Changes

*''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. 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 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> Rather than granting its vassals sub-fiefs of land, Matsumae apportioned to its vassals trading rights in locations across Ezo.<ref>Gallery labels, Hokkaido Museum.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/52226737828/sizes/l/]</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.

Over the course of the Edo period, there were times when Matsumae extended its authority into ''Ezochi'', and times when it shrank back; likewise, there were times when Ainu assimilation was encouraged, and times when Ainu were even de-assimilated and expelled from Japanese (Matsumae) society. For long periods, Ainu and Japanese identity were relatively fluid; Ainu could adopt Japanese customs and become essentially Japanese, and Japanese could join Ainu communities as well, while at the same time people of each identity could live in the other community and travel between them, albeit not entirely freely. However, there were ebbs and flows in this, too. At the peak of one such "ebb," in [[1788]], there are estimated to have been as few as three Ainu living within ''Matsumae-chi''.<ref name=pagefour/>

Over the course of the Edo period, there were times when Matsumae extended its authority into ''Ezochi'', and times when it shrank back; likewise, there were times when Ainu assimilation was encouraged, and times when Ainu were even de-assimilated and expelled from Japanese (Matsumae) society. For long periods, Ainu and Japanese identity were relatively fluid; Ainu could adopt Japanese customs and become essentially Japanese, and Japanese could join Ainu communities as well, while at the same time people of each identity could live in the other community and travel between them, albeit not entirely freely. However, there were ebbs and flows in this, too. At the peak of one such "ebb," in [[1788]], there are estimated to have been as few as three Ainu living within ''Matsumae-chi''.<ref name=pagefour/>

Initially, trading rights within ''Ezo-chi'' were divvied up between major vassals of the Matsumae clan, with each vassal family receiving rights to a given portion of land. Beginning in [[1717]], however, these rights began to be sold to wealthy merchants, who began to move farther and farther north. The first trading post in the Kurils was established at Kunashir in 1754, and the first on Sakhalin in 1790. The expansion of these merchant operations was mainly along the coasts, and up into the northern islands, and not into the interior of Ezo, which remained largely unexplored (by Japanese).

Initially, trading rights within ''Ezo-chi'' were divvied up between major vassals of the Matsumae clan, with each vassal family receiving trading rights in a particular location rather than a portion of land as vassals of other domains did. Beginning in [[1717]], however, these rights began to be sold to wealthy merchants, who began to move farther and farther north. The first trading post in the Kurils was established at Kunashir in 1754, and the first on Sakhalin in 1790. The expansion of these merchant operations was mainly along the coasts, and up into the northern islands, and not into the interior of Ezo, which remained largely unexplored (by Japanese).

Japanese traded with the Ainu mainly for fish, furs, hawks for hunting with, and the like, in exchange for Japanese goods including lacquerware, rice, saké, and swords and other metal tools. Some of the goods obtained from the Ainu, including dried abalone and sea cucumber, came to be regularly shipped down to [[Nagasaki]] as "''[[tawaramono|Nagasaki tawaramono]]''", where they would be traded for Chinese goods. The Ainu traded not only with the Japanese, but also with the Russians and various indigenous groups of northeast Asia (e.g. the [[Uilta]] and [[Nivkh]] tribes), trading goods obtained from these mainland groups to the Japanese as well, though the volume of this trade is unknown.

Japanese traded with the Ainu mainly for fish, furs, hawks for hunting with, and the like, in exchange for Japanese goods including lacquerware, rice, saké, and swords and other metal tools. Some of the goods obtained from the Ainu, including dried abalone and sea cucumber, came to be regularly shipped down to [[Nagasaki]] as "''[[tawaramono|Nagasaki tawaramono]]''", where they would be traded for Chinese goods. The Ainu traded not only with the Japanese, but also with the Russians and various indigenous groups of northeast Asia (e.g. the [[Uilta]] and [[Nivkh]] tribes), trading goods obtained from these mainland groups to the Japanese as well, though the volume of this trade is unknown.