Hyūga Province
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was a province of Japan in the area of southeastern
Kyūshū is the third-largest island of Japan's four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa and the other Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Islands). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regio ...
, corresponding to modern Miyazaki Prefecture Hyūga bordered on Ōsumi to the south, Higo to the west, and Bungo to the north. Its abbreviated form name was , although it was also called . In terms of the
Gokishichidō was the name for ancient administrative units organized in Japan during the Asuka period (AD 538–710), as part of a legal and governmental system borrowed from the Chinese. Though these units did not survive as administrative structures beyon ...
system, Hyūga was one of the provinces of the
Saikaidō The is a Japanese geographical term. It means both an ancient division of the country and the main road running through it. Saikaido was one of the main Circuit (subnational entity), circuits of the Gokishichidō system, which was originally es ...
circuit. Under the '' Engishiki'' classification system, Hyūga was ranked as one of the "middle countries" (中国) in terms of importance, and one of the "far countries" (遠国) in terms of distance from the capital.


History


Early history

Ruins from the
Japanese Paleolithic The is the period of human inhabitation in Japan predating the development of pottery, generally before 10,000 BC. The starting dates commonly given to this period are from around 40,000 BC, with recent authors suggesting that there is good evi ...
period have been discovered in the Hyūga area, and red-colored pottery made from
cinnabar Cinnabar (; ), or cinnabarite (), also known as ''mercurblende'' is the bright scarlet to brick-red form of Mercury sulfide, mercury(II) sulfide (HgS). It is the most common source ore for refining mercury (element), elemental mercury and is t ...
has been excavated from the Tsukahara ruins from the
Jōmon period In Japanese history, the is the time between , during which Japan was inhabited by the Jōmon people, a diverse hunter-gatherer and early agriculturalist population united by a common culture, which reached a considerable degree of sedentism an ...
. The Hyūga region of the
Yayoi period The Yayoi period (弥生時代, ''Yayoi jidai'') (c. 300 BC – 300 AD) is one of the major historical periods of the Japanese archipelago. It is generally defined as the era between the beginning of food production in Japan and the emergence o ...
is characterized by the lack of bronze tools and the presence of gouged square stone knives, while imported ironware from the central Kyushu region have been unearthed. Many stories about Hyūga during this period appear in the ''
Kojiki The , also sometimes read as or , is an early Japanese chronicle of myths, legends, hymns, genealogies, oral traditions, and semi-historical accounts down to 641 concerning the origin of the Japanese archipelago, the , and the Japanese imperia ...
'' and ''
Nihon Shoki The or , sometimes translated as ''The Chronicles of Japan'', is the second-oldest book of classical Japanese history. It is more elaborate and detailed than the , the oldest, and has proven to be an important tool for historians and archaeol ...
'', particularly in the early "Age of the Gods" period in which the descendants of the ''
kami are the Deity, deities, Divinity, divinities, Spirit (supernatural entity), spirits, mythological, spiritual, or natural phenomena that are venerated in the traditional Shinto religion of Japan. ''Kami'' can be elements of the landscape, forc ...
'', including
Amaterasu , often called Amaterasu () for short, also known as and , is the goddess of the sun in Japanese mythology. Often considered the chief deity (''kami'') of the Shinto pantheon, she is also portrayed in Japan's earliest literary texts, the () ...
, Amenohoakari, Hikohohodemi, Hoderi and others, descended on the peak of Takachiho, bringing to the primitive inhabitants the secrets of
rice cultivation The history of rice cultivation is an interdisciplinary subject that studies archaeological and documentary evidence to explain how rice was first domesticated and cultivated by humans, the spread of cultivation to different regions of the planet ...
, metals working and advanced fishing and agricultural technologies, which later spread from this area to the Kinai region. It is also noteworthy that Emperor Jimmu departed from Hyūga on his expedition to conquer what later became
Yamato was originally the area around today's Sakurai, Nara, Sakurai City in Nara Prefecture of Japan, which became Yamato Province and by extension a Names of Japan, name for the whole of Japan. Yamato is also the dynastic name of the ruling Imperial ...
although ancient texts and mythology remain vague as to whether or not he was originally the ruler of Hyūga. During the
Kofun period The is an era in the history of Japan from about 300 to 538 AD (the date of the introduction of Buddhism), following the Yayoi period. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes collectively called the Yamato period. This period is ...
, influences of culture from the Asian continent became stronger and from the 4th century,
burial mound Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...
s similar to those found in the Kinai region began to appear in the area, including the Saitobaru Kofun Cluster. In the ''Kojiki'' and the ''Nihon Shoki'', Hyūga is called the “land of the Kumaso” (熊曽国) of Tsukushi-no-shima (Kyushu), which is named along with the provinces of Tsukushi, Toyo and Hi. The Kumaso people were subjugated either by Yamato Takeru or his father Emperor Keikō. Also according to the ''Nihon Shoki'', Emperor Keiko's son, Prince Toyokuni was appointed Hyūga ''
Kuni no miyatsuko , also read as ''kokuzō'' or ''kunitsuko'', were officials in ancient Japan during the Yamato period who governed provinces called ''kuni''. Yamato period ''Kuni no miyatsuko'' governed provinces called ''kuni'' (国), although the location, nam ...
