Daijō-kan

Highest organ of the imperial Japanese government in the Nara period and Meiji Restoration

The Daijō kan or Dajō kan (太政官), 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 Japan's government briefly restored to power after the Meiji Restoration, which was replaced by the Cabinet. 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 Shintō ritual, clergy, and shrines. This structured organization gradually lost power over the 10th and 11th centuries, as the Fujiwara clan, dominating the post of Imperial regent, began to dominate the Daijō kan as well. It became increasingly common for the regent to hold the post of chancellor or other office simultaneously. By the 12th century, the council was essentially powerless as a separate entity, though it seems clear that the system was never formally dismantled. Over centuries, the ritsuryō state produced more and more information which was carefully archived; however, over time in the Heian period, ritsuryō institutions evolved into a political and cultural system without feedback. By the time of the Emperor Kōmei, the kuge aristocracy was joined in common goals by several newly powerful provincial figures from outside Kyoto. Together, this tenuous, undefined coalition of men worked to restore the long latent prestige, persuasive power, and active strengths of a re invigorated Imperial center. This combination of factors thrust an archaic hierarchy into the center of national attention, but with so many other high priority matters demanding immediate attention, there was little time or energy to invest in reforming or re organizing the Daijō kan.

The eighth century ritsuryō innovations would prove to be remarkably durable and resilient across the span of centuries. Any exercise of meaningful powers of court officials reached its nadir during the years of the Tokugawa shogunate, and yet the Daijō kan did manage to persist intact through the initial years of the Meiji Restoration. It is not possible to assess or evaluate any individual office without assessing its role in the context of a durable yet flexible network and hierarchy of functionaries. In the early Meiji period, the appointed Imperial Daijo kan was filled with princes, aristocrats, loyalists domain lords (daimyō), and samurai. Within months after Emperor Meiji's Charter Oath, the ancient ritsuryō structure was slightly modified with an express focus on the separation of legislative, administrative, and judicial functions within the Daijō kan system. The evolution of a deliberative body within a modern constitutional system was gradual, and its constituent differences from the old Daijō kan were not entirely self evident at first, as revealed in an Imperial message in 1869:
The Assembly shall be for the wide ranging consultation of public opinion and, respecting the Imperial will which laid the foundations of national government, it will be a place where the energies of the multitude are harnessed. Thus, it is necessary that proceedings will show respect for the Imperial rescript, be united in purpose with the Daijō kan, take the fundamentals of government to heart, judiciously address matters which arise, and act to ensure that unity within the country is not compromised. Some months later, another major reform of the Daijō kan re united the legislative and executive functions which had been clearly separated earlier. and yet, even afterwards, some elements of old system were adapted to new uses. For example, in that year, the title of Naidaijin was reconfigured to mean the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan in the Imperial Court. The man who had previously held the office of prime minister or chief minister of the initial restoration government was the Daijō daijin, Sanjō Sanetomi. Sanjō petitioned the emperor to be relieved of his ancient ritsuryō office; and he was then immediately appointed Naidaijin, or Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal.

This dry catalog does provide a superficial glimpse inside the complexity of what was initially designed as a pre feudal court structure. What this list cannot easily explain is how or why the Daijō kan turned out to be both flexible and useful across a span of centuries:
Daijō Daijin (Chancellor of the Realm) See also, Acting Chancellor (知太政官事). Sadaijin (Minister of the Left). This office functions as a manager of daijō kan activities within the palace. External secretariat (外記). These are specifically named men who act at the sole discretion of the emperor. Imperial power and prestige would wax and wane during the subsequent Kamakura , Kenmu , Muromachi , Nanboku chō , Sengoku , Azuchi–Momoyama , and Edo periods; nevertheless, the basic structure of the Imperial household remained largely unchanged. A mere list of the court titles cannot reveal nearly enough about the actual functioning of the Daijō kan; but the hierarchical relationships sketch a general context.

The Taihō Code established a Ministry of the Center (中務省), sometimes identified as the "Ministry of Central Affairs." This ministry became the governmental agency for matters most closely pertaining to the emperor. In the 18th century, the top ritsuryō official within this subdivision of the daijō kan was the chief administrator of the Ministry of the Center (中務卿). Considered central were the Chamberlain of Japan (Emperor's equerries), 8 positions. There are 8 officials with this title, all equal in rank and in the confidence of the Emperor.

The Taihō Code established a Ministry of the Civil Services (式部省); also known as the "Ministry of Legislative Direction and Public Instruction". This ministry collected and maintained biographical archives of meritorious subjects. In the 18th century, the top ritsuryō official within this subdivision of the daijō kan was the chief administrator of the Ministry of Civil Services (式部卿); also known as "Chief minister of public instruction." This office is ordinarily filled by a son or close relative of the emperor. Two of the offices which were deemed to fit in this "civil services" context were the Imperial court's Chief judge (式部大輔). In the 18th century, the top ritsuryō official within this subdivision of the daijō kan was the Master of Ceremonies (Japan) (chief administrator of the Ministry of Ceremonies). This ministry is concerned with the general populace, with police activities, and with land survey records. Registries for all towns and villages are maintained, including census records as well as birth and death records. In the 18th century, the top ritsuryō official within this subdivision of the daijō kan was the chief administrator of the Ministry of Popular Affairs (民部卿). In the 18th century, the top ritsuryō official within this subdivision of the daijō kan was the chief administrator of the Ministry of War (兵部卿). In the 18th century, the top ritsuryō official within this subdivision of the daijō kan was the chief administrator of the ministry of justice (刑部卿). In the 18th century, the top ritsuryō official within this subdivision of the daijō kan was the chief administrator of the ministry of the treasury (大蔵卿). This official supervises the receipt of tributes from the provinces and imposes tribute on others.

The country was divided into provinces called (国), which were administered by governors (国司) appointed by the Daijō kan. The provinces were then further divided into districts called (郡), under district governors (郡司) who were appointed by the local nobility. At the beginning of the eighth century, there were 592 districts making up 66 provinces.