Editing Han system (section)

===Meiji period===
{{main|Meiji (era)}}
In 1868, the Tokugawa Shogunate was overthrown in the [[Meiji Restoration]] by a coalition of pro-[[Imperial Court in Kyoto|Imperial]] samurai in reaction to the {{lang|ja-Latn|[[Bakumatsu]]}}. One of the main driving forces of the anti-Tokugawa movement was support for [[modernization]] and [[Westernization]] in Japan. From 1869 to 1871, the new [[Government of Meiji Japan|Meiji government]] sought to abolish feudalism in Japan, and the title of daimyo in the {{lang|ja-Latn|han}} system was altered to {{nihongo||藩知事|han-chiji}} or {{nihongo||知藩事|chihanji}}.<ref>Lebra, Takie S. (1995). [https://books.google.com/books?id=UudGTW6nK2AC&pg=PA29 ''Above the Clouds: Status Culture of the Modern Japanese Nobility'', p. 29]<!-- EXCERPT  "... domain lords called daimyo (also known as shokō or hanshu, lords of han, the feudal domain); and ... to governorship of their respective domains, it was under a less dignified title, ''han-chiji'' or ''chihanji'' (domainal governor)" --></ref> In 1871, almost all of the [[Abolition of the han system|domains were disbanded]] and replaced with a new Meiji system of [[Prefectures of Japan|prefectures]] which were directly subordinate to the [[Government of Japan|national government]] in [[Tokyo]].<ref name="nussbaum283"/>

However, in 1872, the Meiji government created the [[Ryukyu Domain]] after Japan formally [[Annexation|annexed]] the [[Ryukyu Kingdom]], a [[vassal state]] of the [[Shimazu clan]] of [[Satsuma Domain|Satsuma]] since 1609.<ref>Matsumura, Wendy. (2007). [https://books.google.com/books?id=nWXwkb_xRNsC&q=1879&pg=PA74 ''Becoming Okinawan: Japanese Capitalism and Changing Representations of Okinawa'', p. 38]{{Dead link|date=July 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}.<!-- EXCERPT  "March 27, 1879 marks the birth of [[Okinawa Prefecture]] and the death of the short-lived Ryukyu domain, which itself came into being on September 14, 1872, replacing the Ryukyu kingdom." --></ref> The Ryūkyū Domain was governed as a {{lang|ja-Latn|han}} headed by the [[King of Ryukyu|Ryukyuan monarchy]] until it was finally abolished and became [[Okinawa Prefecture]] in March 1879.