Mikawa Province (三河国,Mikawa no Kuni;Japanese pronunciation:[mʲiꜜ.ka.wa(nokɯ.ɲi),mʲi.ka.waꜜ-][1]) was anold province in the area that today forms the eastern half ofAichi Prefecture.[2] Its abbreviated form name wasSanshū (三州 or 参州). Mikawa bordered onOwari,Mino,Shinano, andTōtōmi Provinces.
Mikawa is classified as one of the provinces of theTōkaidō. Under theEngishiki classification system, Mikawa was ranked as a "superior country" (上国) and a "near country" (近国) in terms of its distance from the capital.
Mikawa is mentioned in records of theTaika Reform dated 645, as well as variousNara period chronicles, including theKujiki, although the area has been settled since at least theJapanese Paleolithic period, as evidenced by numerous remains found by archaeologists. Early records mention a "Nishi-Mikawa no kuni" and a "Higashi-Mikawa no kuni", also known asHo Province (穂国,Ho no kuni). Although considered one administrative unit under theEngishiki classification system, this division (roughly based at the Yasaku River) persisted informally into theEdo period.
The exact location of the provincial capital is not known. Traditionally considered to have been located in theKo-machi (国府町) area of the modern city ofToyokawa because of the place name, archaeological investigations at the Hakuho-machi area ofToyota from 1991 to 1997 have revealed extensive ruins and ceramic shards indicating the possibility that the provincial capital was located there. Furthermore, the ruins of theKokubun-ji of Mikawa Province was located in 1999 a short distance away from the Toyota site. On the other hand, theIchinomiya of the province,Toga jinja is located in what is now part of Toyokawa, as well as a temple which claims to be a successor to the original provincial temple.
During theHeian period, the province was divided into numerousshōen controlled by localsamurai clans. During theKamakura period but it came under the control ofAdachi Morinaga, followed by theAshikaga clan. For much of theMuromachi period it was controlled by theIsshiki clan. However, by theSengoku period, the province had fragmented into many small territories largely dominated by theMatsudaira clan, and contested by theImagawa clan to the east and theOda clan to the west. It was united underTokugawa Ieyasu after the power of the Imagawa had been destroyed at theBattle of Okehazama. After the creation of theTokugawa shogunate, parts of the province were assigned asfeudal domains to trusted hereditary retainers asfudaidaimyōs, with large portions retained asshihaisho territory administered by varioushatamoto directly under the shogunate. During the Edo period, Mikawa was the only area permitted by the shogunate to producegunpowder, which led to its modern fireworks industry.
The various domains andtenryō territories were transformed into short-lived prefectures in July 1871 by theabolition of the han system, and was organized into ten districts by the earlyMeiji period cadastral reform of 1869. The entire territory of former Mikawa Province became part of the new Aichi Prefecture in January 1872.
After World War II, the territory of former Mikawa Province prospers as the capital of the Japanese automobile industry.
Mikawa Province consisted of nine districts:
| Domain | Daimyō | Dates | Revenue (koku) | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koromo Domain (挙母藩) | Naitō | 1604–1871 | 20,000 | fudai |
| Yoshida Domain (吉田藩) | Matsudaira (Nagasawa-Ōkōchi) | 1600–1693 | 70,000 | fudai |
| Tahara Domain (田原藩) | Miyake | 1601–1871 | 12,000 | fudai |
| Okazaki Domain (岡崎藩) | Honda | 1601–1871 | 50,000 | fudai |
| Nishio Domain (西尾藩) | Ogyū-Matsudaira clan | 1638–1827 | 60,000 | fudai |
| Kariya Domain (刈屋藩) | Doi | 1600–1868 | 23,000 | fudai |
| Nishi-Ōhira Domain (西大平藩) | Ōoka | 1748–1871 | 10,000 | fudai |
| Okutono Domain (奥殿藩) | Ogyū-Matsudaira clan | 1664–1871 | 16,000 | fudai |
| Hatagamura Domain (畑ヶ村藩) | Toda clan (subsidiary of Ōgaki Domain) | 1688–1871 | 10,000 | fudai |
SeaHorses Mikawa andSAN-EN NeoPhoenix play in theB.League, Japan's first division of professional basketball.
