[Ancient Period]
Around
the time of the Taika Reforms (AD645) the geographic area now known as
the Hokuriku Region was the province of Koshi. Later, at the end of the
7th century, the land was divided into three provinces Echizen, Etchu,
and Echigo and the government was set up in Fushiki, Takaoka. In the
2nd year of Taiho (702) jurisdiction over four counties that had been a
part of Etchu Province, including Kubiki and Uonuma, was transferred to
Echigo Province and in the 13th year of Tempyo (741), the Noto region
was absorbed by Etchu Province. The first Lord of Etchu Province who
appeared in official documents was Taguchi Toshitari, appointed
in the 4th year of Tenpyo, followed by Man’yo poet Otomo no Yakamochi,
who was appointed as the Lord of Etchu in the 18th year of Tempyo (746).
With the separation of the Noto
region from Etchu Province in the 1st year of Tempyo Houji (757), Etchu
assumed the same borders as present-day Toyama Prefecture.
[Feudal Period]
The
feudal period in Japan brought with it civil war, caused by a weakening
in the ruling samurai ranks. Battle after battle ensued including the
battle of Kurikara, won by Kiso Yoshinaka, the rebellious actions of
the Ikko-ikki (groups of Pure Land sect warrior monks and farmers who
rose up against samurai rule in the 15th and 16th centuries), and the
bloodbath accompanying the rise to power of the warlords Uesugi Kenshin and Oda Nobunaga.
[Late Feudal Period]
Etchu
Province was, for the most part, again reunified in the 11th year of
Tensho (1583) under the leadership of Sassa Narimasa, one of Oda
Nobunaga’s generals. Following that event, Tonami, Imizu, Nei, and
Niikawa counties became part of the Kaga Province under the control of
the Maeda family. In the 16th year of Kannei (1639), Nei County and
part of Niikawa County were given to the Toyama Clan of which Maeda
Toshitsugu became the first ruler of the Toyama Clan.
A network of irrigation
ditches was dug during the Edo Period to deal with regular heavy
flooding and to be utilized in rice farming. Various industries sprung
up such as agriculture and medicine making. Also during this period,
Fushiki and Iwase Ports flourished as stops for the Kitamaebune trade
ships, dealing in kelp, herring, sake, rice, and other products.
[Modern to Contemporary]
As a result of the abolition of the han
(clan) system and establishment of the prefecture system in the 4th
year of Meiji (1871), Etchu Province was divided with the former Toyama
Clan lands becoming Toyama Prefecture and the Kaga lands becoming part
of Kanazawa Prefecture. During November of the same year, Niikawa and
Tonami counties were added to Toyama Prefecture. As a result the
prefecture was renamed Niikawa Prefecture and the capital was
established in Uozu. Also, at the same time Imizu County was made a
part of Nanao Prefecture but was again moved during the next year
(1872), and thus was the final piece of the former Etchu Province to
become a part of Niikawa Prefecture. The capital of this new prefecture
was established in Toyama. This did not last however, as the entire
prefecture was absorbed by Ishikawa Prefecture in the 9th year of Meiji
(1876).
This mass merge gave rise to a contest of opinion between
the Kaga-Noto side, which wanted to put all its efforts into the
building of roads in Kanazawa and the Etchu side, which desired to push
forward its water control projects. This argument ended with Monzaburo
Yonezawa leading a successful movement to separate Ishikawa Prefecture
into two prefectures in May of the 16th year of Meiji (1883). Masafumi
Kunishige was appointed as the first governor of Toyama Prefecture and
the prefectural office was established on the site of the old Toyama
Castle. In July, the first voting of the prefectural asssembly was held
and Hisayuki Takebe was elected as the first assembly chairman.
During the 22nd year of Meiji (1889), the prefecture was organized into
2 cities (Toyama and Takaoka), 31 towns, and 238 villages.
Toyama City was devastated by airborne attacks in August of the 20th
year of Showa (1945), but quickly rebounded and by December had began
implementing its city planning project based on War Relief Committee
Order No. 1.
The first public gubernatorial election was held in the 22nd year of
Showa (1947). Seiichi Hane, the 35th appointed governor stepped down
and Tetsuji Tachi was sworn in as the first elected governor of Toyama
Prefecture.
During the following years, a series of mergers took place and in the
44th year of Showa (1969) 9 cities, 18 towns, and 8 villages were
established. This is the Toyama that we know today.
In recent years, the topic of merging has again come up and in November
of the 16th year of Heisei (2004) the new Tonami and Nanto cities were
born. Five months later, in April of the 17th year of Heisei (2005) a
series of mergers gave birth to the new Toyama City as well.
In anticipation of the coming importance of the Japan Sea region,
Toyama has worked to form relationships and head exchanges with other
countries in the region. Friendly relations have been formed with
Primorsky, Russia, Liaoning Province, China and others. Toyama is
striving to become a base for active exchange in the Japan Sea region.
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