Fukushima Domain (福島藩, Fukushima-han) was a fudai feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, located in southern Mutsu Province. It was centered on Fukushima Castle in what is now the city of Fukushima in Fukushima Prefecture. For the majority of its history it was ruled by a branch of the Itakura clan.
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History
The area around Fukushima in the Muromachi period was part of the territory of the Date clan. Data Mochimune built Daibutsu Castle (大仏城, Daibutsu-jō) on the site of present Fukushima Castle in 1413. In 1592, the area came under the control of Gamō Ujisato, and renamed the castle "Fukushima Castle". In 1600, the Battle of Matsukawa was found outside the castle. Following the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate, Fukushima was the centre of a tenryō territory with a kokudaka of 200,000 koku. In 1679, Honda Tadakuni was transferred from Yamato-Komiyama Domain, marking the start of Fukushima Domain. However, he only ruled for three years before being transferred to Himeji Domain. Fukushima Domain was re-established in 1686 for Hotta Masanaka, formerly of Yamagata Domain. His son, Hotta Masatora was transferred back to Yamagata in 1700. Fukushima Domain was once again revived in 1702 for Itakura Shigehiro, formerly of Itaki Domain in Shinano Province. His branch of the Itakura clan continued to rule Fukushima to the Meiji restoration.
During the Bakumatsu period, with the start of the Boshin War, the domain joined the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei; however, its support of the Tokugawa cause was lukewarm, and upon hearing of the fall of neighbouring Nihonmatsu Castle to the Satchō Alliance, the 11th daimyo, Itakura Katsumi, surrendered the castle without a fight. His successor, Itakura Katsusato, moved his seat from Fukushima to an exclave controlled by the domain at Shigehara in Mikawa Province in 1869. he was later granted the kazoku title of shishaku (viscount) and served as a member of the House of Peers in the Meiji government.
After the abolition of the han system in July 1871, Fukushima Domain became part of Fukushima Prefecture.
Holdings at the end of the Edo period
As with most domains in the han system, Fukushima Domain consisted of several discontinuous territories calculated to provide the assigned kokudaka, based on periodic cadastral surveys and projected agricultural yields.