| Native Name: | 福井藩 Fukui-han |
| Conventional Long Name: | Fukui Domain |
| Common Name: | Echizen Domain |
| Subdivision: | Domain |
| Nation: | Japan |
| Title Leader: | Daimyō |
| Leader1: | Yūki Hideyasu (first) |
| Year Leader1: | 1601-1607 |
| Leader2: | Matsudaira Mochiaki (last) |
| Year Leader2: | 1858-1871 |
| Capital: | Fukui Castle |
| Coordinates: | 36.0655°N 136.2209°W |
| Membership Title1: | Province |
| Membership1: | Echizen |
| Today: | Fukui Prefecture |
| Year Start: | 1600 |
| Year End: | 1870 |
| Event End: | Abolition of the han system |
| Era: | Edo period |
The, also known as the, was a domain (han) of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1601 to 1871.[1]
The Fukui Domain was based at Fukui Castle in Echizen Province, the core of the modern city of Fukui, located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshu. The Fukui Domain was founded by Yūki Hideyasu, the son of shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu, and was ruled for all of its existence by the shinpan daimyō of the Matsudaira clan. The Fukui Domain was assessed under the Kokudaka system and its value peaked at 680,000 koku. The Fukui Domain was dissolved in the abolition of the han system in 1871 after the Meiji Restoration and its territory was absorbed into Fukui Prefecture.
In the Sengoku period, the area around Fukui was known as Kita-no-sho, and controlled by Shibata Katsutoyo, the adopted son of Shibata Katsuie, one of Oda Nobunaga's leading generals, after the Asakura clan was dispossessed by Shibata Katsuie. After Shibata Katsutoyo died of illness during the Battle of Shizugatake in 1583, the area was given to the Aoyama clan. However, the Aoyama sided with the Western Army under Ishida Mitsunari during the Battle of Sekigahara and were thus dispossessed by the victorious Tokugawa Ieyasu. In 1601, Ieyasu awarded Echizen Province to his second son, Yūki Hideyasu as a 670,000 koku fief. Yūki Hideyasu was permitted to change his name to Matsudaira Hideyasu, and he rebuilt Fukui Castle and the surrounding jōkamachi as his capital.[2] His son, Matsudaira Tadanao was of violent disposition and was on bad terms with Shōgun Tokugawa Hidetada, and was consequently dispossessed and banished to Kyushu. He was replaced by his younger brother, Matsudaira Tadamasa, with a reduction in kokudaka to 500,000 koku. His descendants continued to rule over Fukui until the end of the Tokugawa shogunate.
Under Tadamasa's successor, Matsudaira Mitsumichi, the domain was reduced further with the creation of subsidiary domains as Yoshie Domain and Echizen-Maruoka Domain. the domain was plagued with financial difficulties through most of its history, due to frequent flooding, crop failure, epidemics and the profligate spending of its daimyō. In 1661, Fukui became the first han to issue hansatsu (domain paper money).[2]
In 1686, the domain faced a succession crisis and O-Ie Sōdō with the removal of Matsudaira Tsunamasa due to insanity was reduced from 475,000 koku to 250,000 koku.[3] A number of the later daimyō of Fukui were adopted into the clan from the Hitotsubashi-Tokugawa family, one of the Gosankyō, the three lesser branches of the Tokugawa clan.
During the Bakumatsu period, Matsudaira Yoshinaga (better known as Matsudaira Shungaku), was one of the leading political figures in the final years of the Tokugawa shogunate. The final daimyō of Fukui was Matsudaira Mochiaki, who served as imperial governor under the Meiji government until the abolition of the han system in 1871 and the creation of modern Fukui Prefecture.
Source:[4]
| Name | Tenure | Courtesy title | Court Rank | kokudaka | ||
| Matsudaira clan (shinpan) 1601–1871 | ||||||
| 1 | 1601-1607 | Gon-chūnagon (正三位 権中納言) | Senior 3rd Rank (正三位) | 680,000 koku | ||
| 2 | 1607–1623 | Sangi (参議) | Junior 3rd Rank (従三位) | 680,000 koku | ||
| 3 | 1623–1645 | Iyo-no-kami, Sangi (伊予守 参議) | Senior 4th Rank (正四位) | 525,280 koku | ||
| 4 | 1645–1674 | Echizen-no-kami,Sakonoue-gon-shōshō (越前守 左近衛少将) | Junior 4th Rank, Lower Grade (従四位下) | 450,000 koku | ||
| 5 | 1674–1676 | Hyōbu-daisuke,Sakonoue-gon-shōshō (兵部大輔 左近衛権少将) | Junior 4th Rank, Lower Grade (従四位下) | 450,000 koku | ||
| 6 | 1676–1686 | Echizen-no-kami,Sakonoue-gon-shōshō (越前守 左近衛少将) | Junior 4th Rank, Lower Grade (従四位下) | 450,000 koku | ||
| 7 | 1686–1710 | Hyōbu-daisuke,Sakonoue-gon-shōshō (兵部大輔 左近衛権少将) | Junior 4th Rank, Lower Grade (従四位下) | 250,000 koku | ||
| 8 | 1710–1721 | Iyo-no-kami,Sakonoue-gon-shōshō (伊予守 左近衛権少将) | Junior 4th Rank, Lower Grade (従四位下) | 250,000 koku | ||
| 9 | 1721–1724 | Takumi-no-kami, Jijū (内匠頭 侍従) | Junior 4th Rank, Lower Grade (従四位下) | 300,000 koku | ||
| 10 | 1724–1749 | Hyōbu-daisuke,Sakonoue-gon-shōshō (兵部大輔 左近衛権少将) | Junior 4th Rank, Lower Grade (従四位下) | 300,000 koku | ||
| 11 | 1749–1758 | Echizen-no-kami,Sakonoue-gon-shōshō (越前守 左近衛権少将) | Junior 4th Rank, Upper Grade (従四位上) | 300,000 koku | ||
| 12 | 1758–1799 | Echizen-no-kami,Sakonoue-gon-chūshō (越前守 左近衛権中将) | Senior 4th Rank, Lower Grade (正四位下) | 300,000 koku | ||
| 13 | 1799–1825 | Echizen-no-kami,Sakonoue-gon-chūshō (越前守 左近衛権中将) | Senior 4th Rank, Lower Grade (正四位下) | 320,000 koku | ||
| 14 | 1826–1835 | Echizen-no-kami,Sakonoue-gon-shōshō (越前守 左近衛権少将) | Junior 4th Rank, Upper Grade (従四位上) | 320,000 koku | ||
| 15 | 1835–1838 | Echizen-no-kami,Sakonoue-gon-chūshō (越前守 左近衛権中将) | Senior 4th Rank, Lower Grade (正四位下) | 320,000 koku | ||
| 16 | 1838–1858 | Ōkura-taisuke (大蔵大輔) | Senior 1st Rank (従一位) | 320,000 koku | ||
| 17 | 1858–1871 | Echizen-no-kami (越前守) | Senior 2nd Rank (従二位) | 320,000 koku | ||
Like most domains in the han system, Fukui Domain consisted of several discontinuous territories calculated to provide the assigned kokudaka, based on periodic cadastral surveys and projected agricultural yields,[6] [7]
In addition, Fukui Domain administered the extensive tenryō territories in Echizen Province on behalf of the Tokugawa shogunate, deriving substantial revenue from these holdings, which were not counted as part of its nominal kokudaka.