Sōma Domain

The Sōma Domain (相馬藩, Sōma-han^?) was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in southern Mutsu Province. It was ruled by the Sōma clan. This domain was also known as the Nakamura Domain (中村藩, Nakamura han^?) according to the capital Nakamura (present-day Sōma City).

Before the battle of Sekigahara, northern Hamadōri was the realm of the Sōma clan since 1189. In the battle of Sekigahara in 1600, the Sōma clan was for the Satake clan whose base was Mito.

After Sekigahara, the Sōma clan's realm was confiscated by Tokugawa Ieyasu. But, the family leader Sōma Yoshitane regained the former realm in 1611 by mediation and compassion by Date Masamune.

The Nakamura Domain promoted pottery as specialty products, they are known as the Ōbori ware of Namie and the Sōma horse ware of the castle town Nakamura.

Also, the Nakamura Domain suffered famine disasters in 1780s, and accepted immigrants from the Ecchu Province (present-day Toyama Prefecture) in order to keep the population. In 1830s to 1840s, the Nakamura Domain practiced the Hōtoku agricultural method originated by Ninomiya Sontoku whose birthplace was Odawara.

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