Changes

===Edo Period===

===Edo Period===

During the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate charged Matsumae domain with overseeing matters pertaining to Ezochi, including trade, relations with the Ainu, and defending Japanese territory (''Wajinchi'') against either Ainu violence or foreign invasion. The [[Matsumae clan]] was officially granted no territory in fief,<ref>Howell, David. "Ainu Ethnicity and the Boundaries of the Early Modern Japanese State." ''Past & Present'', No. 142 (Feb., 1994), p78.</ref> but even so governed an area known as ''Matsumaechi'' ("Matsumae land"). Because of their jurisdiction and authority regarding the large area of Ezo, the Matsumae lords were sometimes referred to as ''Ezo Dai-Ô'' (蝦夷大王, Great Kings of Ezo) or by similar terms.<ref>Morris-Suzuki, Tessa. "Creating the Frontier: Border, Identity, and History in Japan's Far North." ''East Asian History'' 7 (June 1994). p5.</ref> Guardposts stood at Kameda in the east and Kumaishi in the west, marking and defending the border between Matsumae lands and Ezochi.<ref>Morris-Suzuki. p5.</ref>

During the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate charged Matsumae domain with overseeing matters pertaining to Ezochi, including trade, relations with the Ainu, and defending Japanese territory (''Wajinchi'') against either Ainu violence or foreign invasion. The [[Matsumae clan]] was officially granted no territory in fief,<ref>Howell, David. "Ainu Ethnicity and the Boundaries of the Early Modern Japanese State." ''Past & Present'', No. 142 (Feb., 1994), p78.</ref> but even so governed an area known as ''Matsumaechi'' ("Matsumae land"). Because of their jurisdiction and authority regarding the large area of Ezo, the Matsumae lords were sometimes referred to as ''Ezo Dai-Ô'' (蝦夷大王, Great Kings of Ezo) or by similar terms.<ref>Morris-Suzuki, Tessa. "Creating the Frontier: Border, Identity, and History in Japan's Far North." ''East Asian History'' 7 (June 1994). p5.</ref> Guardposts stood at [[Kameda bansho|Kameda]] in the east and [[Kumaishi sekisho|Kumaishi]] in the west, marking and defending the border between Matsumae lands and Ezochi.<ref>Morris-Suzuki. p5.</ref>

 

Where Ainu had previously been able to move freely within and across the region, in the early 17th century Japanese authorities divided up the region, using guardposts (''bansho'') and checkpoints (''sekisho'') to strictly control movement of people and goods between four areas oversee by Matsumae, [[Hirosaki han|Hirosaki]], and [[Morioka han|Morioka domains]].<ref>Gallery labels, Hokkaido Museum.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/52226737523/in/photostream/]</ref>

Like Ryûkyû, China, and other parts of the outside world beyond Japan, Ezo was the subject of numerous popular publications in the Edo period, which emerged out of and contributed to popular conceptions about the region and its peoples. Scholars such as [[Arai Hakuseki]] also wrote more formal studies which remained unpublished, bringing together information from a variety of Chinese, Matsumae, shogunate, and other sources.

Like Ryûkyû, China, and other parts of the outside world beyond Japan, Ezo was the subject of numerous popular publications in the Edo period, which emerged out of and contributed to popular conceptions about the region and its peoples. Scholars such as [[Arai Hakuseki]] also wrote more formal studies which remained unpublished, bringing together information from a variety of Chinese, Matsumae, shogunate, and other sources.