The , also known as the Great Council of State, was (i) (''Daijō-kan'') the highest organ of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

's premodern Imperial government under the

Ritsuryō , , is the historical law system based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Chinese Legalism in Japan. The political system in accord to Ritsuryō is called "Ritsuryō-sei" (律令制). ''Kyaku'' (格) are amendments of Ritsuryō, ''Shiki' ...

legal system during and after the Nara period or (ii) (''Dajō-kan'') the highest organ of

's government briefly restored to power after the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

, which was replaced by the

Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...

. It was consolidated in the

Taihō Code The was an administrative reorganisation enacted in 703 in Japan, at the end of the Asuka period. It was historically one of the . It was compiled at the direction of Prince Osakabe, Fujiwara no Fuhito and Awata no Mahito. Nussbaum, Louis ...

of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of this central administrative body composed of the three ministers—the '' Daijō-daijin'' (Chancellor), the '' Sadaijin'' (Minister of the Left) and the '' Udaijin'' (Minister of the Right).Hall, John Whitney ''et al.''. (1993)
''The Cambridge History of Japan'', p. 232.
/ref> The Imperial governing structure was headed by the ''Daijō-kan''. This council and its subsidiary ministries handled all secular administrative affairs of the country, while the ''

Jingi-kan The , also known as the Department of Shinto Affairs, Department of Rites, Department of Worship, as well as Council of Divinities, was a Japanese Imperial bureaucracy established in the 8th century, as part of the '' ritsuryō'' reforms. It was f ...

'' or Department of Worship, oversaw all matters regarding Shintō ritual, clergy, and shrines. This structured organization gradually lost power over the course of the 10th and 11th centuries, as the

Fujiwara clan was a powerful family of imperial regents in Japan, descending from the Nakatomi clan and, as legend held, through them their ancestral god Ame-no-Koyane. The Fujiwara prospered since the ancient times and dominated the imperial court until th ...

, dominating the post of Imperial regent, began to dominate the ''Daijō-kan'' as well. It became increasingly common for the regent to hold the post of chancellor or other office simultaneously. By the 12th century, the council was essentially powerless as a separate entity, though it seems clear that the system was never formally dismantled. Over the course of centuries, the ''ritsuryō'' state produced more and more information which was carefully archived; however, with the passage of time in the Heian period, ''ritsuryō'' institutions evolved into a political and cultural system without feedback. By the time of the Emperor Kōmei, the kuge aristocracy were joined in common goals by a number of newly powerful provincial figures from outside Kyoto. Together, this tenuous, undefined coalition of men worked together to restore the long latent prestige, persuasive power, and active strengths of a re-invigorated Imperial center. This combination of factors thrust an archaic hierarchy into the center of national attention, but with so many other high-priority matters demanding immediate attention, there was little time or energy to invest in reforming or re-organizing the ''Daijō-kan''.

Ritsuryō organization and hierarchy

The eighth century

ritsuryō , , is the historical law system based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Chinese Legalism in Japan. The political system in accord to Ritsuryō is called "Ritsuryō-sei" (律令制). ''Kyaku'' (格) are amendments of Ritsuryō, ''Shiki' ...

innovations would prove to be remarkably durable and resilient across the span of centuries. Any exercise of meaningful powers of court officials reached its nadir during the years of the Tokugawa shogunate, and yet the ''Daijō-kan'' did manage to persist intact through the initial years of the

. It is not possible to assess or evaluate any individual office without assessing its role in the context of a durable yet flexible network and hierarchy of functionaries. In the early

Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

, the appointed Imperial ''Daijo-kan'' was filled with princes, aristocrats, loyalists domain lords (''daimyō''), and samurai. Within months after Emperor Meiji's

Charter Oath The was promulgated on 6 April 1868 in Kyoto Imperial Palace. The Oath outlined the main aims and the course of action to be followed during Emperor Meiji's reign, setting the legal stage for Japan's modernization. This also set up a process of u ...

, the ancient ritsuryō structure was slightly modified with an express focus on the separation of legislative, administrative, and judicial functions within the ''Daijō-kan'' system. The evolution of a deliberative body within a modern constitutional system was gradual, and its constituent differences from the old ''Daijō-kan'' were not entirely self-evident at first, as revealed in an Imperial message in 1869: :''"The Assembly shall be for the wide ranging consultation of public opinion and, respecting the Imperial will which laid the foundations of national government, it will be a place where the energies of the multitude are harnessed. Thus, it is necessary that proceedings will show respect for the Imperial rescript, be united in purpose with the ''Daijō-kan'', take the fundamentals of government to heart, judiciously address matters which arise, and act to ensure that unity within the country is not compromised."''Ozaki, p. 11. Some months later, another major reform of the ''Daijō-kan'' re-united the legislative and executive functions which had been clearly separated earlier. In 1871, The office of '' Daijō-daijin'' in the Great Council of State was briefly resurrected under the Meiji Constitution with the appointment of

Sanjō Sanetomi Prince was a Japanese Imperial court noble and statesman at the time of the Meiji Restoration. He held many high-ranking offices in the Meiji government. Biography Born in Kyoto, Sanjō was the son of ''Naidaijin'' Sanjō Sanetsumu. He he ...

