Dainagon

was a counselor of the first rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century.

This advisory position remained a part of the Imperial court from the 8th century until the Meiji period in the 19th century.Nussbaum, "Dainagon" in .

The post was created in 702 by the Taihō Code, and evolved out of the earlier post ''Oimonomōsu-tsukasa''. Holders of the office were of the Senior Third Rank. They assisted the Minister of the Left (the '' Sadaijin'') and the Minister of the Right (the ''Udaijin'').

By the mid-17th century, the ''Dainagon'' counselor or state, was expected to work closely the '' Minister of the Center'' (the ''Naidaijin''), whose position ranked just below the ''Udaijin'' and the ''Sadaijin.'' This court position evolved to ensure that someone will be always prepared to replace or assist the main court officials if, for any reason, it should be impossible for one of the two senior counselors to devote himself to his duties and responsibilities in all matters.Titsingh, Isaac. (1834).

The ''Dainagon'' ranked just above all other '' kuge'' in the '' kugyō'' except the ''Daijō-daijin'', ''Udaijin,'' ''Sadaijin,'' and ''Naidaijin.''

This ancient office would have been roughly equivalent to that of vice-minister in the modern cabinet system. It was abolished in 1871.Unterstein (in German)Ranks in Ancient and Meiji Japan (in English and French)
pp. 6, 27.

Dainagon in context

Any exercise of meaningful powers of court officials in the pre-Meiji period reached its nadir during the years of the Tokugawa shogunate, and yet the core structures of ritsuryō government did manage to endure for centuries.

In order to appreciate the office of ''Dainagon'', it is necessary to evaluate its role in the traditional Japanese context of a durable yet flexible framework. In this bureaucratic network and a hierarchy of functionaries, the ''Dainagon'' functioned like mouthpieces to and from the board, and in consultation with the board.Dickson,

The role of ''Dainagon'' was an important element in the ''Daijō-kan'' (Council of State). The Daijō-kan schema proved to be adaptable in the creation of constitutional government in the modern period.

Highest Daijō-kan officials

The highest positions in the court hierarchy can be cataloged. A dry list provides a superficial glimpse inside the complexity and inter-connected relationships of the Imperial court structure.
* ''Daijō-daijin'' (Chancellor of the Realm or Chief Minister).Titsingh, ; Varley, H. Paul. (1980). ''Jinnō Shōtōki,'' p.272.
* '' Sadaijin'' (Minister of the Left).
* ''Udaijin'' (Minister of the Right).
* ''Naidaijin'' (Minister of the Center).

The next highest tier of officials were:
* ''Dainagon'' (Major counselor, chief counselor of state). There are commonly three ''Dainagon''; sometimes more.Unterstein (in German)Ranks in Ancient and Meiji Japan (in English and French)
p. 6.
* ''Chūnagon'' (Middle counselor).
* ''Shōnagon'' (Minor counselor); there are commonly three ''Shōnagon''.

Other high-ranking bureaucrats who function somewhat flexibly within the ''Daijō-kan'' were;
* ''Sangi'' (Associate counselor).Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Sangi" in . This office functions as a manager of ''Daijō-kan'' activities within the palace.
* (Secretariat). These are specifically named men who act at the sole discretion of the emperor.

The Eight Ministries

The government ministries were eight semi-independent bureaucracies. A list alone cannot reveal much about the actual functioning of the ''Daijō-kan'', but the broad hierarchical categories do suggest the way in which governmental functions were parsed:

The specific ministries above are not grouped arbitrarily. The two court officials below had responsibility for them as follows:
* Varley, p. 272. This administrator was charged or tasked with supervising four ministries: Center, Civil Services, Ceremonies, and Taxation.
* This administrator was charged or tasked with supervising four ministries: Military, Justice, Treasury and Imperial Household.

See also

* Daijō-kan
* Sesshō and Kampaku
* Kōkyū
* Kuge
* Imperial Household Agency

Notes

References

* Dickson, Walter G. and Mayo Williamson Hazeltine. (1898)
"The Eight Boards of Government" in ''Japan''.
New York: P. F. Collier
OCLC 285881
* Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). "Chunagon" i
''Japan Encyclopedia''.
Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
OCLC 48943301
* Ozaki, Yukio. (2001)
''The Autobiography of Ozaki Yukio: The Struggle for Constitutional Government in Japan''
translated by Fujiko Hara. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
OCLC 123043741
* ____________. (1955). 尾崎咢堂全集. 第11卷, 咢堂自伝: 日本憲政史を語る (''Ozaki gakudō zenshū. 11, Gakudō jiden: nihon kenseishi o kataru'') Tokyo: Kōronsha
OCLC 672920518
* Sansom, George (1958). ''A History of Japan to 1334''.] Stanford: Stanford University Press. ;
* Timon Screech, Screech, Timon. (2006). ''Secret Memoirs of the Shoguns: Isaac Titsingh and Japan, 1779–1822''. London: Routledge Curzon.
OCLC 65177072
* Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''Nihon Ōdai Ichiran''; ou
''Annales des empereurs du Japon.''
Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland
OCLC 5850691
* Varley, H. Paul. (1980)
''Jinnō Shōtōki: A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns''.
New York: Columbia University Press.
OCLC 59145842
4

Further reading

* Dickenson, Walter G. (1869). ''Japan: Being a Sketch of the History, Government and Officers of the Empire.'' London: W. Blackwood and Sons.

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Government of feudal Japan