (domain) was subsequently established with

Fukushima Masanori was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the late Sengoku period to early Edo period who served as lord of the Hiroshima Domain. A retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, he fought in the Battle of Shizugatake in 1583, and soon became known as one of Seven Spears ...

as its ''

'' (feudal lord), covering

and parts of neighboring Bingo Province. However, nineteen years later, Hiroshima Castle suffered extensive

flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...

damage and Fukushima repaired it in violation of the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...

's laws on the construction and repair of castles (see '' buke shohatto''). The shogunate then ordered Fukushima to Kawanakajima Domain, and awarded Hiroshima to the

, who ruled it for the remainder of the

. Under the Tokugawa ''

'' system for domains the Hiroshima Domain was assessed at 426,500 ''

'', the sixth-largest domain in Japan, excepting those held by the Tokugawa-

Matsudaira The was a Japanese samurai clan that descended from the Minamoto clan. It originated in and took its name from Matsudaira village, in Mikawa Province (modern-day Aichi Prefecture). During the Sengoku period, the chieftain of the main line of ...

dynasty. In 1871, the Hiroshima Domain was formally

dismantled Dismantled (born Gary Zon) is an electronic music artist from the United States. History Dismantled is the product of an experiment that began in late 2000 by Gary Zon, who was attempting to create something similar to Front Line Assembly's s ...

along with all the other domains in Japan following 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 practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

. The introduction of the ''

Fuhanken sanchisei The was the subnational government structure in early Meiji Japan. It lasted from the Boshin War, the start to the Meiji Restoration, in 1868 until the replacement of all remaining feudal domains ''(-han)'' with prefectures ''(-ken)'' in 1871 ...

'' saw the replacement of the

provinces A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...

and domains with the

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...

system, and territory of the Hiroshima Domain was organized into

''Daimyō'' of Hiroshima

(1591–1600)*; 1,120,000 ''

'' #

(1600–1619); 498,223 ''koku''

: #

Asano Nagaakira was a Japanese samurai of the early Edo period who served as ''daimyō'' of Wakayama Domain, and was later transferred to the Hiroshima Domain. Biography Born Asano Iwamatsu, he was the son of Asano Nagamasa, who was a senior retainer of Toyo ...

(1619–1632); 426,500 ''koku''** #

Asano Mitsuakira Asano Mitsuakira (September 11, 1617 – May 27, 1693) was a Japanese samurai of the early Edo period who served as ''daimyō'' of the Hiroshima Domain from 1632 to 1672. His childhood name was Ichimatsu () and later become Iwamatsu (). Family * ...

(1632–1672) #

Asano Tsunaakira was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Edo period, who ruled the Hiroshima Domain. Two of his consorts were daughters of the court noble and regent Kujō Michifusa. His childhood name was Iwamatsu (). Family * Father: Asano Mitsuakira * Mother: Ma ...

(1672–1673) #

Asano Tsunanaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Edo period, who ruled the Hiroshima Domain. He held the title of '' Aki no kami''. His childhood name was Iwamatsu (岩松). During the 47 ''rōnin'' incident, Tsunanaga sent a messenger to Akō, which was r ...

(1673–1708) # Asano Yoshinaga (1708–1752) #

Asano Munetsune Asano Munetsune (September 27, 1717 – January 2, 1788) was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of period, who ruled the Hiroshima Domain. His childhood name was Senjirō (仙次郎) later Iwamatsu (岩松). Family * Father: Asano Yoshinaga (Lord of Hiroshima ...

(1752–1763) #

Asano Shigeakira Asano Shigeakira (December 2, 1743 – January 4, 1814) was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Edo period, who ruled the Hiroshima Domain. Family * Father: Asano Munetsune * Mother: Izumi no Kata * Wives: ** Tokugawa Kunihime (1736–1767), daughter o ...

(1763–1799) #

Asano Narikata Asano Narikata (November 5, 1773 – January 4, 1831) was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Edo period, who ruled the Hiroshima Domain. His childhood name was Jinnosuke (時之丞) later Zenjirō (善次郎). Family * Father: Asano Shigeakira * Mother ...

(1799–1830) # Asano Naritaka (1831–1858) #

Asano Yoshiteru was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Edo period, who ruled Hiroshima Domain. His childhood name was Sadakichi (定吉) later become Sadanosuke (定之丞) later become Zenjirō (善次郎). Family * Father: Asano Naritaka * Wife: Tokugawa Toshi ...

(1858–1858) #

Asano Nagamichi was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Edo period, who ruled Hiroshima Domain The was a domain of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1601 to 1871. The Hiroshima Domain was based at Hiroshima Castle in Aki Province, in the ...

(1858–1869) #

Asano Nagakoto Marquis was a ''daimyō'' of Hiroshima Domain for a short time after the Meiji Restoration. For the rest of the Meiji period, he was a politician and diplomat, and was one of the last surviving Japanese ''daimyō'' ( Hayashi Tadataka and Wa ...

(1869–1871) *''The years listed are those in which the lord occupied Hiroshima castle, not the years of his life.'' **''All of the lords after Asano Nagaakira enjoyed the same 426,500 ''koku''.

Simplified family tree of the Asano lords of Hiroshima

* I. Nagaakira, 1st Lord of Hiroshima (cr. 1619) (1586–1632; Lord: 1619–1632) ** II. Mitsuakira, 2nd Lord of Hiroshima (1617–1693; r. 1632–1672) *** III. Tsunaakira, 3rd Lord of Hiroshima (1637–1673; r. 1672–1673) **** IV. Tsunanaga, 4th Lord of Hiroshima (1659–1708; r. 1673–1708) ***** V. Yoshinaga, 5th Lord of Hiroshima (1681–1752; r. 1708–1752) ****** VI. Munetsune, 6th Lord of Hiroshima (1717–1788; r. 1752–1763) ******* VII. Shigeakira, 7th Lord of Hiroshima (1743–1814; r. 1763–1799) ******** VIII. Narikata, 8th Lord of Hiroshima (1773–1831; r. 1799–1830) ********* IX. Naritaka, 9th Lord of Hiroshima (1817–1868; r. 1831–1858) ********** X. Yoshiteru, 10th Lord of Hiroshima (1836–1858; r. 1858) ********Nagatoshi ********* XI. Nagamichi, 5th Lord of Hiroshima-Shinden, 11th Lord of Hiroshima, 26th family head (1812–1872; Lord of Hiroshima-Shinden: 1824–1858; Lord of Hiroshima: 1858–1869; 26th family head: 1869–1872) *********Toshitsugu ********** Nagayuki, 28th family head, 2nd Marquess (1864–1947; 28th family head and 2nd Marquess: 1937–1940) *********** Nagatake, 29th family head, 3rd Marquess (1895–1969; 29th family head: 1940–1969; 3rd Marquess: 1940–1947) ************ Nagayoshi, 30th family head (1927–2007; 30th family head: 1969–2007) ************* Nagataka, 31st family head (b. 1956; 31st family head: 2007–present) *********Toshiteru ********** XII. Nagakoto, 6th Lord of Hiroshima-Shinden, 12th Lord of Hiroshima, 27th family head, 1st Marquess (1842–1937; Lord of Hiroshima-Shinden: 1858–1869; Lord of Hiroshima: 1869; Governor of Hiroshima: 1869–1871; 27th family head: 1872–1937; Marquess: cr. 1884) Genealogy
/ref>

References

*Hiroshima Castle tourist brochure obtained at the castle. {{Authority control Domains of Japan History of Hiroshima Prefecture