- Mikawa Province
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Mikawa Province (三河国 Mikawa no kuni ) is an old province in the area that today forms the eastern half of Aichi Prefecture.[1] It was sometimes called Sanshū (三州 or 参州 ). Mikawa bordered on Owari, Mino, Shinano, and Tōtōmi Provinces.
Even today, Mikawa is used to refer to the eastern portion of Aichi, including such cities as Toyohashi, Okazaki, Hekinan and Toyota.
Mikawa was the original fief of the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu before he gained control of Kantō. Okazaki was the principal castle town of Mikawa, although Yoshida Castle, near Toyohashi, was also a major fief at times. Mikawa is famous in Japan for its fireworks, manufacturing most of Japan's fireworks. In order to maintain security, Mikawa was the only area permitted by the shogun to produce gunpowder, which led to the fireworks industry. The annual Okazaki fireworks are some of the best in Japan.
During the Edo period, the following domains were located in Mikawa:
- Koromo, ruled by the Naitō clan.
- Yoshida, ruled by the Matsudaira (Ōkōchi) clan.
- Tawara, ruled by the Miyake clan.
- Hatagamura, ruled by the Toda clan.
- Nishi-Ōhira, ruled by the Ōoka clan.
- Okazaki, ruled by the Honda clan.
- Nishio, ruled by the Matsudaira (Ogyū) clan.
- Kariya, ruled by the Doi clan.
- Okutono, ruled by the Matsudaira (Ogyū) clan.
Notes
- ^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Mikawa" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 629 at Google Books; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, see Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File.
References
- Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 10-ISBN 0-674-01753-6; 13-ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 58053128
Former provinces of Japan (List) Kinai Tōkaidō Tōsandō Hokurikudō San'indō San'yōdō Nankaidō Saikaidō Hokkaidō
1869-1882Ancient pre-Taihō Code provinces included: Fusa · Hi · Keno · Kibi · Koshi · Kumaso · Toyo · Tsukushi
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Source: Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Provinces and prefectures" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 780 at Google Books; excerpt,- "Japan's former provinces were converted into prefectures by the Meiji government ... [and] grouped, according to geographic position, into the 'five provinces of the Kinai' and 'seven circuits'."
Coordinates: 35°01′35″N 137°24′06″E / 35.02639°N 137.40167°E
Categories:- Aichi Prefecture
- Old provinces of Japan
- Aichi geography stubs
- Japanese history stubs
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