Okazaki Domain (2/2)The stone height is low, but the rank is high.

After the Mizuno clan was transferred, Yasufuku Matsudaira temporarily became the lord of the castle, but since he held important positions in the shogunate such as temple magistrate and Osaka castle lord, he rarely entered the state. The fact that he became the lord of the Okazaki clan was also a way of preparing for becoming the rojū (rojū).

Yasufuku Matsudaira has a strong connection with Yoji Tanuma and has married his daughter to him. He had little achievements in the domain, as he had to change countries many times during his lifetime and fell out of power along with Yoji Tanuma.

After that, Tadayasu Honda, the 11th head of the Tadakatsu line of the Honda family, entered the Okazaki domain.
The Honda family served as the lord of the Okazaki domain until the end of the Edo period.

Around this time, the domain's finances were quite severe, and Tadanori Honda, the second lord of the Honda family, asked the shogunate to transfer his fief again to a richer area, or to be given land to keep, but none of them were successful. It has been rejected.
In return, they receive preferential treatment such as being given 10,000 ryo over 10 years and being exempted from various duties.
He died at the young age of 27, and his adopted son Tadaaki Honda became the third lord of the domain. At this time, a succession of adopted children led to a dispute over the family headship, but it subsided before it became a big commotion.

However, Honda Tadaaki took advantage of the success of his vassals, Tadayoshi Nakane and Heibei Hattori, in rebuilding his finances and succeeded in reducing the debt to 230,000 ryo.He indulged in entertainment, and after they were defeated one after another. They also did not care about the feudal government.
As a result, the domain's finances were once again in dire straits, to the point where it could no longer maintain its weapons and horses.

The fourth lord, Honda Tadataka, who inherited a domain that was on the verge of bankruptcy, was unable to manage the domain satisfactorily due to his poor health.In addition, natural disasters such as the flooding of the Yadagawa River occurred, and the domain became even more impoverished.

Honda's adopted son Tadamami Honda, who succeeded him, was active as a vassal of the shogunate at the end of the Edo period, including serving as roju for two years, but he did not return to Kunimoto much.

During the era of Honda Tadanao, the last lord of the domain, the Okazaki domain showed its obedience to the Meiji government and ushered in the Meiji era.
He expanded his horizons by studying abroad in Europe, but died at the young age of 37, and was subsequently adopted by his adopted son.
Tadataka Honda will take over.
He worked hard for the development of his hometown, such as turning Gookazaki Castle into a park and donating it to the city, and being involved in Okazaki City's educational projects.

Okazaki clan summary

The Okazaki domain was the birthplace of the Tokugawa family, and the position of lord of the Okazaki domain was treated as a kind of honorary position.
Therefore, high-ranking feudal lord families such as the Honda family and the Mizuno family were transferred.
However, the domain's finances were in dire straits, and at one point it seemed to be on the verge of bankruptcy.
The Honda family, which served as the feudal lord until the end, still exists, and the current head often appears at events related to the Tokugawa family.