Twelve Garrisons of Southern Hokkaido (original) (raw)

The Twelve Garrisons of Southern Hokkaido (Japanese: 道南十二館, "Twelve Garrisons of the Southern Circuit") was a general term encompassing the Japanese feudal possessions in southern Ezo (now Hokkaido). The names come from the "Shinra no Kiroku" which describes the history of the Matsumae Domain. It is distributed along the southern coastline of the Oshima peninsula facing the Tsugaru Strait, from the Shimosa Garrison in Hakodate to Hanazawa Garrison in Kaminokuni. These garrisons were possessed by the Ando clan and were important sites for trade between Japanese merchants and the indigenous Ainu.