history

[Nikaho City, Akita Prefecture] Learn the history of "Nikaho City", which was born from the merger of three towns related to the Nikaho clan

NORIJUN
2024.11.29
Last updated: 2024.11.29

table of contents

1 Just as the domain reached its long-awaited goal of 10,000 koku, the first lord died and the domain was disbanded.
2 Most of the Nikaho domain was divided and ruled as Shonai domain, Yajima domain, Honjo domain, and Shogunate domain.
3 After the Meiji era, towns and villages in the Nikaho area were integrated, and eventually three towns merged to form Nikaho City.
4 The Boshin War left great devastation in the Nikaho area.
5 ``Yamanekan'' was the residence of the Nikaho clan during the Kamakura period. The castle was abandoned when the Nikaho domain was established.
- 5.1 INFORMATON
6 "Shionokoshi Castle" was the residence of the Nika Yasu clan for only 9 years after the establishment of the Nika Yasu clan.
- 6.1 INFORMATON
7 A joint Nika Hojinya family lineage that continued until the Meiji era, with the Nika Yasushi family producing 2,000 koku and the Nika Yasu family producing 1,000 koku.
- 7.1 INFORMATON

Nikaho City, Akita Prefecture is located in the southern part of Akita Prefecture, on the prefectural border with Yamagata Prefecture, and in October 2005 (Heisei 17), Nikaho City, Kanaura Town, Kisakata Town, It was created through the merger of two cities.

Just as the domain reached its long-awaited goal of 10,000 koku, the first lord died and the domain was disbanded.

Nikaho City the Yashima , Honjo , Kameda , and Nikaho domains were established in the early Edo period was established in October 1623 Nikaho clan , one of the feudal lords (12 Yuri) who ruled the Yuri region during the Sengoku period, Ta.

In the early Edo period, the Nikaho clan was given 5,000 koku of Takeda in Hitachi Province (Ibaraki Prefecture) by the Tokugawa shogunate for their meritorious deeds at the Battle of Sekigahara, and was transferred to another country. Furthermore, due to his later achievements, the amount was increased to 10,000 koku, and he returned triumphantly to the territory connected to the Nigaho clan.

Yoshige, the first lord of the Nikaho domain , abolished his previous castle, Yamanedate in the mountainous area, and moved his former lord's residence, Shiokoshi Castle, in Shiokoshi (Kozogata-cho, Nikaho City), which is close to Kogata, to be his base. I did. However, Kousei died in February 1624, four months after becoming the lord of the domain.

Most of the Nikaho domain was divided and ruled as Shonai domain, Yajima domain, Honjo domain, and Shogunate domain.

Nigahohan — After the death of the first lord of the domain, Nika Yasuyoshi, the Nikaho domain was divided into Yajima domain, Nikaho clan territory, and shogunate territory. Yasuyuki Nika ©Akita Prefectural Museum

After Kyosei's death, according to his will, Nika Yasuie was divided among his three sons, with the eldest son having 7,000 koku, the second son having 2,000 koku, and the third son having 1,000 koku. Furthermore, in 1631, his eldest son also died without an heir, and the Nigaho family became extinct, and its territory became the domain of the shogunate. The territory of the former Nikaho clan, which became shogunate territory, was temporarily entrusted by the shogunate to the neighboring Shonai clan (Yamagata Prefecture) to the south.

In 1640, when the Yajima clan was established, much of the territory that had been entrusted to the Shonai clan was given to the Yajima clan, and eventually the second and third sons inherited 3,000 koku. The territory was ruled by the Nikaho clan, and the rest was divided into the Yajima domain and the shogunate. The Honjo domain was given an enclave, which included areas such as the Kokugata area. The complex boundaries of the three villages are such that a boundary line runs within the village, and one village is ruled by multiple feudal lords (Aikyumura).

After the Meiji era, towns and villages in the Nikaho area were integrated, and eventually three towns merged to form Nikaho City.

With the Meiji Restoration, feudal domains were abolished and prefectures were established, and Yajima, Honjo, and Kameda prefectures were established in the Yuri region on July 14, 1871 (Meiji 4). The former Nika Horyo belonged to Honjo Prefecture and Yajima Prefecture, but the first prefectural integration took place on November 2 of that year, and the three Yuri prefectures were integrated into Akita Prefecture. The former Nika Horyo area also became part of Akita Prefecture.

