In 1724, the tairōYanagisawa Yoshiyasu arranged for a 10,000 koku holding in Echigo Province to be assigned to his 5th son, Yanagisawa Tokichika. This marked the start of Mikkaichi Domain. Tochichika turned the domain over to his brother after only three months, and although the Yanagisawa clan remained in control until the Meiji restoration, they preferred to reside in Edo and rely on the collection of revenues as absentee landlords. As a result, the finances of the domain were perpetually in a state of bankruptcy, and belated efforts to remedy the situation through reforms in 1843 failed. During the Bakumatsu period, the domain was unable to fulfil orders to provide troops for coastal defences, and its Edo residence was destroyed in the 1855 Edo earthquake. The final daimyō of Mikkaichi, Yanagisawa Noritada, was the only daimyō to actually visit his domain, and did so only to surrender his forces to neighbouring Shibata Domain during the Boshin War. In July 1871, with the abolition of the han system, Mikkaichi Domain briefly became Mikkaichi Prefecture, and was merged into the newly created Niigata Prefecture. Under the new Meiji government, Yanagisawa Noritada was given the kazoku peerage title of shishaku.
Bakumatsu period holdings
As with most domains in the han system, Mikkaichi Domain consisted of several discontinuous territories calculated to provide the assigned kokudaka, based on periodic cadastral surveys and projected agricultural yields.
Yanagisawa Tokichika was the fifth son of the famous Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu and was born in Edo. His mother was Ogimachi Machiko. He was received in audience by ShōgunTokugawa Tsunayoshi at the age of five, and was permitted to take the "Matsudaira" name as an honor in 1701. In 1709, he received a fief of 10,000 koku from his father's lands in Kōfu Domain, becoming daimyō of Kōfu Shinden Domain. In 1724, his estates were transferred from Kōfu to Echigo Province, and he became daimyō of Mikkaichi; however, he turned his estate over to his younger brother and went into retirement shortly afterwards. He died in 1750.
Yanagisawa Yasutsune
Yanagisawa Yasutsune was the seventh son of the famous Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu and became the 2nddaimyō of Mikkaichi on the retirement of his brother Tokichika in 1724. He served on guard of Edo Castle and as both Suruga kaban and Osaka kaban as well as Nikkō Bugyō. He died in 1760.
Yanagisawa Nobuaki
Yanagisawa Nobuaki was 3rd daimyō of Mikkaichi. He was the eldest son of Yanagisawa Yasutsune and became daimyō on the death of his father in 1760. During his tenure, the clan reverted from using "Matsudaira" back to Yanagisawa" as their surname. He died without heir in 1783.
Yanagisawa Satoyo was 5th daimyō of Mikkaichi. He was the eldest son of Yanagisawa Satoyuki, and became daimyō on the death of his father in 1804. He was received in formal audience by ShogunTokugawa Ienari in 1810. In 1812, he served as Osaka kaban and as Nikkō Bugyō in 1814. He retired from public life in 1826 and died the following year at the age of 38. His wife was a daughter of Itakura Katsumasa of Bitchū-Matsuyama Domain, but had no heir.
Yanagisawa Satoaki
Yanagisawa Satoaki was 6th daimyō of Mikkaichi. He was the ninth son of Yanagisawa Yasumitsu of Yamato-Kōriyama Domain, and married the daughter of Yanagisawa Satoyo. He was received in formal audience by Shogun Tokugawa Ienari in 1825, and became daimyō on the retirement of his father-in-law in 1826. By the time of his tenure, the domain was very deeply in debt and was forced to borrow 2000 ryō at very high rates of interest. He served as Nikkō Bugyō in 1828 and 1836, and as Osaka kaban in 1829. He died in 1843. His wife was a daughter of Hori Naoyasu of Muramatsu Domain.
Yanagisawa Yasutaka
Yanagisawa Yasutaka was 7th daimyō of Mikkaichi. He was the eldest son of Yanagisawa Satoaki, and became daimyō on his father death in 1843. He was received in formal audience by Shogun Tokugawa Ieyoshi in 1847. He served as Nikkō Bugyō in 1852. He died in 1856 at the age of 22. and as Osaka kaban in 1829. He died in 1843.
Yanagisawa Noritada
Yanagisawa Noritada was 7th daimyō of Mikkaichi. He was the eldest son of Yanagisawa Satoaki, and became daimyō on his father death in 1856. He departed Edo in 1868, becoming the first daimyō of Mikkaichi to actually visit his domain. With the start of the Boshin War, he quickly joined the imperial side and attached his forces to the army of Prince Komatsu Akihito. Under the Meiji government, he served as imperial governor until the abolition of the han system in 1871. He was subsequently ennobled with the kazoku peerage title of shishaku''. He died in 1936.
