Nabeshima Tadashige, the younger sibling of Nabeshima Katsushige, the inaugural daimyō of the Saga Domain, received 20,000 koku and permission to establish a cadet branch of the Nabeshima clan in 1610. He then acquired an additional 5,000 koku in Katori District, Shimōsa Province, his birthplace, thereby establishing the domain with a total of 25,000 koku. The domain was centered around Tsunehiro Castle, located in what is now the urban center of the city of Kashima, Saga. In 1642, during the tenure of the second daimyō Nabeshima Masashige, Nabeshima Katsushige asked to adopt his ninth son, Naotomo. However, as Masashige had no other heir, his request was denied. This outraged the parent house, as the very purpose of establishing a sub-domain with a cadet branch of the clan was to provide "insurance" for the main lineage, and the idea of refusing one's overlord and clan chieftain was unheard of. This lead Masashige being forced to return 20,000 koku of territory, accept a reduction in status to hatamoto, and was sent to Shimōsa to oversee his father's original 5,000 koku estate. Eventually, Katsushige bestowed his 20,000 koku territory, upon Nabeshima Naotomo. Nabeshima Naoto, the ninth daimyō, constructed Kashima Castle in 1821, designating it as his official residence. Following the abolition of the han system and the establishment of prefectures in 1871, "Kashima Prefecture" was formed. It later merged with Saga Prefecture through a series of administrative changes involving Imari Prefecture, Saga Prefecture, Mizuma Prefecture, and Nagasaki Prefecture. Nabeshima Naoyoshi, the final daimyō, was granted the title of viscount in the kazoku peerage order in 1884.
The Akamon (main gate), Otemon, and the earthen walls of the Jin'ya have survived to this day. Additionally, the Tsunehiro Castle Gate has been relocated to a private residence, preserving a piece of historical architecture.
Holdings at the end of the Edo period
As with most domains in the han system, Hasunoike Domain consisted of several discontinuous territories calculated to provide the assigned kokudaka, based on periodic cadastral surveys and projected agricultural yields.[4][5]
