Hizen Province

The former name of the whole of Saga Prefecture and the area of ​​Nagasaki Prefecture excluding Iki and Tsushima. It belongs to the Saikaido. According to the "Hizen no Kuni Fudoki," Hizen Province and Higo Province were originally one province, and were called Hinokuni (Hi no Kuni). They were later separated into the two provinces of the front and back. However, Chikugo Province is located between Hizen Province and Higo Province, and some of them are separated by the Ariake Sea and Shimabara Bay. The Fudoki also records 11 counties and 70 towns, including Kii, Yabu, Mine, Kamusaki, Saga, Ogi, Matsuura, Kishima, Fujitsu, Sonoki, and Takaku.

The Hizen region has had deep ties with Korea and China since ancient times, via Tsushima and Iki. Fukui Cave (Yoshii-cho, Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture) on the Kitamatsuura Peninsula is a multi-layered archaeological site dating from the late Paleolithic to the Jomon period, and artifacts dating back more than 30,000 years (large double-sided processed stone tools, scrapers, etc.) have been discovered in the lowest layer. These are remains of people who migrated from the continent, which was connected to the area at the time. In addition, the bean-patterned pottery discovered in a stratum from the early Jomon period at the same site is currently believed to be the oldest pottery in Japan (approximately 10,000 years old). In the northern part of Hizen, there are many ruins indicating exchanges with Korea and China. At the Nabatake ruins in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture, the remains of rice paddies, carbonized rice, and agricultural tools from the late Jomon period were discovered, and these are said to be the oldest rice-cultivation ruins in Japan, suggesting that this was an area that was an early recipient of the spread of continental culture. There are also many ruins in the eastern part of the country. At the Himekata ruins (Miyagi-cho, Saga Prefecture), 400 earthenware coffins from the middle to late Yayoi period were discovered, making them the largest earthenware coffin tombs in Japan and designated a national historic site. The Tashiro-Ota ruins (Tosu, Saga Prefecture) are decorated burial mounds built in the late 6th century, indicating close ties with Chikuzen. Additionally, three circular burial mounds and a boat-shaped stone coffin were excavated from the Maruyama ruins (Kuboizumi-cho, Saga City), and helmets, short armor, and magatama were excavated from the Maruyama ruins (Mikatsuki-cho, Ogi City, Saga Prefecture), revealing the movement of the ancient nation's unification process.

With the formation of a centralized national system following the Taika Reforms (645), a provincial office was established in Hizen Province, and recent excavations have confirmed that its location was Kuchii, Yamato Town, Saga City. Excavations have also uncovered the remains of the Hizen Provincial Office, which has been designated a national historic site. The jori system, which was also implemented in line with the Land Distribution Law, was also implemented, and ruins and place names from that period remain from the eastern to central parts of the Saga Plain. In Nagasaki Prefecture, the remains of the jori system can be found in the Isahaya region, the only plain (Ono Town, Isahaya City).

Manors began to be formed around the latter half of the 8th century when the Ritsuryo system began to become unstable, and large-scale manors began to appear in the 11th century. The manors of the Imperial Court included Kanzaki Manor, Kawasoe Manor, and Kose Manor, while the territory of Usa Hachiman Shrine included Takakubefu, Oyanagi Manor (Otoyanagi, Ushizu Town, Ogi City, Saga Prefecture), Ayabe Manor (Miyagi Town), and Akaji Manor (Akase, Mikazuki Town, Ogi City), and the territory of Anrakuji Temple of Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine included Saga Manor (Yamato Town, Saga City), Kakihisa Manor (Nabeshima Town, Saga City), Tosu Manor, and Kounoe Manor (all in Tosu City).

Manor officials and local government officials built up their power and formed samurai groups, and by the end of the Heian period, various clans such as Takagi, Goto, Kubota, and Ryuzoji existed.

