Hideyoshi assisted in the suppression of the Kunohe Rebellion of 1591 which secured Nobunao's position as head of all the branches of the Nanbu clan.

The result was to plunge the domain’s finances, already suffering from repeated crop failures due to inclement weather and reduction in output from its copper mines, into the red.

[6] In 1821, the Sōma Daisaku incident, in which a retainer of the Nanbu clan attempted to assassinate the daimyō of Tsugaru Domain occurred.

The 11th daimyō, Nanbu Toshimochi, died at the age of 13 before he could be formally received in audience by shōgun Tokugawa Ienari.

Fearing that this could be used by the shogunate as a cause for attainder, the domain leaders substituted a cousin of similar age and appearance to take his place.

During the Bakumatsu period, in 1857 the 14th daimyō of Morioka, Nanbu Toshihisa, married the third daughter of Tokugawa Nariaki of Mito Domain.

[9] Six months later, the Nanbu petitioned to return to Morioka, to which the government agreed provided that they paid a penalty of 700,000 gold ryō.

Although this sum proved impossible amount to raise, the Nanbu were allowed to return shortly before the abolition of the han system.