Muramatsu Domain (村松藩, Muramatsu-han) was a tozama feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan. It is located in Echigo Province, Honshū. The domain was centered at Muramatsu Jin'ya (later Muramatsu Castle), located in what is now part of the city of Gosen in Niigata Prefecture.
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History
Upon the death of Hori Naoyori, daimyo of Murakami Domain, a 30,000 koku portion of his holdings was separated out into a separate domain for his younger son, Hori Naotoki. This marked the start of Muramatsu Domain. However, to be more precise, Hori Naoyori built his seat at Yasuda in Echigo Province, and it was not until the time of his son, Hori Naoyoshi, that the jin'ya was moved to Muramatsu. The area of the domain was mostly mountainous and unsuited to the development of new rice lands. Its actual kokudaka was only around 40,000 koku. Although Hori Naoyoshi attempted a survey and land reform, he died before it could be completed and the domain was perennially in debt. During the time of the 8th daimyo, Hori Naoyasu, some fiscal reforms were initiated, which resulted in a peasant uprising in 1814. During the time of the 9th daimyo, Hori Naohide, a more successful reform was implemented, with woven goods, washi, green tea, and a form of ceramics known as Muramatsu-yaki developed to supplement the domain's income. The domain was also raised in status from a jin'ya domain to a castle domain in 1850.
During the Bakumatsu period, the samurai of the domain were sharply divided between a conservative faction led by the 11th daimyo, Hori Naoyoshi, and a pro-Sonnō jōi faction. During the Boshin War, Hori Naoyoshi led the domain into the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei, but he switched sides after only a few months. In July 1871, with the abolition of the han system, Muramatsu Domain briefly became Muramatsu Prefecture, and was merged into the newly created Niigata Prefecture. Under the new Meiji government, Hori Yukihiro, the final daimyo of Muramatsu Domain was given the kazoku peerage title of shishaku (viscount).
Bakumatsu period holdings
As with most domains in the han system, Muramatsu Domain consisted of several discontinuous territories calculated to provide the assigned kokudaka, based on periodic cadastral surveys and projected agricultural yields.