Organization of the Daijō-kan (Department of State)
Overview
The Daijō-kan (太政官?) was the Department of State in Nippon, coming to prominence during the Nara period. It was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of this central administrative body composed of the three ministers—the Daijō-daijin (Chancellor), the Sadaijin (Minister of the Left) and the Udaijin (Minister of the Right).
The Imperial governing structure was headed by the Daijō-kan. This council and its subsidiary ministries handled all secular administrative affairs of the country, while the Jingi-kan or Department of Worship, oversaw all matters regarding Kami-no-michi ritual, clergy, and shrines.
This structured organization gradually lost power over the course of the 10th and 11th centuries, under the Shogunates, becoming essentially irrelevant during the period of Shogun supremacy through the 19th century. During the restoration, as the Tenno (emperor) regained full authority and the Kuge class reclaimed its leadership position the Daijō-kan was reinstituted and restored to its original power. Arguably with a more agitated Samurai cast and continual aspirations for a restoration of the Shogunate, the Daijō-kan has been more prominent than at any previous time in history.
Nakatsukasa-shō
Ministry of the Center
Duties:
- 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
- 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 medications to be supplied to the Emperor and the medical advice to be given him
- maintenance of order in the palace
Shikibu-shō
Ministry of Civil Services
This ministry collected and maintained biographical archives of meritorious subjects.
Duties:
- maintenance of the lists of civil officers
- oversight of appointments to office and to rank
- administration of rewards for meritorious services
- superintendence of schools and civil examinations
- administration of the appointment of stewards in the houses of Imperial princes
- administration of the appointment official from the third grade of rank and above
- administration of pensions of all kinds
- oversight of donations
- maintaining the order of precedence of the various officials at the time of congratulatory occasions and of festivals.
Jibu-shō
Ministry of Ceremonies/Ministry of the Interior
The ministry was organized to address the ceremonial aspects of the Imperial year, to manage the ceremonial nature of formal relations with Shalkara, Silla, and other nations, and to oversee the maintenance of Imperial tombs and mausoleums.
Duties:
- maintenance of the roster of names of officials
- oversight of the succession and marriage of officials of and above the fifth grade of rank
- oversight of formalities relating to deaths, funerals and the granting of posthumous rank
- management of the memorial activities which honor the anniversaries of the demise of a former Emperor
- monitoring and recording of the names of all the former Emperors, so that none of those names shall be used by any of the succeeding Emperors nor by any subject
- adjudication of disputes about the order of precedence of the various families
- supervision of all matters relating to the music
- registration of names of temples, priests and nuns
- reception and entertainment of foreigners and managing to their presentation to the Emperor
- maintenance of the imperial sepulchers (misasagi) and royal burial mounds (kofun), including oversight of those in attendance upon them.
Minbu-shō
Ministry of Taxation
Duties:
- supervision of the census of the population of the various Provinces
- regulation of the contribution of forced labour as tax
- determining exemption from forced labour as tax
- rewarding of subjects distinguished for filial piety, or for their integrity in dealing with other people, or of subjects in distress, or of officials of certain classes
- maintenance of bridges, roads, harbours, lakes, farms, mountains, rivers, etc.
- administration of the estimation and collection of taxes in products
- oversight of the disbursement of the national funds and estimates of national expenditures
- maintenance of granaries
- regulation of the land tax
Hyōbu-shō (sometimes Tsuwamono no Tsukasa)
Ministry of the Military
Duties:
- oversight of the rosters of military officers, including examinations, appointment, ranks, etc.
- dispatching of troops supervision of arsenals of weapons, guards, fortifications and signal fires
- maintenance of pastures, military horses, and public and private horses and cattle
- administration of postal stations
- control of the manufacture of weapons and weapon-makers
- oversight of drumming and in flute playing
- control of public and private means of water transportation
- regulation of the training of hawks and dogs.
Ōkura-shō
Ministry of the Treasury
Duties:
- administration of public accounts
- oversight of tax collections and of offerings to the Emperor
- regulation of weights and measures
- control of the fluctuations 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
Kunai-shō
Ministry of the Imperial Household
Duties:
- supervision and maintenance of rice fields for the supply to the imperial family
- oversight of the harvesting done on the Imperial domains
- orchestrating the presentation to the Emperor of rare delicacies as gifts from his subjects
- administration of the culinary and engineering departments of the court
- regulation of tea breweries
- oversight of the court ladies
- oversight of court smiths
- management of court servants
- oversight of the Imperial wardrobe, etc.
- attending to the imperial princes and princesses of from the second to the fourth generation, inclusive.
