[Aomori Prefecture during the Boshin War] What were the decisions of the Hirosaki, Kuroishi, Hachinohe, and Shichinohe domains?

Daiwa Consilio
2022.07.05
Last updated: 2023.09.20

table of contents

1 Hirosaki clan protects its territory by avoiding active participation in the war
2 Kuroishi clan, united with the Hirosaki clan
- 2.1 INFORMATION
3 Hachinohe clan, a member of the Nanbu family but estranged from the head family
- 3.1 INFORMATION
4 Morioka domain's Nitta branch branch, Shichinohe domain (Morioka Shinden domain)
- 4.1 INFORMATION
5 summary
6 “Boshin War and Ou-etsu Domain Alliance” Articles from other prefectures

During the Boshin War, Aomori Prefecture was peaceful with no major battles taking place.

The Shichinohe Domain (Morioka Shinden Domain), a branch domain of the Morioka Domain in the eastern part of the prefecture, works together with the Morioka Domain, but the Hachinohe Domain takes a neutral position.

In addition, in Tsugaru to the west, the Hirosaki clan and its sub-han, the Kuroishi clan, acted together, and although they acted more like the government army, they also remained mostly neutral.

Hirosaki clan protects its territory by avoiding active participation in the war

It is said that the 12th lord of the domain, Tsugaru Tsuguakira, from the first lord Tsugaru Tamenobu, worked to increase the domain's Western-style armament, but he also demonstrated his talent for waka poetry. It is said that he did.

As was the case with most of the Tohoku clans, opinions within the Tsugaru domain were divided as to whether to join the government army or the Ou-etsu clan alliance, and were divided between those who supported the king and those who wanted to join the alliance.

In January 1861, in accordance with the orders of the new government to subjugate Shonai, they sent troops along with the Kubota clan as part of the government army, but they were defeated by the Shonai clan.

Afterwards, the Hirosaki clan strengthened its defense by sealing off the Yatate Pass on the border with the Kubota clan, and Tamekazu Sawa, vice-governor of the Governor-General's Office, and others came to persuade Hirosaki to join the government army. Drive them back and stay neutral.

Separation from the Ouetsu clan alliance

In July, the Kubota clan killed the messenger from the Sendai clan, and along with the Shinjo, Honjo, Yajima, and Kameda clans (later forced to join the alliance), they submitted to the new government and became the government army.

Then, the Hirosaki domain was provided with the latest detailed information on various factions in Kyoto from Nishidate Heima, the Kyoto Rusuriyaku, and the domain's opinion became strongly pro-Imperial and sided with the new government.

In August, the Hirosaki clan sent reinforcements to the Kubota clan to fight against the Shonai clan, and although the territory did not become a battlefield, there were casualties among the peasants and townspeople who had been mobilized as retainers and soldiers.

Noheji War, considered a “private war”

The Morioka clan surrendered to the new government on September 20th of the lunar calendar in 1868, and the new government accepted the surrender, but the next day, the combined forces of the Hirosaki and Kuroishi clans invaded the Noheji area of the Morioka clan.

In the early hours of September 23rd in the lunar calendar, 180 Hirosaki and Kuroishi clan soldiers invaded Makado Village, Nobeji, Morioka clan, and set it on fire.The Morioka clan soldiers, surprised by the surprise attack, retreated, and the Hirosaki and Kuroishi clan soldiers moved to Noheji, Morioka clan. We approached the Military Bureau, which is a military base.

Eventually reinforcements from the Morioka clan rushed in, and the soldiers of the Hirosaki and Kuroishi clans, who had been attacking eastward, lost visibility and became confused at sunrise, and retreated, losing 29 soldiers including their captain.

About postwar events

On October 2nd of the lunar calendar, the Morioka clan was summoned by the new government military staff bureau in Tsugaru, and the chief retainer, Tsuto Nitobe, and others appeared, but the Morioka clan was about to take responsibility. I asked for forgiveness.

Afterwards, this war was treated as a ``private battle'' unrelated to the Boshin War, and no punishment was taken.

In addition, the Hirosaki clan offered compensation to Mamon Village, which was set on fire, but Rokujiro Kawamura, the headman of the village, said, ``If we accept this compensation, we will have to pay compensation for when the Morioka clan invaded the Kubota clan.'' It is reported that he politely declined the offer, saying, ``I won't be able to do it.''

INFORMATION

Name: Hirosaki Castle
Address: 1 Shimoshiroganecho, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture 036-8356
URL: Hirosaki Park HP

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Kuroishi clan, united with the Hirosaki clan

Tsugaru Traditional Crafts Museum in Kuroishi City

Although it was a branch domain of the Hirosaki domain, it had a status of 10,000 koku, and from 1809 the Kuroishi Tsugaru family was treated as Tozama Daimyo.

During the Boshin War, the fourth lord of the domain, Tsugumichi, acted together with the original Hirosaki domain.

INFORMATION

Name: “Kuroishi Castle” Monument
Address: Kuroishi City, Aomori Prefecture, 036-0306
URL:ー

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Hachinohe clan, a member of the Nanbu family but estranged from the head family

In the southern Morioka domain, the second lord of the Morioka domain, Shigenao, who died of illness in 1664, had no legitimate children, and by order of the shogunate, one of Shigenobu's two younger brothers received 80,000 koku of land from the Morioka domain. , Naofusa was divided into 20,000 koku of Hachinohe domain.

Because the ruling was made by the shogunate, the Hachinohe domain is treated as an independent daimyo rather than a branch domain.

Nobuyuki, the 9th feudal lord at the time of the Boshin battle, was an adopted son of the Shimazu family, and was seen as an enemy by both sides, but Nobuyuki dispatched a chief retainer to join the alliance between clans, and he also worked with the Kubota clan. By contacting them, they were able to overcome the difficult situation and keep the Hachinohe clan alive.

INFORMATION

Name: Hachinohe Castle ruins
Address: Central Children's Hall, 1-1-1 Ichimaru, Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, 031-0075
URL: Hachinohe City HP

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Morioka domain's Nitta branch branch, Shichinohe domain (Morioka Shinden domain)

It was a branch domain founded by Bunchi Nitta as a result of the development of the Morioka domain, and was originally called the Morioka Nitta domain. The ruins of Shichinohe Castle remain near Shichinohe Towada Station on the Tohoku Shinkansen.

INFORMATION

Name: Historic Site Shichinohe Castle Ruins (Kashiwaha Castle Ruins)
Address: 30 Shichinohe, Shichinohe-cho, Kamikita-gun, Aomori 039-2525
URL: Aomori Prefecture HP

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summary

Aomori Prefecture was peaceful as fierce battles took place in various parts of the Tohoku region, but the entire Ouetsu clan alliance surrendered, and the Morioka clan also surrendered, but the Battle of Noheji occurred after that.

There is a theory that the Noheji War was an attempt by the Tsugaru domain to appeal to the new government, but another theory is that the Tsugaru domain intended to use this opportunity to seize Noheji, the main trading port of the Morioka domain, in view of the friction between the two domains that had existed since the Sengoku period. It is also said honestly and gracefully.