Japanese feudal domain located in Harima Province
 was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, in Harima Province in what is now the southwestern portion of modern-day Hyōgo Prefecture. It was centered around the Mikusa "jin'ya" which was located in what is now the city of Katō, Hyōgo. It was controlled by a cadet branch "fudai daimyō" Niwa clan throughout its history.
History.
The Isshiki-Niwa clan ruled the20,000 "koku" Iwamura Domain in Mino Province for five generations from 1638 to 1702. The Isshiki-Niwa clan was a cadet branch of the Ashikaga clan, and was thus no relation to the more famous Niwa Nagahide, although both clans served Oda Nobunaga, and later Tokugawa Ieyasu. The Niwa clan ruled for five generations. Due to internal conflicts created by a reform policy, Niwa Ujioto was demoted to 10,000 "koku" and reassigned to Takayanagi Domain in Echigo Province. His son, Niwa Shigeuji, served in the guard of Osaka Castle in 1739, and his holdings in Echigo were exchanged for holdings in Kawachi, Harima and Mimasaka Provinces. In 1746, he relocated his seat to Mikusa, marking the start of Mikusa Domain. The Isshiki-Niwa clan was unusual in that they were exempt from the "sankin kōtai" requirement of alternative year attendance on the Shogun in Edo. The domain was an early supporter of the imperial cause in the Boshin War. In 1871, with the abolition of the han system, the domain became "Mikusa Prefecture", which was merged with "Shikama Prefecture", which in turn became part of Hyōgo Prefecture.
The Isshiki-Niwa clan was ennobled with the "kazoku" peerage title of "shishaku" (viscount) in 1884.
Holdings at the end of the Edo period.
As with most domains in the han system, Mikusa Domain consisted of several discontinuous territories calculated to provide the assigned "kokudaka", based on periodic cadastral surveys and projected agricultural yields.
References.
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