'' in the reign of Emperor Ojin]. The existence of ''
kofun are megalithic tombs or tumulus, tumuli in Northeast Asia. ''Kofun'' were mainly constructed in the Japanese archipelago between the middle of the 3rd century to the early 7th century AD.岡田裕之「前方後円墳」『日本古代史大辞 ...
'' clusters indicates that there was a political relationship between the local rulers and the Yamato Kingdom before the
Asuka period The was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710, although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period. The Yamato period, Yamato polity evolved greatly during the Asuka period, which is named after the ...
. However, even into the
Nara period The of the history of Japan covers the years from 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capita ...
the exact status of the area vis-a-vis Yamato remains unclear. In the time of Emperor Suiko, horses from Hyūga were famous with the court. The name “ Hyūga Province” appears in an article dated September 28, 698, in the second year of Emperor Monmu’s reign in the ''
Shoku Nihongi The is an imperially-commissioned Japanese history text. Completed in 797, it is the second of the '' Six National Histories'', coming directly after the and followed by ''Nihon Kōki''. Fujiwara no Tsugutada and Sugano no Mamichi served as t ...
'', but it is unclear when this country was established, and with the establishment of the ''
Ritsuryō is the historical Japanese legal system, legal system based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Legalism (Chinese philosophy), Chinese Legalism in Feudal Japan. The political system in accord to Ritsuryō is called "Ritsuryō-sei" (). ''Kya ...
'' system from the end of the 7th century, Hyūga initially included what later became
Satsuma Province was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Satsuma" in . Its abbreviation was . History Satsuma's provincial capital was Satsumasendai. Dur ...
and
Ōsumi Province was a province of Japan in the area of southeastern Kyūshū, corresponding to the eastern half of modern Kagoshima Prefecture, and including the Ōsumi Islands . Ōsumi bordered on Hyūga to the northeast, and Satsuma Province to the nor ...
. In 702, Satsuma was separated from Hyūga, followed by Ōsumi in 713. Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). However, the local Hayato tribes of the area rebelled four times between the end of the 7th century and the early 8th century, which indicates that rule by Yamato was tenuous during this period. This cumulated in the Hayato rebellion of 720-721. The ''Hyūga-no-kuni Fudoki'' was compiled in the first half of the 8th century by
Fujiwara no Umakai was a Japanese statesman, courtier, general and politician during the Nara period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Umakai" in ; Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (1915). The third son of Fujiwara no Fuhito, he founded the Shikike ...
, who may have visited the area in person. The provincial capital during the Nara and
Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...
was located in Koyu District, but the exact location is uncertain. It is presumed to be the Terasaki ruins, in what is now the city of Saito, but this identification is uncertain. The '' kokubun-ji'' of the province was the Hyūga Kokubun-ji, which was also located in Saito. The '' ichinomiya'' of the province is the Tsuno Shrine, located in Tsuno, Miyazaki, and the ''sōja'' of the province is the Tsuma Shrine, located in Miyazaki city. Per the '' Engishiki'' records of the mid-
Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...
, only four shrines are listed, all of which were classified as "minor". In 1185, Tadahisa Koremune, possibly an illegitimate son of
Minamoto no Yoritomo was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate, ruling from 1192 until 1199, also the first ruling shogun in the history of Japan.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Minamoto no Yoriie" in . He was the husband of Hōjō Masako ...
was appointed to the position of ''
jitō were medieval territory stewards in Japan, especially in the Kamakura and Muromachi shogunates. Appointed by the shōgun, ''jitō'' managed manors, including national holdings governed by the '' kokushi'' or provincial governor. There were als ...
'' of Shimazu-shō (a large ''
shōen A was a field or Manorialism, manor in Japan. The Japanese language, Japanese term comes from the Tang dynasty Chinese language, Chinese term "莊園" (Mandarin: ''zhuāngyuán'', Cantonese: ''zong1 jyun4''). Shōen, from about the 8th to th ...
'' estate located in southern Kyushu) belonging to the Konoe family. He took the name of "Shimazu" and his clan would rule southern Kyushu for the next 800 years. In 1197, Tadahisa was appointed as the '' shugo'' of Hyūga, along with Satsuma and Ōsumi. However, in 1203, Tadahisa was reduced to only Satsuma Province, and Hyūga was passed on to the
Hōjō clan The was a Japanese samurai family who controlled the hereditary title of '' shikken'' (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate between 1203 and 1333. Despite the title, in practice the family wielded actual political power in Japan during this perio ...
; although Usa Hachiman-gu controlled the entire northern area of Hyūga. In the Nanboku-chō period, the area had devolved into numerous semi-independent feudal estates with constantly shifting loyalties between the
Northern Court The , also known as the Ashikaga Pretenders or Northern Pretenders, were a set of six pretenders to the throne of Japan during the Nanboku-chō period from 1336 through 1392. Even though the present Imperial House of Japan is descended from the ...
and the Southern Court, with Hyūga as a battleground between the Ōtomo clan from Bungo in the north, the Shimazu clan in the south, and the Itō clan ruling from Obi in the center. However, in 1587, following Hideyoshi's iconquest of Kyūshū, the Shimazu clan surrendered, and Hyūga Province was divided among the feudal lords who had distinguished themselves under Hideyoshi.


