Yodo Domain (淀藩)
The Yodo Domain was located in the Yamashiro Province (present-day Yodohon cho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture).
The history of the domain
In 1623, the Yodo Domain was established when Sadatsuna MATSUDAIRA from the Kakegawa Domain in Enshu Province took over the domain with assigned revenues of 35,000 koku. The Yodo Domain was established to protect Kyoto as a replacement for the Fushimi Domain, which had been abolished the year before. Sadatsuna worked on the construction of Yodo Castle. This castle was, it is to be noted, in a different place to the Yodo Castle known as the residence of Lady Yodo (Hideyori TOYOTOMI's real mother).
Sadatsuna was transferred to the Ogaki Domain in Mino Province in March 1633, and was replaced by Naomasa NAGAI who took over the domain from the Koga Domain in Shimousa Province with assigned revenues of 100,000 koku. Naomasa strengthened the foundations of the domain's administration by improving the organization of its vassalage, developing the castle town, and carrying out protection work of the Kizu-gawa River for flood prevention. Naomasa retired on February 28, 1658, and handed over the family estate to his son, Naoyuki NAGAI. As Naoyuki distributed territory among his brothers, he succeeded to territory with a yield of 73,600 koku. For instance, Naonobu, the sixth son, was allotted territory with a yield of 3,000 koku, and built the manor house of Funabashi. Then, Naoyuki was transferred to the Miyazu Domain in Tango Province on February 25, 1669, and Noriyuki ISHIKAWA took over the domain with assigned revenues of 60,000 koku. Noriyuki retired on February 25, 1706, and his successor, Yoshitaka ISHIKAWA, died on September 2, 1710. The next lord, Fusayoshi ISHIKAWA, was transferred to the Matsuyama Domain in Bicchu Province on February 15, 1711, and Mitsuhiro MATSUDAIRA from the Kano Domain in Mino Province took over the domain with assigned revenues of 60,000 koku. After Mitsuhiro died on September 4, 1717, his successor, Mitsuchika TODA, was transferred to the Toba Domain in Shima Province on November 1, 1717, and Norisato MATSUDAIRA from the Kameyama Domain in Ise Province took over the domain with assigned revenues of 60,000 koku instead. However, on May 1, 1723, he was transferred to the Sakura Domain in Shimousa Province, and was replaced with Masatomo INABA who took over with 102,000 koku and began a long-term presence for the INABA family.
The Yodo Domain entered the Meiji period under the rule of the Inaba clan. In 1884, the Inaba clan given the rank of Viscount under the Peerage Law.
The administration of the domain
The Nagai clan established the administrative foundations of the Yodo Domain. Naomasa expanded the castle town, improved the water transport, and brought in a land tax exemption. Noriyuki ISHIKAWA, who achieved good results with a land survey policy and in the making of Genroku Kuni Ezu (a national land map), also participated in the shogunate administration. Norisato MATSUDAIRA was a daimyo (Japanese territorial lord) who earned exceptionally rapid promotion from acting keeper of the Osaka Castle to become Senior Councillor of the Tokugawa shogunate due to the patronage of Yoshimune TOKUGAWA.
The Inaba clan had large territories with a yield of 102,000 koku, but they were spread not only throughout Yamashiro Province but also the Settsu Province, the Kawachi, the Omi, the Shimousa, and the Echigo, with the one Yamashiro Province said to be worth less than 20,000 koku. Due to this spread of territory, the financial basis of its administration was fragile, it was hard to secure sufficient labor, and the domain was in financial difficulty. Masanobu INABA, the seventh lord of the domain, moved the territory of Echigo Province to Izumi Provnice and the Omi in 1784, and as the result, the territories of 102,000 koku were spread over eight Provinces, which brought about a contrary effect on its financial situation.
Many successive lords of the Inaba clan were short-lived, and four of them died in quick succession during the Kyoho era.
The most prominent figure among the lords of the Inaba clan was Masakuni INABA, the twelfth (and last) lord. Becoming Roju (Senior Councillor of the Tokugawa shogunate) twice amid the upheavals of the end of the Edo period, Masakuni served in an effective manner with Katsukiyo ITAKURA and Nagamichi OGASAWARA. However, when Nagamichi and Katsukiyo fought in the Battle of Hakodate, faithful to the Tokugawa shogunate to the end, the Yodo Domain under the rule of Masakuni refused point blank to open the gate of Yodo castle when the shogunate troops who had been betrayed by Takayuki TODO and routed in the Boshin War of 1868 asked for shelter (Masakuni was in Edo Castle at the time). This made it certain that the shogunate troops would be completely defeated at the battles in Kyoto during the Boshin War. Later, Masakuni and Takayuki were despised as 'treacherous dogs' by both the Tokugawa shogunate and the new government.
Masakuni was put under house arrest by the new government in March, 1868, but was forgiven and assigned to guard Kyoto in April. The following year, he became the governor of the domain after Hansekihokan (the return of the domain registers to the Meiji Emperor), and then, in 1871, lost his position in the Haihan Chiken (the abolition of feudal domains and establishment of prefectures). The Yodo Domain was abolished, and its territories were incorporated into the corresponding prefectures.
The Matsudaira (Hisamatsu) family
The Shinpan (a type of family status for daimyo)
35,000 koku
Sadatsuna MATSUDAIRA
The Nagai family
The fudai daimyo (hereditary daimyo)
100,000 koku => 73,600 koku
Naomasa NAGAI
Naoyuki NAGAI
The Ishikawa family
The fudai daimyo
60,000 koku
Noriyuki ISHIKAWA
Yoshitaka ISHIKAWA
Fusayoshi ISHIKAWA
The Matsudaira (Toda) family
The fudai daimyo
60,000 koku
Mitsuhiro MATSUDAIRA
Mitsuchika MATSUDAIRA
The Matsudaira (Ogyu) family
The fudai daimyo
60,000 koku
Norisato MATSUDAIRA
The Inaba family
The fudai daimyo
102,000 koku
Masatomo INABA
Masato INABA
Masatsune INABA < unknown > "appointed as the lord of the domain on January 14, 1730 - died on March 24, 1730"
Masachika INABA
Masayoshi INABA
Masahiro INABA
Masanobu INABA
Masanari INABA
Masaharu INABA
Masamori INABA
Masayoshi INABA
Masakuni INABA