The (lit. the department of the inner (or privy) affairs) was a division of the eighth century
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 ...
ese government of the
Imperial Court in Kyoto, instituted in the
Asuka period
The was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710 (or 592 to 645), although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period. The Yamato polity evolved greatly during the Asuka period, which is named after ...
and formalized during 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 ...
. The Ministry was replaced in 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 ...
.
Overview
This ministry encompassed those of the Imperial Household whose functions brought them closest to the emperor. The ceremonies of the Imperial Household evolved over time. Among those holding the highest office in the Imperial Household ministry was Takaharu''-shinnō'', who would later become
Emperor Go-Daigo
Emperor Go-Daigo (後醍醐天皇 ''Go-Daigo-tennō'') (26 November 1288 – 19 September 1339) was the 96th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')後醍醐天皇 (96) retrieved 2013-8-28. according to the traditional orde ...
.
History
The ceremonial nature of the Imperial Household has changed over time. The Ministry was established in 649 as a liaison between 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 J ...
'' and the Emperor.
[Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric ''et al.'' (2005). "Nakatsukasa-shō" in ]
The ambit of the Ministry's activities encompasses, for example:
* attendance upon the Emperor, including advice to him on his personal matters, supporting him in the maintenance of a proper dignity and helping him in the observance of proper forms of etiquette
[Kawakami, citing Ito Hirobumi, ''Commentaries on the Japanese Constitution,'' p. 86 (1889).]
* assisting in the inspection and countersigning of drafts of Imperial Rescripts
* making of representations to the Emperor
* support in the issuance of imperial orders in time of war
* monitoring the reception of addresses to the Emperor
* compilation of the history of the country
* maintenance of the records relating to the gazetteer
* maintenance of the records relating to the personal status of imperial princesses from the second to the fourth generation
* maintenance of the records relating to the maids of honour and other court ladies
* oversight of the submission to the Emperor of the census of the population in the various provinces
* oversight of the submission to the Emperor of the accounts of the taxes to be levied
* oversight of the submission to the Emperor of the lists of the priests and nuns in the provinces
* assistance relating to the Grand Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager, and the Empress
* supervision of the Imperial archives
* administration of the annual expenditure of the court and to various articles to be provided for the use of the Imperial family
* supervision of the astronomical calculations and the arrangement of the calendar
* oversight of the pictorial artists at court
* regulation of medicaments to be supplied to the Emperor and the medical advice to be given him
* maintenance of order in the palace
Hierarchy
Amongst the significant ''Daijō-kan'' officials within this ministry structure were:
[Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ]
* . After the 11th century, this position in the Imperial court was always an Imperial prince.
This official oversees the inspection of the interior apartments of the palace; and he is granted the privilege of retaining his swords in the presence of the emperor.
* .
* .
* .
* .
* , 8 positions. There are 8 officials with this title, all equal in rank and in the confidence of the Emperor.
* , 90 positions. There are 90 officials with this title; and when a ''sesshō'' becomes a ''kampaku'', these men function under his orders. If the emperor is still a child, or if a woman occupies the throne, a ''sessho'' is chosen to represent the emperor; and the ''kampaku'' is considered first amongst all others in Japan. Then the Shōgun cannot undertake anything of importance without his approval. When the emperor governs directly on his own, the ''Udoneri'' may be by-passed.
* .
* . These officials must be very well versed in the affairs of China and Japan: and they edit or re-draft all of the emperor's edicts, rescripts, memorials and letters. For this kind of work, only men of the highest merit and distinction are chosen.
* .
* .
* .
* .
* .
* .
* .
*
-- ''see''
Onmyōdō.
* .
* .
* .
* .
In 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 ...
, 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."
[侍従武官ハ天皇ニ常侍奉仕シ軍事ニ関スル奏上奉答及命令ノ伝達ニ任シ観兵演習行幸其他祭儀礼典宴会謁見等ニ陪侍扈従ス]
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 J ...
Notes
References
* Kawakami, Karl Kiyoshi. (1903). ''The Political Ideas of the Modern Japan.'' Iowa City, Iowa: University of Iowa Press
OCLC 466275784 Internet Archive, full text
* Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005)
''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 retir ...
.
OCLC 48943301
* Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). '' Nihon Odai Ichiran''; ou
''Annales des empereurs du Japon.''
Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland
OCLC 5850691
* Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959)
''The Imperial House of Japan.''
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society
OCLC 194887
* Varley, H. Paul. (1980)
''Jinnō Shōtōki: A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns.''
New York: Columbia University Press.
OCLC 59145842
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ministry of the Center
Government of feudal Japan
Meiji Restoration
Center