other · Korea and Japan
Matsumae Domain
Origins
The Kakizaki family had established themselves on the southern tip of Hokkaido in the 15th century. Kakizaki Yoshihiro, who took the name Matsumae, received a charter from Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1604 granting his family the exclusive right to trade with the Ainu.
Rule and society
Matsumae grew no rice and lived on trade. Retainers received trading posts instead of land, later contracted out to merchants who exploited Ainu labour in fisheries. Ainu resentment fuelled the revolt of Shakushain in 1669 and the Kunashir-Menashi uprising of 1789. Fearing Russian expansion, the shogunate took direct control of Ezo from 1799 to 1821 and again from 1855.
Decline and legacy
In 1868 forces of the Republic of Ezo captured Fukuyama castle, completed in 1854 as the last traditional castle in Japan. Restored in 1869 and renamed Tate, the domain was abolished in 1871 and absorbed into Hokkaido.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Matsumae Domain was part of Tokugawa Shogunate1604 CE – 1867 CE
- Ainu chiefdoms paid tribute to Matsumae Domain1669 CE – 1869 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Matsumae Domain. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/matsumae-domain
- MLA
- “Matsumae Domain.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/matsumae-domain. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Matsumae Domain.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/matsumae-domain.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Matsumae Domain’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/matsumae-domain (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