Matsumae Akihiro

Matsumae Akihiro (松前 章広, 8 August 1775 – 6 November 1833) was the ninth daimyō of Matsumae Domain in Ezo-chi, Japan, in the latter half of the Edo period. He held this position from 1792 to 1807 and again from 1821 until his death in 1833; in the years between, the bakufu exerted direct control over the whole of Ezo, while the Matsumae clan were relocated to Yanagawa Domain. He was successor to his father Matsumae Michihiro and succeeded in turn by his grandson Matsumae Yoshihiro.[2][1]

In this Japanese name, the family name is Matsumae.

Matsumae Akihiro (1775–1833)
松前章広
From Eight Views of Yanagawa (1812), by Kakizaki Hakyō (Hakodate City Central Library)
9th Daimyō of Matsumae Domain
In office 1792–1807
Monarch	Shōgun Tokugawa Ienari
Preceded by	Matsumae Michihiro
Daimyō of Yanagawa Domain
In office 1807–1821
Monarch	Shōgun Tokugawa Ienari
9th Daimyō of Matsumae Domain
In office 1821–1833
Monarch	Shōgun Tokugawa Ienari
Succeeded by	Matsumae Yoshihiro
Personal details
Born	An'ei 4 7th month 30th day (1775-08-25)25 August 1775
Died	Tenpō 4 9th month 25th day 6 November 1833(1833-11-06) (aged 58)
Children	6 sons, 8 daughters, inc:[1] Chikahiro (見広) Takahiro
Father	Matsumae Michihiro
Relatives	Matsumae clan

Names

He originally went by the name of Shikihiro (敷広) and was also known as Yūnosuke (勇之助).[2]

Biography

Matsumae Akihiro was born in An'ei 4 (1775), the eldest son of Matsumae Michihiro, eighth daimyō of Matsumae Domain.[2] In Kansei 4 (1792), his father stepping aside, he became the ninth daimyō.[2] Alerted to the question of the northern frontier by the arrival of Russian and British ships (under Adam Laxman and William Robert Broughton respectively), in 1799 the bakufu assumed direct control over eastern Ezo.[2] Initially the bakufu was to be directly responsible for the area from Urakawa to the Shiretoko Peninsula, and the nearby islands, for a fixed term of seven years; however, since access to this region via Hakodate was still through Domain territory, this caused teething issues for both parties; and so, later that same year, the Domain was asked to relinquish also all the area east from the Shiriuchi River (知内川) on the Oshima Peninsula to Urakawa (i.e., including Hakodate).[3] His domain thus greatly reduced, Matsumae Akihiro was compensated with the grant of lands in Musashi Province, in what is now Kuki, Saitama Prefecture, to the value of five thousand koku.[3] In Kyōwa 2 (1802), the bakufu decided to take permanent control of eastern Ezo, establishing the Hakodate bugyō, the Matsumae clan receiving a gift of 3,500 ryō of gold in return.[4]

In Bunka 2 (1805), learning that Nikolai Rezanov, on his return from Nagasaki, had met with officials of the Matsumae Domain and a number of Ainu, the bakufu sent out Tōyama Kagekuni (遠山景晋) to inspect the state of affairs in Matsumae and western Ezo.[5] Taken ill upon his arrival in Matsumae that winter, he returned to Edo, journeying north again in 1806, his tour of inspection taking him from Matsumae to Sōya, before he returned to Edo once more.[5] Concluding that the Matsumae Domain was unable to protect the norther borders, in 1807 the bakufu decided Matsumae Akihiro should hand back Matsumae and western Ezo, so as directly to control the entirety of Ezo.[5] Matsumae Akihiro was consequently transferred to Yanagawa Domain in Mutsu province, in what is now Date, Fukushima Prefecture, the fief valued at 9,000 koku.[2]

In Bunsei 4 (1821), Matsumae Akihiro was returned to his former fief in Ezo.[2] The following year, he founded the Kiten-kan (徽典館) han school.[2] Passing away in Tenpō 4 (1833), he was succeeded by his grandson Matsumae Yoshihiro, his son Chikahiro having died in 1827; another of Matsumae Akihiro's fourteen children, by more than one lady, Matsumae Takahiro, would later become the twelfth daimyō.[1][6] Matsumae Akihiro's grave may be found amongst those of the other Matsumae daimyō at Hōdō-ji (法幢寺) in Matsumae.[1]

Preceded by Matsumae Michihiro	Daimyō of Matsumae 1792–1807 1821–1833	Succeeded by Matsumae Yoshihiro

Preceded by none	Daimyō of Yanagawa 1807–1821	Succeeded by none

See also

• Sakoku
• Kakizaki Hakyō
• Vasily Golovnin
• Matsuura Takeshirō

References

1. Shibuya Yuko 澁谷悠子 (2011). 近世墓標･過去帳･系譜類にみる武家の家内秩序と｢家｣意識 [The Ie System and "House" Consciouness in a Samurai Family in the Early-Modern Period, as seen through its Gravestones, Registers, and Genealogies]. 東北文化研究室紀要 Bulletin of the Tōhoku Culture Research Room (in Japanese). Tōhoku University. 52: 21–48.
2. 松前章広 [Matsumae Akihiro]. Nihon Daimyō Daijiten 日本人名大辞典 (in Japanese). Kodansha. 2001.
3. 函館市史 通説編第1巻 [Prevailing Views of the History of Hakodate City] (in Japanese). 1. Hakodate City. 1980. pp. 420 f.
4. 函館市史 通説編第1巻 [Prevailing Views of the History of Hakodate City] (in Japanese). 1. Hakodate City. 1980. pp. 424 f.
5. 函館市史 通説編第1巻 [Prevailing Views of the History of Hakodate City] (in Japanese). 1. Hakodate City. 1980. pp. 428 ff.
6. 松前良広 [Matsumae Yoshiro]. Nihon Daimyō Daijiten 日本人名大辞典 (in Japanese). Kodansha. 2001.