Nagato Province

An administrative district in the western part of Yamaguchi Prefecture established after the Taika Reforms. Before the Taika Reforms, there were two provinces in this area: Anato and Abu. Anato was the area that later became Toyoura, Mine, and Atsusa, while Abu was said to be the area that included Otsu and Abu districts. Anato means Minato (water gate), and refers to the Kanmon Straits. The Ritsuryo system began with the Taika Reforms, and the Nihon Shoki records that in 650 (Hakuchi 1), "the governor of Anato presented Hakuchi." The same book also records that in 665 (Emperor Tenchi 4), "a castle was built in Nagato Province," which was the first time Nagato Province was seen. There are various theories about the location of Nagato Castle, but none have been confirmed by remains or other evidence. In the Engishiki, Nagato Province is considered to be in China, and there are five districts within the country: Asa, Toyoura, Mine, Otsu, and Abu. However, in other documents such as the Shoku Nihongi, Nagato Province is considered to be Kami Province. In the Shoku Nihongi, it is written in 730 (Tenpyo 2) that "copper mined from Ushijima in Kumage County, Suo Province, and Tatsuriyama in Yoshiki County, was used as raw material for the Nagato Copper Mint." The site of the Nagato Copper Mint is believed to be the grounds of Kakuenji Temple in Chofu-cho, Shimonoseki. Nagato Province was a key transportation point on the western edge of Honshu, with Rinmon Station for crossing the sea to Kyushu, and a military corps was stationed there.

At the end of the Heian period, Nagato Province was a fief of the Taira clan. For this reason, the final battle of the Genpei War took place at Dannoura (Shimonoseki City), where the Taira clan was destroyed. Minamoto no Yoritomo placed great importance on Nagato Province and appointed Sasaki Takatsuna as the guardian of Nagato. Later, the Kamakura Shogunate established the Nagato Tandai in preparation for a Mongol invasion, but this position was hereditary to the Hojo clan. After the Hojo clan was destroyed, the Koto clan, a powerful clan in the Ube region, temporarily held this position. However, in 1355 (Shohei 10, Bunwa 4), Ouchi Hiroyo, a powerful clan from Yamaguchi, invaded the province, defeated the Koto clan, and pacified Ichien. Hiroyo became the guardian of Nagato due to this achievement. In 1551 (Tenbun 20), the Ouchi clan was destroyed by their vassal, the Sue clan, who were soon defeated by the Mori clan.

As a result of the Battle of Sekigahara, Mori Terumoto was reduced from daimyo of eight provinces in the Chugoku region to only two provinces, Bungo and Choshu, and built a castle in Hagi before entering the country. He eventually gave 47,000 koku of Toyoura County to Mori Hidemoto. Hidemoto's grandson Tsunamoto re-allocated 10,000 koku of his territory to Hidemoto's second son, Mototomo, in 1653 (Shoo 2). Terumoto carried out a land survey of Bungo and Choshu in 1610 (Keicho 15), and found that the total kokudaka of Nagato was just over 243,246 koku. He established eight saiban (official governors) in the main domain: Oku-Abu, Tojima, Hamasaki, Mine, Funaki, Yoshida, Maeotsu, and Sakiotsu, which were areas under the jurisdiction of a magistrate.

In 1871 (Meiji 4), the feudal domains were abolished and prefectures were established, resulting in the creation of three prefectures: Yamaguchi, Toyoura, and Kiyosue, but at the end of the same year, Boso and Choshu were unified into Yamaguchi Prefecture. In 1889 (Meiji 22), the municipal system was implemented, resulting in Akamagaseki (later Shimonoseki City) being incorporated as a city, Hagi as a town, and 93 villages being incorporated as villages. In 1896, the county system was implemented, and county offices and county assemblies were established in five counties: Abu, Mine, Asa, Otsu, and Toyoura. This county system was abolished in 1926 (Taisho 15). During this time, counties functioned as intermediate administrative organizations between prefectures and cities, towns, and villages. In 1955 (Showa 30), the current system of six cities, 15 towns, and four villages was established.

