Changes

*''Castle: [[Matsumae castle]]''

*''Castle: [[Matsumae castle]]''

*''Lords: [[Matsumae clan]]''

*''Lords: [[Matsumae clan]]''

*''[[Kokudaka]]: N/A''

*''[[Kokudaka]]: N/A''<ref>In [[1855]], the shogunate granted Matsumae a rank of 30,000 ''koku''. Ishin Shiryô Kôyô 維新史料綱要, vol 2 (1937), 148.</ref>

*''Japanese'': 松前藩 ''(Matsumae han)''

*''Japanese'': 松前藩 ''(Matsumae han)''

Matsumae han was the northernmost domain in [[Edo Period|Tokugawa Japan]], and the only one located on the island of [[Ezo]] (today called [[Hokkaido|Hokkaidô]]). Matsumae was unique within the ''[[bakuhan taisei]]'' (shogunate-domains system), in that the clan did not technically hold land in fief from the [[Tokugawa shogunate|shogunate]],<ref>Howell, David. "Ainu Ethnicity and the Boundaries of the Early Modern Japanese State." ''Past & Present'', No. 142 (Feb., 1994), pp69-93.</ref> did not possess a designated ''[[kokudaka]]'', nor was its territory restricted to well-defined geographical borders.<ref name=pagefour>Morris-Suzuki. p4.</ref> The Matsumae clan also performed ''[[sankin kotai|sankin kôtai]]'' only once every five or six years, rather than the typical once every other year pattern.<ref>Ina Toshisada 伊奈利定, "Tôkaidô Futagawa juku honjin ni okeru daimyô-ke no riyô" 東海道二川宿本陣における大名家の利用, ''Honjin ni tomatta daimyô tachi'' 本陣に泊まった大名たち, Toyohashi, Aichi: Futagawa-juku honjin shiryôkan (1996), 55.</ref>

Matsumae han was the northernmost domain in [[Edo Period|Tokugawa Japan]], and the only one located on the island of [[Ezo]] (today called [[Hokkaido|Hokkaidô]]). Matsumae was unique within the ''[[bakuhan taisei]]'' (shogunate-domains system), in that the clan did not technically hold land in fief from the [[Tokugawa shogunate|shogunate]],<ref>Howell, David. "Ainu Ethnicity and the Boundaries of the Early Modern Japanese State." ''Past & Present'', No. 142 (Feb., 1994), pp69-93. Though this is oft-cited, following the opening of the port of [[Hakodate]] to foreign ships in [[1854]]-[[1855]], the shogunate explicitly ordered certain territory (esp. in and around Hakodate) "returned" to the shogunate, and granted Matsumae ''[[tobichi]]'' territory in [[Mutsu province|Mutsu]] or [[Dewa province]]s instead. Ishin Shiryô Kôyô 維新史料綱要, vol 2 (1937), 19, 148.</ref> did not possess a designated ''[[kokudaka]]'', nor was its territory restricted to well-defined geographical borders.<ref name=pagefour>Morris-Suzuki. p4.</ref> The Matsumae clan also performed ''[[sankin kotai|sankin kôtai]]'' only once every five or six years, rather than the typical once every other year pattern.<ref>Ina Toshisada 伊奈利定, "Tôkaidô Futagawa juku honjin ni okeru daimyô-ke no riyô" 東海道二川宿本陣における大名家の利用, ''Honjin ni tomatta daimyô tachi'' 本陣に泊まった大名たち, Toyohashi, Aichi: Futagawa-juku honjin shiryôkan (1996), 55.</ref>

Matsumae was the domain charged with the defense of the north, and with interactions & trade with the indigenous [[Ainu]]. It was thus one of three domains which dominated foreign relations in the Edo period, the other two being [[Satsuma han]], which held the [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Kingdom of Ryûkyû]] as its vassal, and [[Tsushima han]], which managed relations with [[Korea]]. Along with the shogunate-controlled port of [[Nagasaki]], these three domains are today sometimes referred to as the Four Gates.

Matsumae was the domain charged with the defense of the north, and with interactions & trade with the indigenous [[Ainu]]. It was thus one of three domains which dominated foreign relations in the Edo period, the other two being [[Satsuma han]], which held the [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Kingdom of Ryûkyû]] as its vassal, and [[Tsushima han]], which managed relations with [[Korea]]. Along with the shogunate-controlled port of [[Nagasaki]], these three domains are today sometimes referred to as the Four Gates.