Hakodate Magistrate

Japanese: 箱館奉行 - はこだてぶぎょう

One of the Edo Shogunate's Magistrates of Distant Provinces. Under the Elders' Council, they were in charge of the administration of Ezo. The Magistrate's Office was located in Hakodate (Hakodate City, Hokkaido) and was established over two periods, with responsibility for the management and development of Ezo, as well as security, the welfare of the Wajinchi, and in the later period, trade and diplomacy related to the open port of Hakodate.

[Masato Kobayashi]

Early period (1802–07)

In order to make eastern Ezochi, which had been provisionally handed over to the shogunate, a permanent direct domain, in February 1802 (Kyowa 2), the shogunate abolished the previous Ezochi Goyokan (Ezochi Official Office) and established the Ezochi Magistrate, which was renamed the Hakodate Magistrate on May 10 of the same year. Later, as the shogunate came to directly govern the entire Matsumae and Ezochi areas, on October 24, 1807 (Bunka 4), it was ordered that the magistrate's office be moved to Matsumae and renamed the Matsumae Magistrate. The Matsumae Magistrate continued to exist until 1821 (Bunsei 4), when the Matsumae Domain regained control of Matsumae and Ezochi.

[Masato Kobayashi]

Late period (1854–68)

It was established on June 30, 1854 (Ansei 1) to handle the opening of the port of Hakodate. The following year, most of Matsumae and Ezo, east of Kikonai and west of Otobe, became Shogunate territory and came under the jurisdiction of the Hakodate Magistrate. Later, in 1864 (Genji 1), eight villages west of Otobe up to Kumaishi (Yakumo Town) were returned to the Matsumae Domain, but it continued to exist until the Hakodate Court was established by the Meiji government on April 12, 1868 (Keio 4).

[Masato Kobayashi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

江戸幕府遠国(おんごく)奉行の一つ。老中の下に属し、蝦夷(えぞ)地行政をつかさどった。奉行所を箱館（北海道函館(はこだて)市）に置き、前後二期にわたって設けられ、蝦夷地の経営・開発や警固をはじめ、和人地の民生、あるいは後期の場合には開港場箱館にかかわる通商・外交なども管掌した。

［小林真人］

前期（1802～07）

幕府は仮上知(かりあげち)していた東蝦夷地を永久に直轄地にするにあたって、1802年（享和2）2月、従来の蝦夷地御用掛を廃して蝦夷地奉行を設け、同年5月10日これを箱館奉行と改称した。その後、幕府が松前(まつまえ)・蝦夷地全域を直轄することになったのに伴い、1807年（文化4）10月24日、奉行所の松前移転と松前奉行への改称が命じられた。松前奉行は松前藩が松前・蝦夷地に復領する1821年（文政4）まで存続した。

［小林真人］

後期（1854～68）

箱館開港に対処するため1854年（安政1）6月30日設置。翌年には松前・蝦夷地の大部分、木古内(きこない)以東、乙部(おとべ)以西が幕領となり、箱館奉行の管轄に入った。その後、1864年（元治1）に乙部以西熊石(くまいし)（八雲町）まで八か村が松前藩に還付されたが、1868年（慶応4）4月12日に維新政府により箱館裁判所が置かれるまで存続した。

［小林真人］

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