It is said that there were over 70 widow families in the Kamakura period. The number was relatively high even for Kyushu, but the size of their territories was generally small. The Matsuura clan, whose founder was Matsuura Gendayuhisashi, had influence in the Matsuura region. During the Bun'ei and Koan Wars (1274 and 1281), the Mongol army fought against the widow families of Hizen, and the families belonging to the Matsuura clan are said to have suffered great losses.

During the Nanboku-cho period, the conflict between the Ashikaga and Southern Court factions in Kyushu led to repeated divisions and mergers of clans, and the Shoni clan gained power in Hizen. In 1371 (Kentoku 2, Oan 4), Imagawa Ryōshun entered the province as the Kyushu tandai and promoted the unification of Kyushu, temporarily weakening the Shoni clan, but after Imagawa Ryōshun's downfall, the Shoni clan regained strength and opposed the Ouchi clan, which had advanced into Chikuzen. However, in 1497 (Meiō 6), Shoni Masasuke was defeated and killed in a battle with the Ouchi clan, causing a rapid decline. In their place, the Chiba clan and the Tachibana clan gained power. The Chiba clan was based in Haruke Manor in Ogi County, and the Tachibana clan was based in Nagashima Manor in Kishima County. However, by the beginning of the 16th century, each of them had fallen into decline due to internal conflicts.

During the Sengoku period, the Ryuzoji clan rose to prominence. As can be seen from the fact that the Kamakura shogunate granted them control of Ryuzoji Village in Saga County in 1185 (Bun'ji 1), the Ryuzoji clan had been local feudal lords for a long time. During the time of Ryuzoji Iekane (Gochu), the clan took advantage of the expansion of the power of the Shoni clan to grow, and under Gochu's great-grandson Takanobu, they came to control all of Hizen. Takanobu gained momentum by defeating the army of Otomo Sorin of Bungo in 1570 (Genki 1), and in 1578 (Tensho 6) he defeated the Arima clan and took control of Hizen. However, in 1584 (Tensho 12), he was defeated and killed in a battle against the allied forces of Arima Shizutaka and Shimazu Iehisa, and the Ryuzoji clan went into decline.

The year 1587 was a landmark year in the Kyushu region. It was the year Toyotomi Hideyoshi invaded Kyushu and assigned daimyo to the region. Hideyoshi appointed Nabeshima Naoshige as the magistrate of Nagasaki. The Nabeshima clan gradually gained real power within the Ryuzoji clan, and confirmed it with their invasion of Korea.

The territory of Hizen was decided in relation to the invasion of Korea, and became the basis for the allocation of feudal lords in the Edo period. For example, the Kii District and Yabuhan District in eastern Hizen were given to Kobayakawa Takakage in 1587, but in 1599 (Keicho 4), they were transferred to So Yoshitoshi, the lord of Tsushima. Also, Matsuura District was ruled by the Hata clan, but in 1593 (Bunroku 2), Hata Chikashi was removed from his position by Hideyoshi, and his territory was given to Hideyoshi's close aide, Terazawa Hirotaka.

During the Edo period, ten domains were established in Hizen: Saga Domain with 357,000 koku, Ogori Domain with 73,252 koku, Kashima Domain with 20,000 koku, Hasunoike Domain with 52,600 koku, Omura Domain with 27,977 koku, Karatsu Domain with 60,000 koku, Goto Domain with 12,600 koku, Shimabara Domain with 70,000 koku, Hirado Domain with 61,700 koku, and Hirado-Shinden Domain with 10,000 koku (these kokudaka are the nominal values ​​in the early Meiji period), as well as the Tsushima Domain's Tashiro territory with over 11,000 koku, and the Tenryo (around Nagasaki). In the Saga domain, the Nabeshima clan took control of the real power in both name and reality after the death of Ryuzoji Masaie and Takafusa in 1607, and later established the three domains of Ogi, Kashima, and Hasuike as branch domains. Karatsu domain became a shogunate territory for a time when the Terasawa clan was extinct, but in 1649 (Keian 2), Okubo Tadamoto was appointed to the domain and it became a fudai domain, and after that, Matsudaira, Doi, Mizuno, and Ogasawara daimyo were transferred to the domain. Shimabara domain was originally the domain of the Arima clan, but became a shogunate territory for a time, and then the Matsukura clan was appointed to the domain and it became a fudai domain. However, in 1637 (Kan'ei 14), the Shimabara Rebellion was started, and Matsukura Katsuie was stripped of his domain the following year, and the daimyo of Takachika and Matsudaira were appointed to the domain. The Hirado Domain was under the control of the Matsuura Clan for many generations, and the Hirado Shinden Domain was its branch domain. The Omura Domain and the Goto Domain were small, outside domains under the control of the Omura and Goto Clan, respectively. The Tsushima Domain's magistrate's office was located in the Tashiro Domain, and Nagasaki was under the jurisdiction of the Shogunate's Nagasaki Magistrate's Office.

