# Sasayama Domain

Sasayama Domain (篠山藩, Sasayama-han) was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, located in Tanba Province in what is now the west-central portion of modern-day Hyōgo Prefecture. It was centered initially around Sasayama Castle in what is now the city of Tamba-Sasayama.

## History

The Sasayama area is a strategic junction of highways from Kyoto to both the San'in region, and the San'yo regions of western Japan. Recognizing the importance of this location, after the Battle of Sekigahara, Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered the construction of Sasayama Castle to isolate Toyotomi Hideyori at Osaka Castle from the powerful feudal lords of western Japan, many of whom still had pro-Toyotomi loyalties. In 1608, he appointed Matsudaira Yasushige, who was possibly his illegitimate son, to oversee construction, and as daimyō of the new 50,000 koku Sasayama Domain. The design of the castle was done by Tōdō Takatora, construction overseen by Ikeda Terumasa and the materials and labor provided by the Fukushima, Kato clan, Hachisuka clan and Asano clan. Matsudaira Yasushige was transferred to Kishiwada Domain in 1619. He was replaced by Matsudaira Yoshimichi from another cadet branch of the Matsudaira clan, the Fujii-Matsudaira. He was the son of Tokugawa Ieyasu's half-sister. His son Matsudaira Tadakuni was overseer of the attainder of Murakami Domain and Fukuchiyama Domains, and also conducted land surveys, expanded the castle town and built numerous shrines and temples before he was transferred to Akashi Domain in 1649.
Matsudaira Yasunobu, from the Katahara-Matsudaira became daimyō, and his cadet branch of the Matsudaira clan ruled until their transfer to Tanba-Kameyama Domain in 1748. The 4th daimyō, Matsudaira Nobutsuna served as Kyoto Shoshidai and rōjū and invited cultural figures to the domain. However, his son, Matsudaira Nobumine, was a poor ruler and was injured during peasant uprisings in the Kyōhō famine. The shogunate ordered him to trade places with Aoyama Tadatomo of Tanba-Kameyama Domain in 1748.
The Aoyama would rule the domain until the Meiji restoration. Aoyama Tadatomo served as Jisha-bugyō and Osaka-jō dai in the shogunal administration. His successor, Aoyama Tadataka invited Confucian scholars to the domain, and built a han school, the "Shintokudo", which was later expanded by the 4th daimyō, Aoyama Tadahiro. He also served as Jisha-bugyō, Kyoto Shoshidai and Osaka-jō dai in the shogunal administration. His son, Aoyama Tadanaga was a Jisha-bugyō and rōjū. On the other hand, due to poor harvests, peasant rebellions frequently occurred. The domain had little economic production other than rice cultivation, and as a result, the clan's finances and territories were often in dire straits. The domain made laws to prevent peasants from fleeing their lands; however, Aoyama Tadahiro was forced to relax these regulations to allow peasants to work in Settsu Province in the winter months as migrant workers in the sake industry. He also invited potters from Kyoto to the domain in an attempt to start a ceramics industry. Nevertheless, due to new taxes frequently imposed for financial reconstruction, over 20 peasant uprisings occurred. By the end of the domain, its debt was estimated at 281,329 ryō.
During the Bakumatsu period, as with almost all domains, the samurai of Sasayama were divided between pro-Tokugawa and pro-sonnō-jōi factions, although the domain itself was regarded as one of the most loyal of the fudai houses the final daimyō, Aoyama Takayuki, served as guard of Nijō Castle in Kyoto and led shogunate forces in the Kinmon Incident. However, after the start of the Boshin War, when Saionji Kinmochi led an imperial army to Sasayama, the domain surrendered without a fight. Aoyama Tadayuki became imperial governor in 1869. In 1871, with the abolition of the han system, Sasayama briefly became "Sasayama Prefecture", which was merged with "Toyooka Prefecture" a few months later, before becoming part of Hyogo Prefecture on August 21, 1876.

## Holdings at the end of the Edo period

As with most domains in the han system, Sasayama Domain consisted of several discontinuous territories calculated to provide the assigned kokudaka, based on periodic cadastral surveys and projected agricultural yields.
* Tanba Province
** 104 villages in Taki District (entire district)
** 56 villages in Kuwada District
** 12 villages in Funai District
** 4 villages in Ikaruga District
** 2 villages in Amata District
* Tajima Province
** 16 villages in Asago District
* Settsu Province
** 3 villages in Muko District
* Tōtōmi Province
** 10 villages in Haibara District
** 14 villages in Kitō District

## List of daimyō

    #NameTenureCourtesy titleCourt Rankkokudaka Matsui-Matsudaira clan, 1608-1619 (fudai) 1Matsudaira Yasushige (松平康重)1608 – 1619Suo-no-kami (周防守)Junior 4th Rank, Lower Grade (従四位下)50,000 koku Fujii-Matsudaira clan, 1619-1649 (fudai) 1Matsudaira Nobuyoshi (松平信吉)1619 – 1620Izu-no-kami (伊豆守)Junior 5th Rank, Lower Grade (従五位下)50,000 koku 2Matsudaira Tadakuni (松平忠国)1620 – 1649Yamashiro-no-kami (山城守)Junior 5th Rank, Lower Grade (従五位下)50,000 koku Katahara-Matsudaira clan, 1649-1748 (fudai)) 1Matsudaira Yasunobu (松平康信)1649 – 1669Wakasa-no-kami (若狭守)Junior 4th Rank, Lower Grade (従四位下)50,000 koku 2Matsudaira Sukenobu (松平典信)1669 – 1672Suruga-no-kami (駿河守)Junior 5th Rank, Lower Grade (従五位下)50,000 koku 3Matsudaira Nobutoshi (松平信利)1672 – 1676Shuzen-no-kami (主膳正)Junior 5th Rank, Lower Grade (従五位下)50,000 koku 4Matsudaira Nobutsune (松平信庸)1677 – 1717Kii-no-kami (紀伊守); Jijū (侍従)Junior 4th Rank, Lower Grade (従四位下)50,000 koku 5Matsudaira Nobumine (松平信岑)1717 – 1748Kii-no-kami (紀伊守)Junior 4th Rank, Lower Grade (従四位下)50,000 koku Aoyama clan, 1748-1871 (fudai)) 1Aoyama Tadatomo (青山忠朝)1748 – 1760Inaba-no-kami (因幡守 )Junior 4th Rank, Lower Grade (従四位下)50,000 koku 2Aoyama Tadataka (青山忠高)1760 – 1781Shimotsuke-no-kami (下野守 )Junior 5th Rank, Lower Grade (従五位下)50,000 koku 3Aoyama Tadatsugu (青山忠講)1781 – 1785Hoki-no-kami (伯耆守 )Junior 5th Rank, Lower Grade (従五位下)50,000 koku 4Aoyama Tadayasu (青山忠裕)1785 – 1835Shimotsuke-no-kami (下野守)Junior 4th Rank, Lower Grade (従四位下)50,000 -> 60,000 koku 5Aoyama Tadanaga (青山忠良)1835 – 1862Shimotsuke-no-kami (下野守)Junior 4th Rank, Lower Grade (従四位下)60,000 koku 6Aoyama Tadayuki (青山忠敏)1862 – 1871Inaba-no-kami (因幡守), Sakyo-no-daibu (左京大夫)Junior 4th Rank, Lower Grade (従四位下)60,000 koku