Iwakuni Domain - Iwakunihan

During the Edo period, this clan ruled the eastern part of Suo Province (Yamaguchi Prefecture). The lord of the clan, Kikkawa, was a member of the Mori clan of the Choshu clan. However, it was not officially recognized by the shogunate and was treated in Edo as a clan equivalent. As it was not a clan, it was not allowed to perform alternate attendance, but it had a residence in Edo, was allowed to give seasonal tributes to the shogun, and was allowed to visit the castle when it became the heir to the clan. In reality, it was allowed to govern itself within the main clan (Choshu clan) and was treated as a branch clan, but to the shogunate it was called a vassal, and since it was not a clan, it was called Iwakuni territory. The reason why it was not recognized as a clan in the formal sense, even though it was actually a clan, was that its founder, Kikkawa Hiroie (the third son of Kikkawa Motoharu, the second son of Mori Motonari), supported the Eastern Army during the Battle of Sekigahara. In 1600 (Keicho 5), Mori Terumoto gave Hiroie 30,000 koku (60,000 koku according to the Kan'ei land survey) in the southern half of Kuga County, and he based himself in Iwakuni Castle, which he built in Yokoyama, Iwakuni. Later, in 1615 (Genwa 1), the shogunate issued the One Castle per Province Order, and he demolished the castle and moved to a mansion at the foot of the mountain. After Hiroie, Hiromasa, Hiroyoshi, Hironori, Hiromichi, Tsunenaga, Tsunetomo, Tsunetada, Tsunekata, Tsunehiro, Tsuneaki, Tsunemasa, and Tsunetake followed. The coastal areas of the domain facing the Seto Inland Sea were rice-growing areas, while the mountainous areas were paper-producing areas (Iwakuni paper). During the Genroku period (1688-1704), the domain carried out a reclamation project at the mouth of the Iwakuni River. In 1717 (Kyoho 2), coastal farmers demanded a reduction in taxes, sparking a major peasant uprising that shook the domain. In 1847 (Koka 4), the domain school Yorokan was opened in Iwakuni, and in 1856 (Ansei 3), the domain reconciled with the main domain, with which it had been at odds since the domain's founding, and together they dealt with the difficulties of the late Edo period. In 1868 (Meiji 1), the domain was recognized by the Imperial Court. In July 1871, the domains were abolished and prefectures were established, and the domain became Iwakuni Prefecture, and in November it was annexed by Yamaguchi Prefecture.

[Nobuhisa Hirota]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸時代、周防(すおう)国（山口県）の東部を領有した藩。藩主吉川(きっかわ)氏は、長州藩毛利(もうり)氏の一門。ただし、幕府の公認した藩ではなく、江戸では藩に準じた格で取り扱われた。藩でないため参勤交代は認められなかったが、江戸に邸宅をもち、将軍への四季の献上物、当主継嗣(けいし)時には登城謁見が許された。本藩（長州藩）内では内実には自治を許して支藩と同格に取り扱ったが、幕府に対しては家来と称し、藩ではないので岩国領と称した。このように、実際は藩でありながら形式的には藩として認められなかった原因は、始祖吉川広家(ひろいえ)（毛利元就(もとなり)の次男吉川元春(もとはる)の第3子）が関ヶ原の戦いのとき東軍に呼応したことによる。広家は1600年（慶長5）毛利輝元(てるもと)から玖珂(くが)郡南半に3万石（寛永(かんえい)検地高6万石）を与えられ、岩国横山に築いた岩国城に拠(よ)った。のち1615年（元和1）幕府の発した一国一城令により、城を破却して山麓(さんろく)の館邸に移った。広家のあとは、広正(ひろまさ)、広嘉(ひろよし)、広範(ひろのり)、広逵(ひろみち)、経永(つねなが)、経倫(つねとも)、経忠(つねただ)、経賢(つねかた)、経礼(つねひろ)、経章(つねあき)、経幹(つねまさ)、経健(つねたけ)と続いた。領内の瀬戸内海に面した海岸部は米作地、山間部は紙生産地（岩国半紙）であった。藩府は元禄(げんろく)期（1688～1704）岩国川河口の干拓事業を行った。1717年（享保2）海岸部の農民が年貢減免を要求し、藩を揺るがす大百姓一揆(いっき)となった。1847年（弘化4）藩校養老館を岩国に開設、1856年（安政3）には藩創設以来不和であった本藩と和解し、ともに幕末期の難局に対処することになった。1868年（明治1）朝廷から藩として認可。1871年7月廃藩置県により岩国県となり、11月山口県に併合された。

［広田暢久］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例