. Despite the similarity of names for its constituent offices, this ''Daijō-kan'' would have been unrecognizable to Fujiwara courtiers of the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japan ...

. Nor would it have seemed at all familiar to those men who surrounded the emperor in the days of the Kenmu Restoration. In due course, it was decided that a modern integrated cabinet system would better serve a modern Japan. The ''Daijō-kan'' system, which had been divided into ministerial committees, would be replaced by a more modern model. In December 1885, the old system was abolished completely;Ozaki, p. 86. and yet, even afterwards, some elements of old system were adapted to new uses. For example, in that year, the title of ''

Naidaijin The , literally meaning "Inner Minister", was an ancient office in the Japanese Imperial Court. Its role, rank and authority varied throughout the pre- Meiji period of Japanese history, but in general remained as a significant post under the Ta ...

'' was reconfigured to mean the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan in the Imperial Court. The man who had previously held the office of prime minister or chief minister of the initial restoration government was the ''Daijō-daijin'',

. Sanjō petitioned the emperor to be relieved of his ancient ritsuryō office; and he was then immediately appointed ''

'', or Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal. The office of the Privy Seal was identical with the old ''Naidaijin'' only in its Japanese title—not in terms of function or powers.Unterstein (in German)Ranks in Ancient and Meiji Japan (in English and French)
pp. 6, 27.

Council of State

This dry catalog does provide a superficial glimpse inside the complexity of what was initially designed as a pre-feudal court structure. What this list cannot easily explain is how or why the ''Daijō-kan'' turned out to be both flexible and useful across a span of centuries: * Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). See also, .Varley, H. Paul. (1980). ''Jinnō Shōtōki,'' p.272. * . * . * . * , three positions. There are commonly three ''Dainagon'', sometimes more. * , three positions. There are commonly three ''Chunagon'', sometimes more. * , three positions. There are commonly three ''Shōnagon''. * . This office functions as a manager of daijō-kan activities within the palace.Titsingh, * . These are specifically named men who act at the sole discretion of the emperor. * . This administrator was charged or tasked with supervising four ministries: Center, Civil Services, Ceremonies, and Popular Affairs. * This administrator was charged or tasked with supervising four ministries: Military, Justice, Treasury and Imperial Household. * . * . * . * . * . * . * , 20 positions. There are twenty officials with this title.

Ritsuryō Eight Ministries

The Asuka-, Nara- and

Heian The Japanese word Heian (平安, lit. "peace") may refer to: * Heian period, an era of Japanese history * Heian-kyō, the Heian-period capital of Japan that has become the present-day city of Kyoto * Heian series, a group of karate kata (forms) * ...

-period Imperial court hierarchy encompassed a multi-faceted bureaucracy focused on serving the needs of the Emperor, the Imperial family, the Imperial Household and the Imperial state. Imperial power and prestige would wax and wane during the subsequent Kamakura-, Kenmu-, Muromachi-, Nanboku-chō-, Sengoku-, Azuchi–Momoyama-, and

Edo Edo ( ja, , , "bay-entrance" or "estuary"), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. Edo, formerly a ''jōkamachi'' (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the ''de facto'' capital of ...

-periods; nevertheless, the basic structure of the Imperial household remained largely unchanged. A mere list of the court titles cannot reveal nearly enough about the actual functioning of the ''Daijō-kan''; but the hierarchical relationships sketch a general context.

Ministry of the Center

The Taihō Code established a , sometimes identified as the "Ministry of Central Affairs." This ministry became the governmental agency for matters most closely pertaining to the emperor. In the 18th century, the top ''ritsuryō'' official within this subdivision of the ''daijō-kan'' was the . This official had the responsibility to oversee the inspection of the interior apartments of the palace; and he was granted the privilege of retaining his swords in the presence of the emperor.Titsingh, p. 427. Considered central were the , 8 positions. There are 8 officials with this title, all equal in rank and in the confidence of the Emperor. In the

, a variant equerry was introduced as part of the Imperial retinue. As explained in an excerpt from the : " will perform attendant duties and will relay to him military matters and orders, be present at military reviews

n his name N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''. History ...

and accompanying him to formal ceremonies and interviews."