Edo Period and early modern period

Unlike many of the provinces of Kyūshū, Hyūga was not dominated by a single ''
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 no ...
''; rather, it was divided into ''
tenryō The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil war ...
'' territory directly governed by the
Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...
and a few small domains. In addition,
Satsuma Domain The , briefly known as the , was a Han system, domain (''han'') of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1600 to 1871. The Satsuma Domain was based at Kagoshima Castle in Satsuma Province, the core of the modern city of ...
and Hitoyoshi Domain had many scattered holdings, especially in the southern and western parts of the province. 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 Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...
, each of the feudal domains briefly became prefectures. In December 1871, the area roughly north of the Ōyodo River became Mimisu Prefecture, and areas to the south became Miyakonojō Prefecture. On January 15, 1873 the two prefectures were merged to form Miyazaki Prefecture. However, Miyazaki Prefecture was merged with Kagoshima Prefecture on August 21, 1876, but was reconstituted as Miyazaki Prefecture again on May 9, 1883, excluding some border areas which remained with Kagoshima. Nussbaum
"Provinces and prefectures"
at p. 780.
Per the early
Meiji period The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...
, an official government assessment of the nation's resources, the province had 377 villages with a total '' kokudaka'' of 417,393 ''
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 ...
''. Hyūga Province consisted of:


Gallery

Tsuno Shrine 2009 001.JPG, Tsuno Jinja, ''ichinomiya'' of the province 日向国分寺 五智如来坐像.JPG, Surviving statues from Hyūga Kokubun-ji Obi Castle Otemon.jpg, Obi Castle


See also

* IJN ''Hyūga'', 1918-1945 * JDS ''Hyūga'', 2009–present


Notes


References

* Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005)
''Japan encyclopedia.''
Cambridge:
Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is an academic publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University. It is a member of the Association of University Presses. Its director since 2017 is George Andreou. The pres ...
. ; * Papinot, Edmond. (1910). ''Historical and Geographic Dictionary of Japan.'' Tokyo: Librarie Sansaisha
OCLC 77691250



External links



{{DEFAULTSORT:Hyuga Province Former provinces of Japan History of Miyazaki Prefecture 1871 disestablishments in Japan States and territories disestablished in 1871