Kai Province

The old name of Yamanashi Prefecture. Koshu. One of the provinces on the Tokaido. The name of the province is said to come from the meaning of a gorge surrounded by mountains. The date of its establishment is unknown, but in ancient times, four districts were established: Yamanashi, Yatsushiro, Koma, and Tsuru. As an official road, the Kai Road branched off from Yokobashiri Station in Suruga Province (Shizuoka Prefecture) on the main Tokaido route, and crossed the border at Kagosaka Pass and Misaka Pass to reach the provincial capital in Yatsushiro County. Kai, known for producing fine horses, had three mimaki (graves) in Kashiwasaki, Makino, and Hosaka during the Heian period, and horses were sent as tribute. The first manor was Ichikawa Manor in 969 (Anwa 2), and the Kai Genji rose to power on the manors that were expanded throughout the country. It is said that Minamoto no Yorinobu and his grandson Shinra Saburo Yoshimitsu were appointed Kai no Kami in 1029 (Chogen 2), and thus established the foundations of the Kai Genji. However, it was his son Yoshikiyo who became the direct ancestor of the Kai Genji, and Kiyomitsu, who succeeded him, stationed many of his sons in important locations throughout the country. The Kai Genji played a major role during the founding of the Kamakura Shogunate, and the Takeda clan, whose ancestor was Nobuyoshi, would later inherit the position of Kai no Kami. During this time, Nichiren entered Minobu in 1274 (Bun'ei 11) and established Kuon-ji Temple. During the Sengoku period, Takeda Shingen, who devoted himself to unifying the Kai domain, moved his residence from Isawa to Tsutsujigasaki and established Kofu in 1519 (Eisho 16). Shingen brought the Takeda clan to its zenith with a territory spanning nine provinces, but the Takeda clan was defeated by Oda Nobunaga in 1582 (Tensho 10) during the reign of his son Katsuyori. The area was once under the control of the Toyotomi clan, and was once given to Hidekatsu Hashiba, Mitsuyasu Kato, Nagamasa Asano and Yoshinaga Asano, but after the Battle of Sekigahara, it was returned to the Tokugawa clan. During the Edo period, the Kuninaka region was given to the families of Yoshinao Tokugawa and Tadanaga Tokugawa, or became a Shogunate territory, and was then ruled by Tsunashige Tokugawa and Tsunatoyo Tokugawa, and Yoshiyasu Yanagisawa and Yoshisato Tokugawa. In Tsuru County (Gunnai territory), small fudai domains were established for three generations, beginning with Naritsugu Torii and Yasutomo Akimoto. Tsuru County was established in 1704 (1st year of the Hoei era), and in 1724 (9th year of the Kyoho era), the entire Kai region came under direct control of the shogunate, placed under the control of the Kofu duty guards and the magistrates, and later, the three noble territories were established, which continued until the Meiji Restoration. Famous local products were weaving and Koshu grapes, and the production of "Noboseito" thread for Kyoto and tobacco cultivation were also thriving. The Koshu Kaido and Fuji River water transport were key transportation routes. In the late Edo period, the Kitenkan was established as an official school in Kofu, and the Kaikokushi was compiled under the orders of the shogunate. Between 1868 and 1870 (1st to 3rd year of the Meiji era), the three prefectures of Kofu, Ichikawa, and Isawa became Kai Prefecture, Kofu Prefecture, and in 1871, Yamanashi Prefecture.

[Fumiaki Iida]

"History of Yamanashi Prefecture" by Masayoshi Isogai and Fumiya Iida (1973, Yamakawa Publishing)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

山梨県の旧国名。甲州(こうしゅう)。東海道の一国。国名は、周囲を山に囲まれたいわゆる山峡(やまかい)の峡の意に由来するという。成立年代は不明であるが、古くは山梨、八代(やつしろ)、巨麻（巨摩）(こま)、都留(つる)の4郡が設置された。官道として甲斐路は東海道本路の駿河(するが)国（静岡県）横走(よこばしり)駅から分岐して、国境の篭坂(かごさか)峠から御坂(みさか)峠を越えて八代郡にあった国府に達した。名馬の産地で聞こえた甲斐には平安時代、柏前(かしわさき)、真衣野(まきの)、穂坂(ほさか)の三つの御牧(みまき)が置かれて馬を貢上した。荘園(しょうえん)は969年（安和2）の市河荘が初見で、その後各地に展開した荘園を地盤に甲斐源氏が勃興(ぼっこう)する。1029年（長元2）に源頼信(よりのぶ)、ついでその孫新羅(しんら)三郎義光(よしみつ)が甲斐守(かみ)に任ぜられて甲斐源氏の基を開いたといわれるが、甲斐源氏の直接の祖となったのはその子義清で、後を継いだ清光は多くの男子を国内の要地に配した。鎌倉幕府創業期に甲斐源氏の果たした役割は大きく、信義を祖とする武田氏が以後甲斐の守護を世襲する。この間1274年（文永11）日蓮(にちれん)が身延(みのぶ)に入山し久遠寺(くおんじ)をおこした。戦国期、甲斐の領国統一に力を注いだ武田信虎は、1519年（永正16）居館を石和(いさわ)から躑躅ヶ崎(つつじがさき)に移し甲府を開府した。信玄(しんげん)は9か国に及ぶ版図を領して武田氏の全盛時代を現出したが、子勝頼(かつより)の代に1582年（天正10）織田信長に滅ぼされた。徳川家康の領有から一時豊臣(とよとみ)氏の勢力下で羽柴(はしば)秀勝、加藤光泰(みつやす)、浅野長政(ながまさ)・幸長(よしなが)父子が封ぜられたが、関ヶ原の戦い後、再度徳川氏の領するところとなり、江戸時代には国中(くになか)地方は徳川義直(よしなお)や忠長(ただなが)ら家門が受封、あるいは幕府領として推移し、ついで徳川綱重(つなしげ)・綱豊(つなとよ)父子、柳沢吉保(よしやす)・吉里(よしさと)父子が領した。都留郡（郡内領）には鳥居成次(とりいなりつぐ)、秋元泰朝(やすとも)から3代にわたる譜代(ふだい)小藩が設置された。都留郡は1704年（宝永1）から、1724年（享保9）には甲斐一円が幕府直轄領となり、甲府勤番支配と代官支配との下に置かれ、またその後三卿(さんきょう)領も設けられて明治維新に及んだ。特産物として著名なものに郡内織と甲州ブドウがあり、京都への「登せ糸(のぼせいと)」生産やタバコ栽培も盛んであった。交通運輸の要路としては甲州街道と富士川水運があった。江戸後期には甲府に官学として徽典館(きてんかん)が設立され、また幕府の内命に基づいて『甲斐国志』が編纂(へんさん)された。1868～70年（明治1～3）に甲府、市川、石和の3県から甲斐府、甲府県を経て、71年山梨県となった。

［飯田文弥］

『磯貝正義・飯田文弥著『山梨県の歴史』（1973・山川出版社）』

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