Ministry of Civil Services

The Taihō Code established a ; also known as the "Ministry of Legislative Direction and Public Instruction". This ministry collected and maintained biographical archives of meritorious subjects. In the 18th century, the top ''ritsuryō'' official within this subdivision of the ''daijō-kan'' was the ;Titsingh, p. 428. also known as "Chief minister of public instruction." This office is ordinarily filled by a son or close relative of the emperor. Two of the offices which were deemed to fit in this "civil services" context were the Imperial court's . and the Emperor's .

Ministry of Ceremonies

The Taihō Code established a ; also known as the "Ministry of the Interior". In the 18th century, the top ''ritsuryō'' official within this subdivision of the ''daijō-kan'' was the .

Ministry of Popular Affairs

The Taihō Code established a . This ministry is concerned with the general populace, with police activities, and with land survey records. Registries for all towns and villages are maintained, including census records as well as birth and death records.Titsingh, p. 430. In the 18th century, the top ''ritsuryō'' official within this subdivision of the ''daijō-kan'' was the .

Ministry of War

The Taihō Code established a .Titsingh, p. 431. In the 18th century, the top ''ritsuryō'' official within this subdivision of the ''daijō-kan'' was the .

Ministry of Justice

The Taihō Code established a . In the 18th century, the top ''ritsuryō'' official within this subdivision of the ''daijō-kan'' was the .

Ministry of the Treasury

The Taihō Code established a . In the 18th century, the top ''ritsuryō'' official within this subdivision of the ''daijō-kan'' was the . This official supervises the receipt of tributes from the provinces and imposes tribute on others.Titsingh, p. 432.

Ministry of the Imperial Household

The Taihō Code established a . The origins of the current can be traced back to structures which were put into effect during the reign of Emperor Monmu, with some subsequent modifications. In 1702, the Taika era name for the palace organization, ''kunai-kan'' or "government" of the palace, was changed to the ''kunai-shō'' or "ministry" of the palace. Accompanying this modification, the chief administrative official was afterwards called ''kunai-kyō''. After the

, the ''kunai-shō'' name remained unchanged. There were two other periods of modification and in 1889. In the 18th century, the top ''ritsuryō'' officials within this hierarchic structure were: * , the surveyor of all works which are executed within the interior of the palace. * .Titsingh, p. 433 * , two persons. * , two persons. * , two persons. The deliberate redundancies at the top were common features of each position in this stable hierarchic

schema The word schema comes from the Greek word ('), which means ''shape'', or more generally, ''plan''. The plural is ('). In English, both ''schemas'' and ''schemata'' are used as plural forms. Schema may refer to: Science and technology * SCHEMA ...

. Many positions typically mirrored the ''-kyō,'' ''-taifu,'' ''-shō,'' ''-jō,'' and ''-sakan'' pattern.

Tokugawa courtiers

Even nominal administrative powers of court officials reached a nadir during the years of the Tokugawa shogunate. In this impoverished period, titles and court rank were still prized by those outside the traditional ''kuge''. The Tokugawa shōguns did not demur when the Emperor offered rank and an office in the court: * Tokugawa Ieyasu had the rank of ''Jūichii'' (First Rank, Second Class) and the office of ''Udaijin'' (Great Minister of the Right, i.e., inferior to the Minister of the Left) * Tokugawa Hidetada had the rank of ''Jūichii'' and was ''Daijō Daijin'' (the Great Minister or Chancellor of the Realm)Screech, pp. 157. *

Tokugawa Iemitsu Tokugawa Iemitsu (徳川家光, August 12, 1604 – June 8, 1651) was the third '' shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada with Oeyo, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Lady Kasuga was his wet nurse, w ...

had the same rank and was ''Sadaijin'' (Great Minister of the Left, i.e., superior to the Minister of the Right) *

Tokugawa Ietsuna was the fourth ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty of Japan who was in office from 1651 to 1680. He is considered the eldest son of Tokugawa Iemitsu, which makes him the grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. E ...

had the rank of ''Shōnii'' (Second Rank, First Class) and was ''Udaijin'' * Tokugawa Tsunayoshi had the rank of ''Shōnii'' and was ''Udaijin'' * Tokugawa Ienobu had the rank of ''Shōnii'' was ''

'' (Great Minister of the Center, i.e., inferior to the Minister of the Left)Screech, pp. 157. 'Error in published text was corrected: ''Nadaijin'' is Minister of the Left - not Right.'' * Tokugawa Ietsugu had the rank of ''Shōnii'' was also ''Nadaijin'' *

