were officials of the
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...
with responsibility for financial accounting or tax administration.
The manner of paying taxes varied according to locality. In the ''Kantō,'' payments were generally made in rice for wet fields and in gold for uplands. In the ''
Kinai
is a Japanese term denoting an ancient division of the country. ''Kinai'' is a name for the ancient provinces around the capital Nara and Heian-kyō. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Kinai''" in . The five provinces were called ''go-kinai' ...
'' and western provinces, a slightly different formula was applied; but the payments were also received in both rice and gold. In the case of cash payments, the money would have been taken to
Edo Castle
is a flatland castle that was built in 1457 by Ōta Dōkan in Edo, Toshima District, Musashi Province. In modern times it is part of the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Chiyoda, Tokyo and is therefore also known as .
Tokugawa Ieyasu established ...
or to
Osaka Castle
is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The castle is one of Japan's most famous landmarks and it played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period.
Layout
The main tower ...
where it became the responsibility of ''kane-bugyō''.
The ''kane-bugyō'' in Edo and Osaka were responsible for all accounts associated with such receipts of cash. These were compiled and then subsequently audited by the ''katte-kata''. The entire operation was closely scrutinized by a member of the ''
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 ...
'' or the ''
wakadoshiyori
The ', or "Junior Elders", were high government officials in the Edo period Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate (1603-1867). The position was established around 1633, but appointments were irregular until 1662. The four to six ''wakadoshiyori'' we ...
''.
[Brinkley, pp. 638–639.]
Some
domains also had the position of ''kane-bugyō''. Two of the
Forty-seven ''rōnin'' had held this position in the
Akō Domain
was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, located in Harima Province in what is now the southwestern portion of modern-day Hyōgo Prefecture. It was centered around Akō Castle, which is located in what is no ...
:
Ōtaka Gengo and
Maehara Isuke.
List of ''kane-bugyō''
:
See also
*
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 ...
Notes
References
* Brinkley, Frank. (1915)
''A History of the Japanese People from the Earliest Times to the End of the Meiji Era''.London:
Encyclopædia Britannica
The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various t ...
.
* Hall, John Wesley. (1955)
''Tanuma Okitsugu: Forerunner of Modern Japan''.Cambridge:
Harvard University Press
Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retir ...
.
Government of feudal Japan
Officials of the Tokugawa shogunate
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