Hierarchies & Ranks

Samurai society in the Yonezawa domain was highly stratified, with incomes and opportunities for administrative positions varying widely according to rank. The tables below provide an overview of the Yonezawa domain structure and summarise the Yonezawa samurai ranks as they appear in the 1690 roster of retainers. This roster includes Genta's father, Takenomata Ihei, and shows the place of Genta's family within samurai hierarchies.


Based on: Bugenchō Genroku san-nen 分限帳 元禄3年. Yonezawa City Library (call number 地域史料 KG 003001), 1796. https://www.library.yonezawa.yamagata.jp/dg/KG003.html

Adapted from:『藩史大事典』第一巻 (2015), 506–507;『 米沢市史 3 近世編 2』 (1993), 116–117;『市立米沢図書館 郷土資料集「慶応元年分限帳人名索引付」』 (2016); 佐藤正三郎「 オープニング ギャラリートーク2 米沢藩士の調べ方」 (2020). See also「 家臣団の編成」in『 米沢市史 2 近世編 1』(1991), 118–140 and 渡辺恵吉「 米沢藩の職制 について」 in『 米沢市史編集資料 第1号 (寛政五年分限帳) 』(1980), 8–60.