Hirado Domain (平戸藩 Hirado-han) was a tozama han (feudal domain) of Edo period Japan, with its territory extending from northern Hizen Province to the offshore Iki Province. The domain was headquartered in Hirado Castle in present-day the city of Hirado in modern Nagasaki Prefecture.
After Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s successful conquest of Kyushu, local warlord Matsuura Shigenobu was granted Hirado County and the Oki Islands to be his domain. During the Japanese invasions of Korea, Hirado was a forward base of operations for Japanese forces. In 1599, Matsuura Shigenobu erected a castle called Hinotake-jō on the site of the present-day Hirado Castle. However, he burned the castle down himself in 1613, as a gesture of loyalty towards Shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu, having served in the losing Toyotomi side during the Battle of Sekigahara. In return, he was allowed to retain his position as daimyō of Hirado Domain under the Tokugawa bakufu.
The present Hirado Castle was constructed in 1704 by order of the 5th daimyō of Hirado domain, Matsuura Takashi with the assistance of the Tokugawa shogunate to be the keystone in seaward defenses of Japan in the East China Sea region, now that the country had implemented a policy of national seclusion against western traders and missionaries. Also during the period of Matsuura Takashi, a subsidiary domain (Hirado Nitta Domain) of 10,000 koku was created for his younger brother, Matsuura Masashi. Matsuura Takashi served in a number of important posts in the Tokugawa Shogunate, including that of Jisha-bugyō, a post traditionally reserved only for fudai daimyō. However, his expenses in rebuilding Hirado Castle all but bankrupt the domain.
The 9th daimyō, Matsuura Kiyoshi, was a noted essayist and political commentor. The final daimyō, Matsuura Akira, he commanded his forces as part of the Satchō Alliance during the Boshin War of the Meiji Restoration, in support of Emperor Meiji, and fought at the Battle of Toba-Fushimi and against the Tokugawa remnants of the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei in northern Japan, at Morioka and Akita. In April 1884, he was made a count in the new kazoku peerage system. From 1890, he served in the House of Peers of the Diet of Japan. He was later awarded 2nd Court rank.
| Name | Tenure | Courtesy title | Court Rank | Revenue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matsuuta Shigenobu (松浦鎮信) | 1587–1600 | Hizen-no-kami | Lower 4th (従四位下) | 63,200 koku |
| 2 | Matsuura Hisanobu (松浦久信) | 1600–1602 | Hizen-no-kami | Lower 5th (従五位下) | 63,200 koku |
| 3 | Matsuura Takanobu (松浦隆信) | 1603–1637 | Hizen-no-kami | Lower 5th (従五位下) | 63,200 koku |
| 4 | Matsuura Shigenobu (松浦鎮信) | 1637–1689 | Hizen-no-kami | Lower 5th (従五位下) | 61,700 koku |
| 5 | Matsuura Takashi (松浦棟) | 1689–1713 | Hizen-no-kami, Jisha-bugyō | Lower 5th (従五位下) | 51,700 koku |
| 6 | Matsuura Atsunobu (松浦篤信) | 1713–1727 | Hizen-no-kami | Lower 5th (従五位下) | 51,700 koku |
| 7 | Matsuura Arinobu (松浦有信) | 1727–1728 | Hizen-no-kami | Lower 5th (従五位下) | 51,700 koku |
| 8 | Matsuura Sanenobu (松浦誠信) | 1728–1775 | Hizen-no-kami | Lower 5th (従五位下) | 51,700 koku |
| 9 | Matsuura Kiyoshi (松浦清) | 1775–1806 | Iki-no-kami | Lower 5th (従五位下) | 51,700 koku |
| 10 | Matsuura Hiromu (松浦熈) | 1806–1841 | Hizen-no-kami | Lower 5th (従五位下) | 51,700 koku |
| 11 | Matsuura Terasu (松浦曜) | 1841–1858 | Iki-no-kami | Lower 5th (従五位下) | 51,700 koku |
| 12 | Matsuura Akira (松浦詮) | 1858–1871 | Hizen-no-kami | 2nd (正二位), Count (伯爵) | 61,700 koku |