Hirosaki Domain

A Tozama clan that ruled over the Tsugaru region of Mutsu Province (Aomori Prefecture). It is also called the Tsugaru clan. In the early modern period, Tsugaru was under the control of the Nanbu clan, and was ruled by the Tsugaru district governor dispatched by the Nanbu clan. The origins of the Hirosaki clan can be said to date back to when the district governor's assistant, Oura Tamenobu, took advantage of the internal conflict within the Nanbu clan to expand his power, took control of the entire Tsugaru region, changed his surname to Tsugaru, and was granted 45,000 koku of land by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1590 (Tensho 18). In 1600 (Keicho 5), Tokugawa Ieyasu granted Tamenobu an additional 2,000 koku in Seta County, Kozuke Province, making him a feudal lord with 47,000 koku of land. Since then, the lords of Hirosaki domain continued to hold the title for 12 generations, including Naritsugu, Nobuhira (Nobuhira), Nobuyoshi, Nobumasa, Nobuhisa, Nobuaki, Nobuyasu, Nobuakira (Nobuharu), Yasuchika, Nobuyuki, Yukitsugu, and Tsuguakira.

In 1689 (Genroku 2), the domain's nominal stipend (official stipend) was reduced to 46,000 koku after 1,000 koku was confiscated (prior to this, 5,000 koku had been distributed to Nobufusa, the first head of the Kuroishi Tsugaru family, but the nominal stipend remained unchanged), and in 1805 (Bunka 2), it was raised to 70,000 koku for its service in guarding Ezo, and to 100,000 koku in 1808. The following year, 6,000 koku was distributed to the Kuroishi Tsugaru family, but since it was given as stored rice, there was no change in the nominal stipend, and in 1869 (Meiji 2), Shosho was given a prize stipend of 10,000 koku for his military achievements in the Boshin War, but this 10,000 koku was added to the domain lord's stipend established in the same year with the return of the domain's land and people to the Emperor, so the nominal stipend remained unchanged. The actual land area was considerably larger than the listed area, and according to the general land survey of 1687 (Jokyo 4), it was over 261,831 koku.

To briefly summarize the main events of this domain, the second lord Nobuhira moved the castle from Horikoshi to Takaoka (later renamed Hirosaki) in 1611 (Keicho 16) and built a castle town, the fourth lord Nobumasa worked hard to establish the domain system and was called a heroic lord who restored the domain, the eighth lord Nobuaki and the ninth lord Yasuchika worked hard to restore the domain after the Tenmei famine, the twelfth lord Shosho decided to be loyal to the Emperor during the turmoil of the Meiji Restoration, and as proof of this, he made great sacrifices in the Hakodate War. In 1871 (Meiji 4), the domain was abolished and incorporated into Aomori Prefecture, via Hirosaki Prefecture.

[Mutsumi Kudo]

"History of Hirosaki City, Vol. 1 (Clan Government Edition)" (1963/Reprint Edition, 1973, Hirosaki City)" ▽ "Muneo Kudo, "Hirosaki Domain" (included in "New Narrative Domain History, Vol. 1", 1975, Shinjinbutsu Oraisha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

陸奥(むつ)国（青森県）津軽地方を領有した外様(とざま)藩。津軽藩ともいう。近世初頭の津軽は、南部(なんぶ)氏の支配下にあり、同氏の派遣した津軽郡代により支配されていた。弘前藩のおこりは、その郡代補佐の大浦為信(ためのぶ)が、南部氏の内紛に乗じて勢力を拡大し、津軽一円を手中に入れ、姓を津軽と改め、1590年（天正18）豊臣(とよとみ)秀吉より津軽4万5000石を安堵(あんど)されたときといえよう。為信は1600年（慶長5）には、徳川家康より上野(こうずけ)国勢多(せた)郡内に2000石を加増され、4万7000石を領有する大名となった。以来、弘前藩主として、為信、信枚(のぶひら)（信牧(のぶひら)）、信義(のぶよし)、信政(のぶまさ)、信寿(のぶひさ)、信著(のぶあき)、信寧(のぶやす)、信明(のぶあきら)（のぶはる）、寧親(やすちか)、信順(のぶゆき)、順承(ゆきつぐ)、承昭(つぐあきら)と12代にわたり在封した。

　藩の表高（公称高）は1689年（元禄2）分知1000石を収公され、4万6000石（これ以前、黒石津軽家初代信英(のぶふさ)に5000石を分知したが、表高はかわらず）となり、1805年（文化2）蝦夷地(えぞち)警衛の功により7万石、1808年に10万石に高直しされた。翌年黒石津軽家に6000石を分知したが、蔵米(くらまい)で与えたので表高に変更がなく、1869年（明治2）承昭は、戊辰(ぼしん)戦争の軍功により賞典禄(ろく)1万石を与えられたが、この1万石は、同年の版籍奉還により制定された藩主の家禄に加えられたので、表高は変わらなかった。内高（実高）は表高よりかなり多く、1687年（貞享4）の総検地によると26万1831石余であった。

　当藩のおもなできごとを簡略に述べると、2代信枚は1611年（慶長16）居城を堀越より高岡（のち弘前と改称）に移し、城下町の建設をしたこと、4代信政はよく藩制の確立に努め、中興の英主と称されたこと、8代信明、9代寧親はよく天明(てんめい)の大飢饉(ききん)後の領内復興を果たしたこと、12代承昭は維新の動乱に勤王に決断し、そのあかしとして箱館(はこだて)戦争に大きな犠牲を払ったことなどがあげられる。1871年（明治4）廃藩、弘前県を経て青森県に編入。

［工藤睦男］

『『弘前市史　上（藩政編）』（1963／復刻版・1973・弘前市）』▽『工藤睦男「弘前藩」（『新編物語藩史　第1巻』所収・1975・新人物往来社）』

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