The han (藩, han) or domain is the Japanese historical term for the estate of a warrior after the 12th century or of a daimyō in the Edo period (1603–1868) and early Meiji period (1868–1912).
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History
In the Sengoku period, Toyotomi Hideyoshi caused a transformation of the han system. The feudal system based on land became an abstraction based on periodic cadastral surveys and projected agricultural yields.
In Japan, a feudal domain was defined in terms of projected annual income. This was different from the feudalism of the West. For example, early Japanologists such as Appert and Papinot made a point of highlighting the annual koku yields which were allocated for the Shimazu clan at Satsuma Domain since the 12th century.
In 1690, the richest han was the Kaga Domain with slightly over 1 million koku. It was in Kaga, Etchū and Noto provinces.
Edo period
In the Edo period, the domains of daimyōs were defined in terms of kokudaka, not land area. Imperial provincial subdivisions and shogunal domain subdivisions were complementary systems. For example, when the shogun ordered daimyōs to make a census of its people or to make maps, the work was organized along the borders of the provincial kuni.
Meiji period
In the Meiji period from 1869 to 1871, the title of daimyō in the han system was han-chiji (藩知事) or chihanji (知藩事).
In 1871, almost all of the domains were disbanded; and the prefectures of Japan replaced the han system. At the same time, the Meiji government created the Ryūkyū Domain which existed from 1872 through 1879.