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Suwa Yorimizu was an early
Edo period daimyō and hereditary chieftain of the
Suwa clan. In 1577, at the age of six, he succeeded his father as head
kannushi of the
Suwa Shrine. In 1590, his father fought in the retinue of
Tokugawa Ieyasu during the
Siege of Odawara and when
Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered Tokugawa Ieyasu to exchange his domains for new territories in the
Kantō region he was forced to abandon his ancestral lands in
Shinano Province and accompany his liege to
Musashi. He was subsequently raised to the status of
daimyō of Sōja Domain in
Kōzuke Province (10,000
koku). Yorimizu succeeded his father as
daimyō in 1601. However, later that year Ieyasu permitted him to return to the ancestral Suwa lands in Shinano with an increase in
kokudaka to 27,000
koku. The marked the creation of Suwa Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate. and he participated in the second
Siege of Ueda with
Tokugawa Hidetada. In 1614, during the
Siege of Osaka, he was ordered to defend
Kōfu Castle and his son
Suwa Tadatsune was sent to the front lines to command the Suwa forces in his place. Despite his lack of accomplishments in battle, he was highly regarded by
Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, and was entrusted by the shogunate as jailor to the disgraced
Matsudaira Tadateru. He retired in 1640 and died the following year at the age of 72. Although noted as an enlightened ruler who restored waste land and opened considerable new rice lands and who improved the lot of his peasants, Yorimizu also had a rougher side. When a criminal took refuge in the Suwa
clan temple of Himei-ji, the monks refused to surrender him to secular authorities, citing the special privileges of the clergy. An enraged Yorimizu ordered that the temple be burned down and cut off the heads of the criminal and the offending monks. He built Raigaku-ji as a new clan temple in 1631 in what is now the city of
Chino, Nagano. Yorimizu was married to a daughter of
Honda Yasushige of
Okazaki Domain.
Suwa Tadatsune was the 2nd
daimyō of Suwa and hereditary chieftain of the Suwa clan. Tadatsune was the eldest son of
Suwa Yorimizu. In 1607, the
Shōgun Tokugawa Hidetada presided over his
genpuku ceremony, giving him a sword and the
kanji for "Tada" in his name. he was initially named "Tadayori" (忠頼), but changed his name to Tadanobu (忠澄) and later to Tadatsune. During the
Siege of Osaka he led Suwa forces into battle under the overall command of
Sakakibara Yasukatsu, and was at the
Battle of Yao and
Battle of Tennōji. as a reward for his services in combat, he received 5000
koku in
Chikuma District, Shinano. He became
daimyō on the retirement of his father in 1640, and continued his father's policies of developing new rice lands. He ruled to his death in 1657. He was married to a daughter of
Inaba Norimichi of
Usuki Domain.
Suwa Tadaharu was the 3rd
daimyō of Suwa and hereditary chieftain of the Suwa clan. Tadaharu was the eldest son of
Suwa Tadatsune and became
daimyō on the death of his father in 1657. At that time, he gave 1000
koku of his domains to each of his two younger brothers, reducing the
kokudaka of Suwa Domain from 32,000 to 30,000
koku. In terms of domain politics, he conducted a through survey of his territories. he was also an artist in the
Kano school and noted for his literary efforts. He held a number of minor positions within the Shogunal administration. He ruled to his death in 1695 at the age of 57. He was married to a daughter of
Naitō Tadaoki of
Iwakitaira Domain.
Suwa Tadatora was the 4th
daimyō of Suwa and hereditary chieftain of the Suwa clan. Tadatora was the third son of
Suwa Tadaharu and was noted for his scholarship at an early age.
Shōgun Tokugawa Ietsuna personally acted as his tutor. He became
daimyō on the death of his father in 1695. However, his tenure was marred by the destruction of the clan's Edo residence in the
1703 Genroku earthquake, the rebuilding of which plunged they domain into debt. He died in 1731 at the age of 69. He was married to a daughter of Matsudaira Masakatsu of the short-lived Matsuoka Domain in Echigo.
Suwa Tadatoki was the 5th
daimyō of Suwa and hereditary chieftain of the Suwa clan. Tadatoki was the son of Suwa Yoriatsu, a
hatamoto descendant of
Suwa Yorimizu's younger son and
Edo Machi-bugyō. He married a daughter of
Suwa Tadatora shortly before the latter's death and was adopted as heir, as the only son of Takatora had pre-deceased his father. He became
daimyō on Tadatora's death in 1731. Although noted for his scholarship and poetry, he was in poor health and left much of the domain's administration to his retainers. He retired in 1763 and died in 1770 at the age of 68.
Suwa Tadaatsu was the 6th
daimyō of Suwa and hereditary chieftain of the Suwa clan. Tadaatsu was the fourth son of
Suwa Tadatoki, and became
daimyō on Tadatoki's retirement in 1763. He attempted to reform the domain's finances, but only succeeded in splitting his senior retainers into pro-reform and anti-reform factions. This resulted in an
O-Ie Sōdō which further paralyzed the domain administration. Tadakatsu was forced into retirement in 1781, and several members of the pro-reform faction were forced to commit
seppuku the following year. Tadaatsu died in 1812 at the age of 67. He was married to a daughter of
Abe Masayoshi of
Fukuyama Domain.
Suwa Tadakata was the 7th
daimyō of Suwa and hereditary chieftain of the Suwa clan. Tadakata was the eldest son of
Suwa Tadaatsu, and became
daimyō on his father's forced retirement in 1781. He continued the domain's time-honored policies of opening new rice lands, accurate surveying, and promoted the production of carpentry tools as a clan monopoly. In 1803, he opened a
han school to teach
rangaku western sciences, and invited a doctor trained in western medicine from
Nagasaki. Tadakata retired in 1816 and died in 1822 at the age of 55. He was married to a daughter of
Matsudaira Norisada of
Nishio Domain.
Suwa Tadamichi was the 8th
daimyō of Suwa and hereditary chieftain of the Suwa clan. Tadakata was the eldest son of
Suwa Tadakata, and became
daimyō on his father's retirement in 1816. He continued his father's policies, but also encouraged
sericulture and increasing irrigation canals from
Lake Suwa. However, his tenure was beset by disasters, including crop failures and the loss of the clan's Edo residence due to fire. In 1824, the domain had the only peasant uprising in its history. He retired in 1840 and died in 1851 at the age of 52. He was married to a daughter of
Matsudaira Sadanobu of
Shirakawa Domain.
Suwa Tadamasa was the 9th
daimyō of Suwa and hereditary chieftain of the Suwa clan.
Suwa Tadaaya was the 10th (and final)
daimyō of Suwa and hereditary chieftain of the Suwa clan. Tadaaya was the younger son of
Suwa Tadamichi's third son, and was selected by his uncle
Suwa Tadamasa as heir. He became
daimyō on Tadamasa's retirement in 1868 and was appointed imperial governor by the new
Meiji government in 1869. Following the
abolition of the han system in 1871, he relocated to
Tokyo, where he died in 1878 at the age of 26. The clan chieftainship reverted to Suwa Tadamasa. ==See also==