Nishimikawa refers to the central part of Aichi Prefecture. Aichi prefectural government covers nine cities (Toyota , Okazaki, Hekinan, Kariya, Anjo, Nishio, Chiryu, Takahama, Miyoshi) and one town (Kōta, Nukata District).
History
According to the Yirin book "Setsuyoshu," Sangawa (Mikawa) Province was "a small country with many mountains and rivers, poor access to water, and a scarcity of the five grains. Mikawa was more mountainous than Owari Province, which is now the western part of Aichi Prefecture, and had dry and barren plateaus. The Yahagi River basin in Mikawa had low agricultural production capacity until the Meiji era, when the Meiji waterworks were opened, and the region lagged behind Owari, as well as neighboring Mino (southern Gifu Prefecture) and Ise (eastern Mie Prefecture).
The medieval period was marked by the continued instability of the region due to the uprising of powerful local clans in various parts of the country, but in some respects the area fostered a climate of honesty and robustness. While the region is closely related to the Ashikaga clan (Hosokawa, Nitsuki, Kira, Isshiki, and Imagawa clans), the Tokugawa clan (Matsudaira clan) arose from the strong local clans in the Muromachi, Sengoku, and Edo periods, and produced Ieyasu Tokugawa, a leading figure in Japan's history. In modern times, the area became the birthplace of the Toyota Group.
In Aichi Prefecture, especially in Nishi Mikawa, there are many followers of Pure Land Buddhism such as Jodo Shinshu, which led to one of the largest revolts in Japan during the Warring States Period (Mikawa Ikka Uprisings).
Ancient
There is an article in the " Sendai Kujihongi " that Mikawa no Kunizo was established in the Seimu era. Western Sanhe in ancient times was even wider than its present extent. The three islands of Mikawa Bay (Himakajima, Shinojima, and Sakushima) belonged to Hazu County. Present-day Neba Village in Nagano Prefecture, in later times Nagura and Tsugu in Shitara -cho , located in Higashi-Mikawa, the entire area of present-day Toyone Village , and the former Inabu-cho, which is now part of Toyota City, belonged to Kamo County. The area of Nukata County remains the majority of present-day Okazaki City and the eastern half of Kota Town. The flat land in the center of West Mikawa is the area of Bikai County. Currently, except for Nukata District, where Kota Town belongs to, all of the districts have become city limits and have disappeared.
Until the Heian Period
From ancient times until the Heian Period, the former Hekikai-gun on the west bank of the Yahagi River occupied the center of the Nishimikawa region, with numerous settlements and the largest population. The former Hekikai-gun straddled eight of the nine cities that exist in present-day Nishi Mikawa, excluding Miyoshi City. The area around present-day Aburigafuchi was an inlet of Mikawa Bay and functioned as a port.
Kamakura to Muromachi periods
In the Kamakura period (1185–1333), after Ashikaga Yoshiji, a powerful samurai of the Kamakura shogunate, became the governor of Mikawa for his success in suppressing the Jokyu Rebellion, the Ashikaga clan and its clans settled in Mikawa and came to have their own territories in the area. The Hosokawa and Niki clans of Nukata County and the Imagawa, Kira, and Isshiki clans of Hazu County are particularly well known as Ashikaga clans. In the Battle of Yahagigawa River in 1335, all Ashikaga clans in Mikawa gathered under Ashikaga Takauji to fight against Emperor Godaigo's army. After the establishment of the Muromachi Shogunate, Mikawa continued to be an important base for the Ashikaga clan of barbarian generals, and Ashikaga family members served as guardians of Mikawa.
Geography
- Mountain
- Mino Mikawa Plateau – Mikawa Mountains – Hazu Mountains
- Mount Sanage
- Plain
- Okazaki Plain
- River
References
- 西三河地域の主要指標愛知県ホームページ（2018年5月30日閲覧）。