Yamato Gojo Domain (大和五条藩)
Yamato Gojo Domain was a feudal domain that was located in Yamato Province (present-day Futami, Gojo City, Nara Prefecture).
The domain is also known as Gojo Domain or Gojo Futami Domain
History of the domain
Shigenobu MATSUKURA was a renown military commander alongside Sakon SHIMA, who served Junkei Tsutsui. After Shigenobu's death, the Matsukura clan was inherited by his son Shigemasa MATSUKURA. After Junkei's death, Shigemasa left the Tsutsui clan and became lordless.
In the Battle of Sekigahara, Shigemasa allied with Ieyasu TOKUGAWA and achieved victories in the battlefield, thus receiving the Gojo district of 10,000 koku (an unit of assessed crop yields of the land [1 koku: about 180 liter], which was also used to express the size of the land) after the war and founding the Gojo Domain. Shigemasa made efforts in the establishment of the domain rule by developing its castle town and granting exemptions from various duties, and helped Gojo Domain become a commercial town.
Since Shigemasa again made military contributions under Ieyasu in the Siege of Osaka, he was promoted and transferred to Bizen Shimabara Domain with 43,000 koku in 1616, leading to the closure of Gojo Domain.
Successive lords of the domain
Matsukura family
Tozama daimyo (nonhereditary feudal lord)
10,000 koku
Shigemasa MATSUKURA