With the Meiji Restoration, Hizen underwent a great change as feudal domains were abolished and prefectures were established. In July 1871 (Meiji 4), the prefectures of Saga, Ogi, Kashima, Hasuike, and Karatsu were established, and in September, it merged with Izuhara Prefecture (formerly Tsushima Domain) to become Imari Prefecture, which was renamed Saga Prefecture the following year, and in 1876, it was temporarily merged with Mizuma Prefecture, and then merged with Nagasaki Prefecture. In 1871, the prefectures of Omura, Shimabara, Hirado, and Fukue (formerly Goto Domain) were also established, and were integrated into Nagasaki Prefecture the same year. In May 1883, the 10 districts of Hizen were separated from Nagasaki Prefecture to re-establish Saga Prefecture, resulting in the current two prefectures. Hizen's products include Arita ware (Imari ware), Karatsu ware, Nagasaki cotton, tortoiseshell crafts, and Nagasaki castella cakes.

[Nagano, Japan]

"Saga Prefecture History" 3 volumes (1967-68, Saga Prefecture)" ▽ "Nagasaki Prefecture History" 8 volumes (1963-80, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

佐賀県全域、および長崎県の壱岐(いき)・対馬(つしま)を除く地域の旧国名。西海道(さいかいどう)に属す。『肥前国風土記(ふどき)』によれば、肥前国はもと肥後国とともに一国であり、火国(ひのくに)（肥国）と称したという。のち分かれて前後の両国となった。ただし、肥前国と肥後国の間には筑後(ちくご)国が位置しており、一部は有明(ありあけ)海、島原湾などによって隔てられている。また同風土記には、基肄(きい)、養父(やぶ)、三根(みね)、神埼(かむさき)、佐嘉(さが)、小城(おぎ)、松浦(まつら)、杵島(きしま)、藤津(ふじつ)、彼杵(そのき)、高来(たかく)の11郡と70の郷が記されている。

　肥前地方は、対馬・壱岐を通じて、古くから朝鮮や中国と交流が深かった。北松浦(きたまつうら)半島の福井洞穴（長崎県佐世保(させぼ)市吉井(よしい)町）は後期旧石器時代から縄文時代に至る重層遺跡であるが、その最下層からは3万年以上前の遺物（大型両面加工石器、スクレーパーなど）が発見されている。当時、陸続きであった大陸から移動してきた人々の遺跡である。また、同遺跡の縄文時代草創期の地層から発見された豆粒文(とうりゅうもん)土器は、現在日本最古の土器（約1万年前）とされている。肥前北部地域には朝鮮や中国との交流を示す遺跡が多く、佐賀県唐津(からつ)市の菜畑(なばたけ)遺跡からは縄文晩期後半の水田跡、炭化米、農器具が発見され、それが日本でもっとも古い稲作遺跡とされていることから、大陸文化の伝播(でんぱ)を早く受け取った地域であったことがうかがえる。東部地域にも遺跡が多く、姫方(ひめかた)遺跡（佐賀県みやき町）からは、弥生(やよい)中期から後期の甕棺(かめかん)400基が発見され、これは甕棺墓としてはわが国で最大級のものであり、国史跡に指定されている。田代太田(たしろおおた)遺跡（佐賀県鳥栖(とす)市）は6世紀後半に築造された装飾古墳で、筑前(ちくぜん)との関連の密接さを示している。また丸山(まるやま)遺跡（佐賀市久保泉(くぼいずみ)町）からは3基の円墳と舟形石棺、円山(まるやま)遺跡（佐賀県小城(おぎ)市三日月(みかつき)町）からは冑(かぶと)、短甲、勾玉(まがたま)などが出土し、古代国家の統一過程の動きがみられる。

