Shichinohe Domain

Shichinohe Domain (七戸藩 Shichinohe-han) was a tozama feudal domain of Edo period Japan, located in Mutsu Province, Honshū. Its territory was roughly equivalent to the areas covered by modern-day town of Shichinohe in Aomori Prefecture. It was also called the Morioka Nitta Domain (盛岡新田藩).

History

Shichinohe Domain was a sub-domain of Morioka Domain, founded in 1819 for Nambu Nobuchika, the 5th generation descendent of the Nambu Masanobu, younger brother of the 5th daimyō of Morioka domain. Nambu Yukinobu. Masanobu had received lands with a value of 5,000 koku in what later became Ninohe District. His 5th generation descendant was awarded an additional 6000 koku by the 11th daimyō of Morioka domain, which put his revenues over the 10,000 koku mark to become a daimyo. The 11,000 koku domain existed largely on paper, as its daimyō lived in Edo permanently, and ruled the domain via a karō.

As a subsidiary domain, the domain did not have a proper castle, but was governed out of a Jin'ya, although its rulers had the honor of being styled as castellan.

During the Boshin War of the Meiji Restoration, Nambu Nobutami, the 3rd daimyō, supported the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei and fought against the pro-imperial forces of Hirosaki Domain in the Battle of Noheji. Consequently, he was forced into retirement by the new Meiji government and the revenues of Shichinohe Domain were decreased by 1,000 koku. His successor, Nambu Nobukata became domain governor in 1869, and in October of that same year, the peasants in the domain rose up in a revolt. In July 1871, with the abolition of the han system, Shichinohe Domain became Shichinohe Prefecture, and was merged into the newly created Aomori Prefecture in September 1871. Nambu Nobukata was later granted the title of viscount (shishaku) under the kazoku peerage.

List of daimyo

Name Tenure Courtesy title Court Rank Revenue
1Namu Nobuchika ( 南部信鄰)1819–1821Harima-no-kami Lower 5th (従五位下) 11,000 koku
2Nambu Nobunori ( 南部信誉)1822–1862 Tamba-no-kami Lower 4th (従四位下) 11,000 koku
3Nambu Nobutami ( 南部信民)1862–1868Mimasaku-no-kami Lower 5th (従五位下) 11,000 koku
4Nambu Nobukata ( 南部信方)1868–1871 Lower 5th (従五位下) 11,000 koku

References