were top-ranking

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They ...

officials and advisors in service to the ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and nominall ...

s'' of feudal

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 ...

Overview

In the

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was character ...

, the policy of ''

sankin-kōtai ''Sankin-kōtai'' ( ja, 参覲交代/参覲交替, now commonly written as ja, 参勤交代/参勤交替, lit=alternate attendance, label=none) was a policy of the Tokugawa shogunate during most of the Edo period of Japanese history.Jansen, M ...

'' (alternate attendance) required each ''daimyō'' to place a ''karō'' in Edo and another in the home '' han'' (feudal domain). A ''karō'' who was in charge of a castle was called the ''jōdai karō'' (城代家老), while the one in Edo was called the ''Edo karō'' (江戸家老). A general term for a domain-based ''karō'' is ''kunigarō'' (国家老). Some domains referred to this position as ''

bugyō was a title assigned to '' samurai'' officials during the feudal period of Japan. ''Bugyō'' is often translated as commissioner, magistrate, or governor, and other terms would be added to the title to describe more specifically a given offic ...

'' (奉行) or ''

toshiyori A is a sumo elder of the Japan Sumo Association (JSA). Also known as , former wrestlers who reached a sufficiently high rank are the only people eligible. The benefits are considerable, as only ''toshiyori'' are allowed to run and coach in su ...

'' (年寄). The shogunate post of ''

rōjū The , usually translated as ''Elder'', was one of the highest-ranking government posts under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan. The term refers either to individual Elders, or to the Council of Elders as a whole; under the first two ''shō ...

'' (elder) had many similarities to that of ''karō''. The famous samurai tale, ''

Kanadehon Chūshingura is an 11-act bunraku puppet play composed in 1748. It is one of the most popular Japanese plays, ranked with Zeami's '' Matsukaze'', although the vivid action of Chūshingura differs dramatically from ''Matsukaze''. Medium During this portion o ...

'', describes events involving a ''karō''. The final Asano ''daimyō'' of the Ako ''han'' was

Asano Naganori was the '' daimyō'' of the Akō Domain in Japan (1675–1701). His title was ''Takumi no Kami'' (). He is known as the person who triggered a series of incidents retold in a story known as ''Chūshingura'' (involving the forty-seven rōnin), ...

. While he was in Edo, he was sentenced to commit seppuku for the offense of drawing a sword against

Kira Yoshinaka was a ''kōke'' (master of ceremonies). His court title was '' Kōzuke no suke (上野介)''. He is famous as the adversary of Asano Naganori in the events of the Forty-seven rōnin. Although his name (義央) has been long pronounced as "Yoshi ...

in Edo Castle. When the shogunate abolished the Ako ''han'', all the Ako samurai became ''

rōnin A ''rōnin'' ( ; ja, 浪人, , meaning 'drifter' or 'wanderer') was a samurai without a lord or master during the feudal period of Japan (1185–1868). A samurai became masterless upon the death of his master or after the loss of his master ...

''.

Ōishi Kuranosuke Oishi may refer to: * Ōishi (surname), a Japanese surname * Oishi (Philippine brand), a snack company from the Philippines * Oishi Group, a Thai food-and-drink company * Ōishi Station is a railway station on the Hanshin Electric Railway Mai ...

, the ''jōdai karō'', led 46 other ''rōnin'' in a vendetta against Kira. As a result of his leadership in the

Forty-seven Ronin 47 (forty-seven) is the natural number following 46 and preceding 48. It is a prime number. In mathematics Forty-seven is the fifteenth prime number, a safe prime, the thirteenth supersingular prime, the fourth isolated prime, and the sixth L ...

affair, Ōishi went down in history as the most famous of all ''karō''.

Harmful effects of the Karo system

Two to a few Karos are in the clan administration in a collegial system, but faction conflicts often occur in connection with political reforms and succession issues. Such a conflict became the cause of the "house turmoil", and in the worst case, it could lead to improvement . In particular, the confrontation between the karos, the elderly, and the magistrates who are trying to promote the reforms in an authoritative manner against the background of the lord's trust, which was set up for the feudal affairs reform, and the conservative chief retainers and the priests who represent the opinions of the clan. It was a classic scene, and there were political disputes such as the fact that the clan theory was divided into two and led to a blood-washing conflict, and that the feudal lord was forced to retire with the fall of the reformist elders.

Duty

Basically, he was allowed to stay away from home because of illness or old age, and remained in the post of a senior until he died once he took office. usually, the person on duty is decided on a monthly basis, and the person on duty makes the decision. the person on duty is called the duty or the moon number by the clan. important matters shall be decided on a regular day by gathering at a

Hyōjōsho The , established in 1225 b Hōjō Yasutoki, was a judicial council in Japan. Overview During the Tokugawa shogunate it was composed of the ''Rōjū'' (Elders), the highest officials in the shogunate government, and a number of Commissioners calle ...

, etc. and proceeding after a meeting.

Notes

: Sankin kōtai ("alternate attendance") was a policy of the shogunate during most of the

Japanese history The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to prehistoric times around 30,000 BC. The Jōmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the first millennium BC when new inventi ...

. The purpose was to control the ''

s'' (feudal Lords). Generally, the requirement was that the ''daimyōs'' of every han (province) move periodically between Edo (the Japanese capital) and his han, typically spending alternate years in each place. His wife and heir were required to remain in Edo as hostages. The expenditures necessary to maintain residences in both places, and for the procession to and from Edo, placed financial strains on the ''daimyōs'' making them unable to wage war. The frequent travel of the ''daimyōs'' encouraged road building and the construction of inns and facilities along the routes, generating economic activity. Government of feudal Japan {{Japan-hist-stub

Overview

Harmful effects of the Karo system

Duty

See also

Notes