　大化改新（645）による集権国家体制の形成により、肥前国にも国府が置かれるようになり、その位置が最近の発掘調査によって佐賀市大和(やまと)町久池井(くちい)であることが確定した。発掘により肥前国庁跡が発見され、国の史跡に指定されている。また、班田収授法に伴う条里制も施行され、佐賀平野の東部から中部にかけて施行された遺跡や地名が残っている。長崎県では、唯一の平野である諫早(いさはや)地方に条里遺構が認められる（諫早市小野町）。

　律令(りつりょう)体制が動揺する8世紀後半ごろから荘園(しょうえん)が形成されてきたが、11世紀には規模の大きな荘園が出現した。院御領の荘園としては神崎荘(かんざきのしょう)、河副(かわそえ)荘、巨勢(こせ)荘などがあり、宇佐八幡宮(うさはちまんぐう)領としては高来別府(たかくべふ)、大楊(おおやなぎ)荘（佐賀県小城市牛津町乙柳(おとやなぎ)）、綾部(あやべ)荘（みやき町）、赤自(あかじ)荘（小城市三日月町赤司(あかぜ)）が、また、太宰府(だざいふ)天満宮安楽寺(あんらくじ)領として佐嘉荘（佐賀市大和町）、蠣久(かきひさ)荘（佐賀市鍋島(なべしま)町）、鳥栖荘、神辺(こうのえ)荘（ともに鳥栖市）などがあった。

　荘園の荘官や在庁官人が実力を蓄えて武士団を形成していったが、平安末期には高木、後藤、窪田(くぼた)、龍造寺(りゅうぞうじ)などの各氏が存在していた。

　鎌倉時代には後家人(ごけにん)が70家余りいたという。数のうえでは九州でも比較的多いが、その所領規模は概して小さかった。松浦地方に勢力をもったのが松浦源大夫久(まつらげんたいゆうひさし)を祖とする松浦党である。文永(ぶんえい)・弘安(こうあん)の役（1274、81）で蒙古(もうこ)軍と肥前の後家人が戦い、そのとき松浦党に属する諸氏は多くの被害を受けたという。

　南北朝期には、九州における足利(あしかが)方と南朝方の対立を軸に諸氏の離合集散が繰り返されたが、そのなかにあって肥前では少弐(しょうに)氏が勢力を伸ばした。1371年（建徳2・応安4）に今川了俊(りょうしゅん)が九州探題として入州し、九州の統一を進めたことによって、少弐氏は一時弱体化したが、今川了俊の失脚後はふたたび勢いを盛り返し、筑前に進出してきた大内氏と対抗した。だが、1497年（明応6）に大内氏と戦って少弐政資(まさすけ)が敗死したことから急速に衰えた。かわって勢力を増したのは千葉氏、橘(たちばな)氏である。千葉氏は小城郡晴気(はるけ)荘を拠点に、橘氏は杵島郡長島荘を拠(よ)り所にしていた。しかし16世紀初頭には、それぞれ内紛が起きて衰退した。

