Hirado DomainThe Matsuura clan ruled Hirado from the Sengoku period to the Meiji period.

Hirado Domain was a domain that governed Matsuura County, part of Sonogi County, Hizen Province, and Iki Province. The Matsuura clan that governed Hirado Domain were founded by the Matsuura clan, who had ruled Hirado since the Sengoku period, and ruled until the Meiji period. Hirado Domain was located in what is now Hirado City, Nagasaki Prefecture, and prospered through trade with the West until the country was isolated, but it was far from Edo and was merely an outside daimyo. Nevertheless, at the end of the Edo period, one of the family's children married into a noble family and gave birth to the mother of Emperor Meiji, and the domain maintained strong ties with the central government.
Let's take a look at the history of Hirado Domain.

Hirado, the center of trade with the West

Hirado was the first Japanese port where a Dutch merchant ship called, and it was also a stopover point for Francis Xavier. From the Azuchi-Momoyama period to the early Edo period, until the country's isolation was completed, trading posts from the Netherlands, Britain and other countries were established here, making it the center of trade with the Western countries.

The Matsuura clan, who established the Hirado Domain and continued to rule it until the end of the Edo period, were a clan that rose from the powerful Matsuura clan of Hirado and showed their intention of submission to Toyotomi Hideyoshi even before he subjugated Kyushu. As a result, the Matsuura clan was granted permission to keep their territory by Hideyoshi, and they became wealthy feudal lords who made large profits from trade in Hirado.

Matsuura Chinnobu, the first lord of the Matsuura Domain, was a man of great political skill, and soon after Hideyoshi's death, he approached Tokugawa Ieyasu. During the Battle of Sekigahara, his son joined the Western Army, but he pulled off a bold move by destroying Hirado Castle, which was under construction, to show his loyalty. As a result, he was able to secure his territory and opened the Hirado Domain with a stipend of 63,200 koku.

During the time of the fourth feudal lord, Matsuura Shigenobu, the shogunate pursued a policy of national isolation. Furthermore, the shogunate learned that the Hirado domain had a monopoly on trade with the Netherlands, which had led to huge profits and military equipment, so the Dutch trading post was closed and moved to Dejima, and the profits from trade were monopolized by the shogunate. Although the Hirado domain allowed Hirado merchants to participate in some trade, the situation within the domain suddenly became difficult, and from then on the Hirado domain also focused on developing new rice fields.

The finances of the domain further worsened when the fifth lord, Matsuura Mune, carried out the rebuilding of Hirado Castle, a long-cherished wish of over 100 years. On the other hand, Matsuura Mune, despite being an outside daimyo, held important positions in the shogunate, such as temple and shrine magistrate. He must have been a capable man.

Koshi Yawa, a tale of Edo period customs and events

Hirado Domain was ruled by 12 feudal lords from its founding until the Meiji era, but the most famous of these was the ninth feudal lord, Matsuura Kiyoshi. He began writing the essay collection "Koshi Yawa" in 1806 (Bunka 3), when he retired from his position as feudal lord. During his time as feudal lord, Matsuura Kiyoshi implemented excellent governmental governance through such measures as promoting capable people regardless of their social status and establishing a domain school. He himself appears to have had excellent literary talent, and Koshi Yawa became a lengthy collection of essays spanning 100 volumes in the main series, 100 volumes in the sequel, and 78 volumes in the third series.

Koshi Yawa is a detailed account of politics from the Tanuma era to the Kansei Reforms, the actions and incidents of feudal lords and samurai, the lives of ordinary people, and customs. It is a very valuable resource for learning about the customs, incidents, and culture of the Edo period, and the original text is still published today. He had many children, 17 boys and 16 girls, and the eleventh of them, a princess named Aiko, married the court noble Nakayama Tadayasu, and their daughter gave birth to Emperor Meiji. Incidentally, Nakayama Tadayasu assisted Emperor Meiji and did his best to overthrow the shogunate.

Thanks to his connection with the Imperial family, the last lord of the domain, Matsuura Akira, became a close aide to Emperor Meiji, and despite being an outside lord, was appointed count after the Meiji Restoration. The Matsuura Historical Museum, which still stands today, is a renovated version of his former residence.

Summary of Hirado Domain

The Matsuura clan, who ruled the Hirado Domain, had a history of trading with Holland and England, and even though they were outside feudal lords, they held important positions in the shogunate. The ninth feudal lord, Matsuura Kiyoshi, was nicknamed the "academic and artistic daimyo" and left behind the Koshi Yawa, an excellent document from the Edo period. The Matsuura family continues to exist today, and is active in communicating the achievements of the Matsuura clan, who ruled the Hirado Domain.