Tsurumaki Domain
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese domain
of the Edo period
, located in Kazusa Province
(modern-day Chiba Prefecture
), Japan
. It was centered on what is now the city of Ichihara, Chiba
. It was ruled for the entirety of its history by a branch of the Mizuno clan
.
Tsurumaki Domain was created on May 19, 1827, when Mizuno Tadateru, the daimyō
of Hōjō Domain
in Awa Province
relocated his jin'ya
from Awa to Kazusa. As he was entitled by his status to have a castle
, rather than a fortified residence, his jin’ya was called "Tsurumaki Castle". He died the following year, and his adopted son, Mizuno Tadamitsu, also served as a wakadoshiyori
in the Shogun
’s court in Edo
. Tadamitsu’s son Mizuno Tadayori fought on the Shogunal side in the Boshin War
of the Meiji Restoration
, attacking his pro-imperial neighbors. As a result, he was forced to give up most of his holdings scattered around Awa and Kazusa provinces in exchange for new lands in 1869. However, he was pardoned by the new Meiji government the following year, becoming domainal governor until the abolition of the han system
in 1871. He was subsequently made a viscount
(shishaku) in the kazoku
peerage, and the former Tsumaki Domain absorbed into the short-lived Kisarazu Prefecture before becoming part of modern Chiba Prefecture.
The name of “Tsurumaki” came from the Mizuno’s Edo residence, which was located in Wadeda-Tsurumaki-cho.
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 what is now the city of Ichihara, Chiba
Ichihara, Chiba
is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of August 2010, the city has an estimated population of 279,080, with a population density of 758 persons per km². The total area of Ichihara was 368.20 km²...
. It was ruled for the entirety of its history by a branch of the Mizuno clan
Mizuno clan
The was a Japanese clan which claimed descent from the Seiwa Genji branch of the Minamoto clan. In the Edo period, the Mizuno clan produced many men who were fudai daimyo serving the Tokugawa shogun, as well as countless families of hatamoto...
.
Tsurumaki Domain was created on May 19, 1827, when Mizuno Tadateru, the 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 Hōjō Domain
Hōjō Domain
was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Awa Province , Japan. It was centered on what is now part of the modern city of Tateyama, Chiba.-History:...
in 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...
relocated his jin'ya
Jin'ya
During the Edo period of Japanese history, a was the administrative headquarters of a small domain or parcel of land held by the Tokugawa shogunate, as well as the residence of the head of the administration, and the associated grain storehouse. While larger domains had castles, certain smaller...
from Awa to Kazusa. As he was entitled by his status to have a castle
Japanese castle
' were fortresses composed primarily of wood and stone. They evolved from the wooden stockades of earlier centuries, and came into their best-known form in the 16th century...
, rather than a fortified residence, his jin’ya was called "Tsurumaki Castle". He died the following year, and his adopted son, Mizuno Tadamitsu, also served as a wakadoshiyori
Wakadoshiyori
The ', or "Junior Elders", were high government officials in 17th century Tokugawa Japan. The position was established around 1631, but appointments were irregular until 1662....
in the Shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
’s court in Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
. Tadamitsu’s son Mizuno Tadayori fought on the Shogunal side 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....
of 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...
, attacking his pro-imperial neighbors. As a result, he was forced to give up most of his holdings scattered around Awa and Kazusa provinces in exchange for new lands in 1869. However, he was pardoned by the new Meiji government the following year, becoming domainal governor 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 1871. He was subsequently made 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:...
(shishaku) in 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, and the former Tsumaki Domain absorbed into the short-lived Kisarazu Prefecture before becoming part of modern Chiba Prefecture.
List of daimyō
-
Mizuno clanMizuno clanThe was a Japanese clan which claimed descent from the Seiwa Genji branch of the Minamoto clan. In the Edo period, the Mizuno clan produced many men who were fudai daimyo serving the Tokugawa shogun, as well as countless families of hatamoto...
(fudai) 1827-1871
| # | Name | Tenure | Courtesy title | Court Rank | revenues |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1827-1828 | Oki-no-kami | Lower 5th (従五位下) | 15,000 koku | |
| 2 | 1828-1842 | Oki-no-kami | Lower 5th (従五位下) | 15,000 koku | |
| 3 | 1842-1871 | Hizen-no-kami | Lower 5th (従五位下) | 15,000 koku | |
The name of “Tsurumaki” came from the Mizuno’s Edo residence, which was located in Wadeda-Tsurumaki-cho.
Further reading
- Bolitho, Harold (1974). Treasures among men; the fudai daimyo in Tokugawa Japan. New Haven: Yale University Press.
- 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.