Tokuso
From Free net encyclopedia
Tokuso (得宗 Tokusō) was the head of the main line Hojo clan, who monopolized the position of shikken (regents) of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan.
The name tokuso is said to have come from Tokushū (徳崇), the Buddhist name of Hojo Yoshitoki, but Hojo Tokimasa is usually regarded as the first tokuso. There were nine tokuso:
- Hojo Tokimasa
- Hojo Yoshitoki
- Hojo Yasutoki
- Hojo Tokiuji
- Hojo Tsunetoki
- Hojo Tokiyori
- Hojo Tokimune
- Hojo Sadatoki
- Hojo Takatoki
The political structure of the tokuso dictatorship was set up by Yasutoki and was consolidated by his son Tokiyori. The Tokuso line came to held overwhelming power over gokenin and the cadet lines of the Hojo clan. Tokiyori often worked out policies at private meetings (寄合 yoriai) at his residence instead of discussing at Hyōjō (評定), the council of the shogunate. That made tokuso's private retainers (御内人 miuchibito) stronger. In 1256 Tokiyori separated the positions of shikken and tokuso for the first time. Because of illness, he installed his infant son Tokimune as the tokuso while Nagatoki, a collateral relative, was appointed as the shikken to assist Tokimune.