Dainagon
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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 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 ...
in the 19th century.Nussbaum, "Dainagon" in . The post was created in 702 by 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 ...
, 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 was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the ''udaijin'' in the context of a central administ ...
''). By the mid-17th century, the ''Dainagon'' counselor or state, was expected to work closely the '' Minister of the Center'' (the ''
Naidaijin The , literally meaning "Inner Minister", was an ancient office in the Japanese imperial court, Japanese Imperial Court. Its role, rank and authority varied throughout the pre-Meiji period, Meiji period of Japanese history, but in general remain ...
''), 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 The was the head of the ''Daijō-kan'' (Great Council of State) during and after the Nara period and briefly under the Meiji Constitution. Equivalent to the Chinese (Grand Preceptor). History Emperor Tenji's favorite son, Prince Ōtomo, wa ...
'', ''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 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 ...
reached its nadir during the years 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 ...
, and yet the core structures of
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'' ...
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 The , also known as the Great Council of State, was (i) (''Daijō-kan'') the highest organ of Japan's premodern Imperial government under the Ritsuryō legal system during and after the Nara period or (ii) (''Dajō-kan'') the highest organ of Jap ...
'' (Council of State). The Daijō-kan
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 ...
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 The was the head of the ''Daijō-kan'' (Great Council of State) during and after the Nara period and briefly under the Meiji Constitution. Equivalent to the Chinese (Grand Preceptor). History Emperor Tenji's favorite son, Prince Ōtomo, wa ...
'' (Chancellor of the Realm or Chief Minister).Titsingh, ; Varley, H. Paul. (1980). ''Jinnō Shōtōki,'' p.272. * '' Sadaijin'' (Minister of the Left). * ''
Udaijin was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the ''udaijin'' in the context of a central administ ...
'' (Minister of the Right). * ''
Naidaijin The , literally meaning "Inner Minister", was an ancient office in the Japanese imperial court, Japanese Imperial Court. Its role, rank and authority varied throughout the pre-Meiji period, Meiji period of Japanese history, but in general remain ...
'' (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 was a counselor of the second rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century. The role was eliminated from the Imperial hierarchy in 701, but it was re-established in 705. This advisory position remained a part of the I ...
'' (Middle counselor). * ''
Shōnagon was a counselor of the third rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates to the 7th century. This advisory position remained a part of the Imperial court of Japan from the 8th century until the Meiji period in the 19th century.Nussbaum ...
'' (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 Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
,
Civil Services The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...
,
Ceremonies A ceremony (, ) is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan origin, via the Latin '' caerimonia''. Church and civil (secular) ...
, and
Taxation A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal person, legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regiona ...
. * This administrator was charged or tasked with supervising four ministries:
Military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
,
Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...
,
Treasury A treasury is either *A government department related to finance and taxation, a finance ministry. *A place or location where treasure, such as currency or precious items are kept. These can be state or royal property, church treasure or i ...
and Imperial Household.


See also

*
Daijō-kan The , also known as the Great Council of State, was (i) (''Daijō-kan'') the highest organ of Japan's premodern Imperial government under the Ritsuryō legal system during and after the Nara period or (ii) (''Dajō-kan'') the highest organ of Jap ...
*
Sesshō and Kampaku In Japan, was a title given to a regent who was named to act on behalf of either a child Emperor before his coming of age, or an empress regnant. The was theoretically a sort of chief advisor for the Emperor, but was in practice the title of ...
*
Kōkyū is the section of a Japanese Imperial Palace called the where the Imperial Family and court ladies lived. Many cultured women gathered as wives of Emperors, and court ladies, as well as the maids for these women; court officials often visited th ...
* 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 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 retirem ...
.
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 , ', is a 17th-century chronicle of the serial reigns of Japanese emperors with brief notes about some of the noteworthy events or other happenings. According to the 1871 edition of the ''American Cyclopaedia'', the 1834 French translation of ...
''; 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. {{DEFAULTSORT:Dainagon Government of feudal Japan