The area of present-day Ichinoseki was part of ancient
Mutsu Province, and has been settled since at least the
Japanese Paleolithic period. The area was inhabited by the
Emishi people, and came under the control of the
imperial dynasty during the early
Heian period. During the
Heian period, it was controlled by the
Abe clan, followed by the
Northern Fujiwara clan of
Hiraizumi. During the
Sengoku period, the area was dominated by various
samurai clans before coming under the control of the
Date clan during the
Edo period, who ruled
Sendai Domain under the
Tokugawa shogunate. A portion of the present city was part of
Ichinoseki Domain, a sub-domain of Sendai Domain. The town of Ichinoseki was established within
Nishiiwai District, Iwate on April 1, 1889 with the establishment of the modern municipality system. It was raised to city status on April 1, 1948 by the merger of the towns of Ichinoseki and Yamame with the villages of Mataki and Nakasato. • January 1, 1955 - Ichinoseki absorbed the villages of Genbi, Hagisho, Maikawa, and Yasakae • September 1, 1956 - Due to a boundary adjustment, the city absorbed parts of the town of
Hiraizumi. • May 1, 1964 - Due to a boundary adjustment, the city absorbed more of the town of
Hiraizumi. • September 20, 2005 - the towns of
Daitō,
Higashiyama and
Senmaya, the villages of
Kawasaki and
Murone (all from
Higashiiwai District), and the town of
Hanaizumi (from
Nishiiwai District) were merged with the city of Ichinoseki, which approximately doubled the old city's population and nearly tripled its size. • September 26, 2011 - the town of
Fujisawa (also from
Higashiiwai District) was merged into Ichinoseki. Higashiiwai District was dissolved as a result of this merger. ==Government==