　戦国期になると龍造寺氏の台頭が著しい。龍造寺氏は1185年（文治1）に鎌倉幕府から佐賀郡龍造寺村を安堵(あんど)され後家人に任じられているように、古くからの在地領主であり、龍造寺家兼(いえかね)（剛忠(ごうちゅう)）のときに少弐氏の勢力拡大に乗じて伸長し、剛忠の曽孫(そうそん)の隆信(たかのぶ)によって肥前全域を統御するまでになった。隆信は1570年（元亀1）に豊後(ぶんご)の大友宗麟(そうりん)の軍を撃破して勢いをつけ、1578年（天正6）には有馬氏を降(くだ)して肥前を制した。しかし、1584年（天正12）に有馬鎮貴(しずたか)・島津家久(いえひさ)の連合軍との戦いで敗死し、龍造寺氏は衰退する。

　1587年は九州地域で画期をなす年であった。豊臣(とよとみ)秀吉の九州進攻と九州内の大名配置が行われたからである。秀吉が鍋島直茂(なおしげ)を長崎奉行(ぶぎょう)に任命したように、龍造寺氏の家中にあって鍋島氏は実権をしだいに掌握し、朝鮮侵略でそれを確定した。

　朝鮮侵略との関連で肥前の領域が決まり、江戸時代の大名配置の基礎となった。たとえば、肥前東部の基肄郡と養父半郡は1587年には小早川隆景(こばやかわたかかげ)に与えられていたが、99年（慶長4）には対馬領主の宗義智(そうよしとし)に宛行(あておこな)われ、また、松浦郡は波多(はた)氏が領していたが、93年（文禄2）に波多親(ちかし)が秀吉によって改易され、その所領は秀吉側近の寺沢広高に与えられた。

　幕藩期には、肥前に、佐賀藩35万7000石、小城藩7万3252石、鹿島(かしま)藩2万石、蓮池(はすのいけ)藩5万2600石、大村藩2万7977石、唐津(からつ)藩6万石、五島(ごとう)藩1万2600石、島原藩7万石、平戸(ひらど)藩6万1700石、平戸新田藩1万石（以上の石高(こくだか)は明治初年の表高）の10藩と、対馬藩田代(たしろ)領1万1000石余と天領（長崎周辺）が置かれた。佐賀藩では1607年の龍造寺政家(まさいえ)・高房(たかふさ)の死去によって鍋島氏が名実ともに実権を掌握し、のち小城・鹿島・蓮池3藩を支藩として興した。唐津藩は寺沢氏の断絶により一時天領となるが、1649年（慶安2）に大久保忠職(ただもと)が入封して譜代(ふだい)藩領となり、以後、松平、土井、水野、小笠原(おがさわら)の諸大名が転封してきた。島原藩は初め有馬氏領であったが、一時天領となり、ついで松倉氏が入封して譜代藩領となった。しかし、1637年（寛永14）島原の乱を惹起(じゃっき)することとなり、翌年松倉勝家(かついえ)は除封され、以後、高力(こうりき)、松平の各大名が入封した。平戸藩は歴代松浦氏の支配であり、平戸新田藩はその支藩である。大村藩、五島藩は、それぞれ大村、五島氏の支配にかかる外様(とざま)の小藩である。また、田代領には対馬藩の代官所が置かれ、長崎は幕府の長崎奉行所が管轄した。

　明治維新を迎えると肥前は廃藩置県によって大きく変わった。1871年（明治4）7月には佐賀、小城、鹿島、蓮池、唐津の各県が成立し、9月厳原(いづはら)県（旧対馬藩）と合併して伊万里(いまり)県となり、翌年佐賀県と改称、76年には一時三潴(みづま)県に併合され、さらに長崎県に併合された。また、71年に大村、島原、平戸、福江（旧五島藩）の各県も成立し、同年長崎県に統合された。83年5月長崎県のうちに肥前10郡を分けて佐賀県を再置し、現在の2県となる。肥前の物産には、有田焼(ありたやき)（伊万里焼）、唐津焼、長崎木綿、べっこう細工、長崎カステラなどがある。

［長野　暹］

『『佐賀県史』全3巻（1967～68・佐賀県）』▽『『長崎県史』全8巻（1963～80・吉川弘文館）』

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