[Nobuhisa Hirota]

"Choshu Domain Compiled 'Bocho Fuudo Chushinan', 395 volumes, 22 published books (1842-1846/1960-66, Yamaguchi Prefectural Archives)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

大化改新後に設置された山口県西部の行政区画。この国に大化以前には穴門(あなと)と阿武(あぶ)の二国があったが、穴門は後の豊浦(とよら)、美祢(みね)、厚狭(あつさ)の三郡で、阿武は阿武郡を中心に、大津(おおつ)郡を含む地域といわれている。また、穴門はミナト（水門）の意で、関門海峡をさしたものである。大化改新から律令(りつりょう)制が始まるが、『日本書紀』によれば、650年（白雉1）に「穴門の国司が白雉を献上する」という記事がみえる。さらに同書665年（天智天皇4）に「城を長門国に築かしむ」とあり、これが長門国の初見である。この長門城の場所についてはいろいろ説があるが、遺物などから確認されたものはない。『延喜式(えんぎしき)』では長門国は中国とされ、国内に厚狭、豊浦、美祢、大津、阿武の五郡があるとの記載がある。しかし、『続日本紀(しょくにほんぎ)』など他の文献では、長門国は上国となっている。同書730年（天平2）に、「周防(すおう)国熊毛郡牛島や吉敷(よしき)郡達理(たつり)山から産出する銅を長門鋳銭司(ちゅうせんし)の原料とした」とある。長門鋳銭司の跡地は、現下関(しものせき)市長府(ちょうふ)町覚苑寺の境内とみられている。長門国は本州西端の交通上の要地であり、九州へ渡海するため臨門駅があり、軍団も置かれていた。

　平安時代の末期、長門国は平家の知行(ちぎょう)国であった。このため、源平争乱の最後の戦いは壇之浦(だんのうら)（下関市）で行われ、ここで平氏は滅亡する。源頼朝(よりとも)は長門国を重視し、長門守護に佐々木高綱を任じた。その後鎌倉幕府は蒙古(もうこ)襲来に備え長門探題を置いたが、この職は北条氏が世襲した。北条氏滅亡後、一時宇部地方の豪族厚東(ことう)氏がこの職についた。しかし、1355年（正平10・文和4）山口の豪族大内弘世(ひろよ)がこの国に侵入し、厚東氏を破って一円を平定した。弘世はこの功により長門の守護となった。1551年（天文20）大内氏は家臣陶(すえ)氏に滅ぼされ、陶氏もほどなく毛利(もうり)氏に敗れた。

　関ヶ原の戦いの結果、毛利輝元は中国8か国の大名から防長2国に減封され、萩(はぎ)に城を築いて入国した。やがて毛利秀元に豊浦郡のうち4万7000石を分与した。秀元の孫綱元は1653年（承応2）領内1万石を秀元の次男元知(もととも)に再分与した。輝元は1610年（慶長15）防長両国の検地を実施するが、長門国の総石高(こくだか)は24万3246石余であった。本藩領には、奥阿武、当島(とうじま)、浜崎、美祢、船木(ふなき)、吉田、前大津(まえおおつ)、先大津の八宰判(さいばん)を置いたが、宰判とは代官の管轄区域である。

　1871年（明治4）廃藩置県により、国内に山口、豊浦、清末(きよすえ)の三県が成立したが、同年末には防長両国が山口県に統一された。1889年（明治22）市町村制実施により、赤間関(あかまがせき)（のち下関市）に市制、萩に町制、93村に村制が敷かれた。96年郡制が実施され、阿武、美祢、厚狭(あさ)、大津、豊浦(とようら)の五郡に、それぞれ郡役所と郡会が設置された。この郡制は1926年（大正15）に廃止された。この間、郡は県と市町村の中間行政機構としての機能を果たした。1955年（昭和30）、現在のような六市15町四村となった。

［広田暢久］

『長州藩編『防長風土注進案』全395巻・刊本22冊（1842～46成／1960～66・山口県文書館）』

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