Tokugawa Yoshimune was the eighth '' shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, ruling from 1716 until his abdication in 1745. He was the son of Tokugawa Mitsusada, the grandson of Tokugawa Yorinobu, and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Lineage Yoshi ...

held the rank of ''Shōnii'' and was ''Udaijin'' *

Tokugawa Ieshige Tokugawa Ieshige; 徳川家重 (January 28, 1712 – July 13, 1761) was the ninth '' shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. The first son of Tokugawa Yoshimune, his mother was the daughter of Ōkubo Tadanao, known as Osuma no kata ...

also held the rank of ''Shōnii'' and was ''Udaijin'' * Tokugawa Ieharu also held the rank of ''Shōnii'' and was ''Udaijin'' * Tokugawa Ienari was ''Dainagon'' (Great Counselor) * Tokugawa Ieyoshi * Tokugawa Iesada *

Tokugawa Iemochi (July 17, 1846 – August 29, 1866) was the 14th ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, who held office from 1858 to 1866. During his reign there was much internal turmoil as a result of the "re-opening" of Japan to western nations. ...

* Tokugawa Yoshinobu

Geo-political sub-divisions

The country was divided into provinces called , which were administered by governors appointed by the ''Daijō-kan''. The provinces were then further divided into districts called , under district governors who were appointed by the local nobility. At the beginning of the eighth century, there were 592 districts making up 66 provinces.

Notes

References

* Asai T. (1985). ''Nyokan Tūkai'' . Tokyo:

Kōdansha is a Japanese privately-held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha is the largest Japanese publishing company, and it produces the manga magazines ''Nakayoshi'', ''Afternoon'', ''Evening'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' an ...

. * Dickenson, Walter G. (1869). ''Japan: Being a Sketch of the History, Government and Officers of the Empire.'' London: W. Blackwood and Sons. * Hall, John Whitney, Delmer M. Brown and Kozo Yamamura. (1993)
''The Cambridge History of Japan.''
Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press in the world. It is also the King's Printer. Cambridge University Pr ...

. *

Ozaki Ozaki (written: or ) is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese singer-songwriter *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese actor *, Japanese poet *, Japanese singer-songwriter *, Japanese journalist *, Japanese footballe ...

, Yukio. (2001). ''The Autobiography of Ozaki Yukio: The Struggle for Constitutional Government in Japan.'' ranslated by Fujiko Hara Princeton:

Princeton University Press Princeton University Press is an independent publisher with close connections to Princeton University. Its mission is to disseminate scholarship within academia and society at large. The press was founded by Whitney Darrow, with the financial ...

. (cloth) * Ozaki, Yukio. (1955). ''Ozak Gakudō Zenshū'' . Tokyo: Kōronsha. * Sansom, George (1958). ''A History of Japan to 1334.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press. * Sansom, George. (1952). ''Japan: A Short Cultural History.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press. (cloth) (paper) * Screech, Timon. (2006). ''Secret Memoirs of the Shoguns: Isaac Titsingh and Japan, 1779-1822.'' London: RoutledgeCurzon. * Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). iyun-sai_Rin-siyo/Hayashi_Gahō,_1652.html" ;"title="Hayashi_Gahō.html" ;"title="iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō">iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652">Hayashi_Gahō.html" ;"title="iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō">iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652 ''Nipon o daï itsi ran; ou
Annales des empereurs du Japon.''
Paris: Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. * Ury, Marian. (1999). "Chinese Learning and Intellectual Life," ''The Cambridge history of Japan: Heian Japan''. Vol. II. Cambridge:

. (cloth) * Varley, H. Paul , ed. (1980). Kitabatake_Chikafusa,_1359.html" ;"title="Kitabatake_Chikafusa.html" ;"title="Kitabatake Chikafusa">Kitabatake Chikafusa, 1359">Kitabatake_Chikafusa.html" ;"title="Kitabatake Chikafusa">Kitabatake Chikafusa, 1359 ''Jinnō Shōtōki ("A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns: Jinnō Shōtōki of Kitabatake Chikafusa" translated by H. Paul Varley).'' New York: Columbia University Press.

External links

*National Archives of Japan �
Drawings of the Dajokan Building (November, 1877)
* National Archives of Japan �

* National Archives of Japan –

* National Archives of Japan – ttps://web.archive.org/web/20080208213302/http://jpimg.digital.archives.go.jp/kouseisai/category/drawing/koseki_e.html Request concerning family registration statistics (1869) {{DEFAULTSORT:Daijo-kan Government of feudal Japan Meiji Restoration Classical Japan Former government ministries of Japan