The (lit. the department of the great treasury) was a division of the eighth-century
Japanese government of the
Imperial Court in Kyoto
The Imperial Court in Kyoto was the nominal ruling government of Japan from 794 AD until the Meiji period (1868–1912), after which the court was moved from Kyoto (formerly Heian-kyō) to Tokyo (formerly Edo) and integrated into the Meiji gover ...
, 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 Japanese ...
. 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
The nature of the ministry was modified in response to changing times. The ambit of the Ministry's activities encompasses, for example:
* administration of public accounts
[Kawakami, citing ]Ito Hirobumi
Ito may refer to:
Places
* Ito Island, an island of Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea
* Ito Airport, an airport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Ito District, Wakayama, a district located in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan
* Itō, Shiz ...
, ''Commentaries on the Japanese Constitution,'' p. 87 (1889).
* oversight of tax collections and of offerings to the Emperor
* regulation of weights and measures
* control of the functuations in prices of commodities
* regulation and oversight of the coinage of gold, silver, copper, and iron money
* maintenance of the lists of artisans engaged in coinage-related activities
* regulation of activities in the manufacture of lacquer ware, weaving, and other kinds of industries
History
The duties, responsibilities and focus of the ministry evolved over time. It was established as part of the
Taika Reforms
The were a set of doctrines established by Emperor Kōtoku (孝徳天皇 ''Kōtoku tennō'') in the year 645. They were written shortly after the death of Prince Shōtoku and the defeat of the Soga clan (蘇我氏 ''Soga no uji''), uniting Jap ...
and ''
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'' ...
'' laws.
[Ministry of the Treasury](_blank)
Sheffield. Since 1885, ''Ōkura-shō'' has been construed in reference to the Ministry of Finance, also called the ''Ōkura no Tsukasa.''
[Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric ''et al.'' (2005). "Ōkura-shō" in ]
Hierarchy
The court included a ministry dealing with military affairs.
Amongst the significant ''daijō-kan'' officials serving in this ministry structure were:
* . This official supervises the receipt of tributes from the provinces and imposes tribute on others.
[Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ]
*
*
* , two positions
* , two positions
*
*
*
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 ...
*
Ministry of Finance (Japan)
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.
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
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ministry of the Treasury
Japan
Government of feudal Japan
Meiji Restoration
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 ...