According to the municipal system implemented nationwide in 1889 (Meiji 22), there were 35 villages in the former Nika Horyo territory, including Hirasawa Village, Kanaura Village, Shiokoshi Village, Kamihama Village, Kamigo Village, Koide Village, and Innai Village. It was integrated into 7 villages. Later, in 1896 (Meiji 29), Shionokoshi Village became Kurogata Town, in 1897 (Meiji 30), Hirasawa Village became Hirasawa Town, and in 1902 (Meiji 35), Kanaura Village became Kanaura Town. Furthermore, in 1955 (Showa 30), Hiragata Town, Kamihama Village, and Kamigo Village merged, and Hirasawa Town, Innai Village, and Koide Village merged to form Nikaho Town.

As mentioned at the beginning, on October 1, 2005, Nikaho Town, Kanaura Town, and Zogata Town merged to form Nikaho City.

The Boshin War left great devastation in the Nikaho area.

During the Meiji Restoration, each domain in the Tohoku region was divided into those supporting the new government and those supporting the former Edo shogunate, and a fierce civil war broke out. The Akita domain and the three Yuri domains, which initially belonged to the old shogunate faction, eventually became members of the new government faction, and became part of the former shogunate faction, such as the Shonai domain (Yamagata prefecture) and the Nanbu domain (Iwate prefecture and the eastern half of Aomori prefecture). You end up in conflict. This was the battle in Akita during the Boshin War (1968).In southern Akita, on July 13, 1868, Misakiguchi (Kosagawa, Kosagata, Nikaho City), the boundary between the Shonai and Yajima clans. The battle began. First, the Akita new government army attacked, and the Shonai clan counterattacked with overwhelming force and weapons, forcing the Akita new government army to retreat.

The Boshin War in Akita began in the mountains of Misaki, where the base of Mt. Chokai, which rises on the border between Nikaho City and Yamagata Prefecture, sinks into the Sea of Japan. ©Mt. Chokai and Tobishima Geopark

The Shonai clan's strength was tremendous, and within a month, not only the Yuri clan's territory, but nearly two-thirds of the Kubota clan's territory had been turned into a battlefield and burned to the ground. The former Shogunate army, centered on the Shonai clan, invaded Tsubakidai (Owa Tsubakigawa, Akita City) and Nagahama (Shimohama Nagahama, Akita City), just before Kubota Castle. After Tsubakidai and Nagahama were breached, Kubota Castle was in a state of disrepair, but the reinforcements of the new government army, equipped with new firearms, finally demonstrated their strength and stopped the former shogunate army, marking the end of the civil war in Akita. Masu.

The graves of the feudal warriors who came from the Matsue clan (Unshu/Shimane Prefecture) to support during the Boshin War, located at Koshoji Temple in Mimori, Nikaho City, © Nikaho City Cultural Properties Protection Division

In this civil war, known as the Akita War, all villages in the Yuri region were burned down and many people lost their lives. When I looked at Nikaho City's list of cultural properties, I noticed that there were no cultural properties designated by the country or Akita prefecture, such as important cultural properties or registered tangible cultural properties. The Boshin War, a battle between Japanese people, left a huge scar.

``Yamanekan'' was the residence of the Nikaho clan during the Kamakura period. The castle was abandoned when the Nikaho domain was established.

Yamanedate '' and `` Shionokoshi Castle which were the residences of the Nika Yasu clan , were burnt down during the Boshin War and no buildings remain, but the ruins have been maintained and can be visited.

Yamanedate was the residence of the Yuri family from the Heian period to the pre-Edo period, and the Nika Yasushi family during the Kamakura period, until Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered the country to be transferred to Hitachi Province (Ibaraki Prefecture) in 1602. .

Yamanedate is a mountain castle that stands on a plateau approximately 200m above sea level, about 3km southeast of the center of the former Nikaho Town in the northern part of Nikaho City, and is said to have been built by the Yuri clan, a powerful family that ruled Yuri (Yuri District) during the Heian period. I am. The Yuri clan was a senior vassal of the Fujiwara clan, the leader of Oshu in the late Heian period, but when the Fujiwara clan was attacked and destroyed by Minamoto no Yoritomo, the head of the family, Yuri Korehira, bravely fought against the Minamoto army. was recognized by Yoritomo. He then became a retainer of Yoritomo, an enemy general, and swore loyalty in exchange for receiving land from the Kamakura shogunate.

