Province of Mutsu

See also: Mutsu

The province of Mutsu (陸奥国; Mutsu No kuni ), also called Ōshū (奥州) (one finds also the writing Woxu , in the old European texts speaking about the voyage of Tsunenaga Hasekura in Europe between 1614 and 1617), is a old province Japan who corresponds to the current prefectures of Fukushima, of Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori, plus the towns of Kazuno and Kosaka in the Préfecture of Akita.

Located in the north of Honshū, Mutsu is one of the last provinces to be formed when the ground was taken to the natives Aïnus, and its territory extended progressively from the successive conquests. Its old capital was located in current the Préfecture of Miyagi.

Conquered by Sakanoue No Tamuramaro in 801, it belonged during the era Heian to the clan Ōshū Fujiwara, before passing in the hands of Minamoto No Yoritomo in 1189. During the Period Sengoku, several clans directed on various parts of the province: the Clan Uesugi had a city-castle with Wakamastu in the south, the Clan Nambu with Morioka in north, and Masamune Date, chief of the Clan Dates a close relation allied from the Tokugawa, is established with Sendai, which is today more the big city of the Région of Tōhoku. The extreme north of the province was directed by the Clan Oura.

During the era Meiji, four other provinces were created starting from parts of Mutsu, including Rikuchu, Rikuzen, Iwaki and Iwashiro. The zone which constitutes today the Préfecture of Aomori continued to belong to Mutsu until the Abolition of the system of the strongholds in 1871.

Random links: