Watanabe Yoshitsune (1611-1668) was the fifth son of Watanabe Shigetsuna, one of
Tokugawa Ieyasu's generals. Starting as a 3250
koku hatamoto in 1611, he serving in numerous posts within the administration of the
Tokugawa shogunate, and by 1661 had amassed fiefs with an additional
kokudaka 10,000
koku, mostly in
Kawachi and
Izumi Provinces, which elevated him to the ranks of the
daimyō. He established his seat at his original holding at Nomoto in
Hiki District,
Musashi Province, so the domain was initially styled . His son, Watanabe Masatsuna had no direct heir, and the third
daimyō Watanabe Mototsuna was adopted from the main branch of the family. In 1698, Watanabe Mototsuna relocated his seat from Musashi to Izumi Province to better administrate the bulk of his holdings, and established a new ''jin'ya
in what is now Minami-ku, Sakai. The domain was renamed after this new location. However, in 1727, Watanabe Mototsuna decided to relocate once again. The jin'ya'' was moved to a location within what is now the city of Izumi, and the domain was renamed
Hakata Domain. His successors would remain at the location until the
Meiji restoration. During the
Boshin War the domain sided with the new
Meiji government. In 1871, the domain became Hakata Prefecture with the
abolition of the han system, and subsequently was merged into Sakai Prefecture and then Osaka Prefecture. The final
daimyō of Hakata,
Watanabe Akitsuna received the
kazoku peerage title of
Viscount in 1884. ==Holdings at the end of the Edo period==