The Yuri clan subsequently fell to ruin, and Yuri County was left to the Oi clan, the lord of Shinano. In 1468 during the Muromachi period, Motaka Oi, who is said to be the founder of the Nikaho clan, restored Yamanekan.

The existence of Yamane-kan has been known for quite some time, but the actual investigation into the ruins began in 1980, and even after that, investigations continued to uncover the foundation stones and foundation stones of the building. Many artifacts such as Chinese pottery from the Muromachi period have been discovered. ``Yamanekan'' is a designated historical site in Akita Prefecture.

INFORMATON

Facility name: Yamanekan ruins
Address: 1-2 Furudate, Nikaho City, Akita Prefecture, etc.
Phone number: 0184-43-3230 (Nikaho City Tourism Division)
access:
- Public transportation: Approximately 7 minutes by taxi from Nikaho Station on the JR Uetsu Main Line Yamanedate Parking Lot
- Car: Approximately 7 minutes from Nihonkai-Tohoku Expressway Nikaho IC Yamanedate Ato Parking Lot

GOOGLE MAP

"Shionokoshi Castle" was the residence of the Nika Yasu clan for only 9 years after the establishment of the Nika Yasu clan.

The ruins of Shiokoshi Castle, which was the residence of the Nikaho clan. Found in Kujugata, where Kujukushima is located © Nikaho City Cultural Properties Protection Division

Shionokoshi Castle is the castle where the Nigaho clan lived when they returned from Hitachi Province in 1623 as a feudal lord with a wealth of 10,000 koku. It is said that it was originally the residence of the Ikeda clan, a local samurai of Shiogoshi during the Sengoku period.

The first lord of the Nika Yasushi Domain, Nika Yasukyo Makoto, lived there for 2 years, and his eldest son Yoshitoshi, who took over as head of the family, lived there for 7 years, but because Yoshitoshi had no children, the castle was discontinued, and Shionokoshi Castle was also abandoned.

It is believed that Shiokoshi Castle was located on the coast of Nōgata in the center of Nikaho City, around present-day Nōgata-cho 1-chome Shiokoshi and Ninomaru, Nōgata-machi. The only remains of Shiokoshi Castle are the stone walls and the plaza where the residence was located, and most of the area is now a residential area.

INFORMATON

Facility name: Shiokoshi Castle Ruins
Location: 1-chome, Shionokoshi, Ninomaru, Zogatacho, Nikaho City, Akita Prefecture
Phone number: 0184-43-3230 (Nikaho City Tourism Division)
access:
- Public transportation: Approximately 4 minutes by taxi from JR Uetsu Main Line Zogata Station
- Car: Approximately 8 minutes from Nihonkai-Tohoku Expressway Kogata IC

GOOGLE MAP

A joint Nika Hojinya family lineage that continued until the Meiji era, with the Nika Yasushi family producing 2,000 koku and the Nika Yasu family producing 1,000 koku.

The Nika Yasushi family became extinct and lost its territory, but the second son Masamasa, who inherited 2,000 koku, and the third son Seiji, who had 1,000 koku, had territories on the north side of the Nika Yasushi territory, and like Yoshitoshi, became hatamoto of the shogunate, and both these families The family line continued until the Meiji era.

Nika Hojinya was built as a jinya for the brothers Seimasa and Seiji to jointly manage their territory. Although almost nothing remains on the site, Nikaho Shrine was built and it has been maintained as Nigaho Park

Nikahojinya preserved in old photographs ©Nikaho City Cultural Properties Protection Division

INFORMATON

Facility name: Nikahojinya ruins
Location: 79 Hirasawa Shimizu, Nikaho City, Akita Prefecture
Phone number: 0184-43-3230 (Nikaho City Tourism Division)
access:
- Public transportation: Approximately 2 minutes walk from Nikaho Station on the JR Uetsu Main Line
- Car: Approximately 3 minutes from Nihonkai-Tohoku Expressway Nikaho IC