Magistrate of a distant country - Ongokubugyo

A general term for the magistrates stationed in key areas under the direct control of the Edo Shogunate. This was a general term for the magistrates stationed in the provinces, as opposed to the magistrates stationed in the central government, such as the Magistrate of Temples and Shrines, the Town Magistrate, and the Finance Magistrate. There was no such position as a distant province magistrate. It referred to the town magistrates of Kyoto, Osaka, and Sunpu (Shizuoka City), as well as the magistrates of Uraga, Shimoda, Kanagawa (at the end of the Edo period), Kofu (at the end of the Edo period), Nikko, Niigata, Sado, Yamada, Nara, Fushimi, Sakai, Hyogo (at the end of the Edo period), Nagasaki, and Hakodate (at the end of the Edo period, originally called the Ezo Magistrate, Matsumae Magistrate, etc.). They were established at different times. They were under the control of the Roju, and led their subordinates, such as Yoriki and Doshin, to carry out administrative, judicial, and police duties. The town magistrates of Kyoto and Osaka were divided into East and West, and changed every other month, while the magistrates of Nikko, Sado, and Nagasaki were rotated from Edo on a six-month or biennial basis. The Fushimi magistrate was a daimyo (feudal lord) with a staff of one person, a salary of 3,000 straw bales, a Fuyou no maeski (a seat of the Fuyou no maeski), and a Jugoi no gesho daibu (a junior fifth rank lower class). The other magistrates were hatamoto (a vassal of a shogun), with a staff of one to several people, a salary of 1,000 to 2,000 koku, a salary of 500 to 2,000 straw bales, a Fuyou no maeski (a seat of the Fuyou no maeski), a Hoi (a uniform for the Fuyou no gesho daibu), or a Jugoi no gesho daibu (a junior fifth rank lower class). From this position, it was possible to transfer to one of the powerful positions in the central government. In addition to the magistrates mentioned above, there were also the magistrates of Haneda (Musashi), Misaki (Sagami), Hashirimizu (same as above), Shimizu (Suruga), Arai (Totomi), Honsaka (same as above), as well as the Otsu town magistrate (Omi) and the Otsu storehouse magistrate (same as above), but these were abolished at an early stage.

[Kitahara Akio]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸幕府直轄の要地に配された諸奉行の総称。寺社奉行、町奉行、勘定奉行などの中央在勤の奉行に対し、地方在勤の奉行を一般にこう称したもので、遠国奉行なる職制があったのではない。京都、大坂、駿府(すんぷ)（静岡市）の各町奉行、浦賀(うらが)、下田(しもだ)、神奈川（幕末）、甲府（幕末）、日光、新潟、佐渡、山田、奈良、伏見(ふしみ)、堺(さかい)、兵庫（幕末）、長崎、箱館(はこだて)（幕末、初め蝦夷(えぞ)奉行、松前奉行などと称した）の各奉行をいう。その成立年代は区々である。老中の支配に属し、配下の与力(よりき)・同心(どうしん)らを指導して行政、司法、警察の職務を遂行した。京都・大坂の町奉行は東西に分かれて隔月交代、日光・佐渡・長崎の奉行は江戸より半年あるいは隔年交代で勤務した。伏見奉行は大名(だいみょう)役であり、定員1名、持高、役料3000俵、芙蓉間席(ふようのませき)・従五位下諸大夫(じゅごいのげしょだいぶ)、ほかの奉行は旗本役であり、定員1名から数名、役高1000石から2000石、役料500俵から2000俵、芙蓉間席・布衣(ほい)あるいは従五位下諸大夫であった。この職からは中央の有力な諸職に転出することができた。以上の諸奉行のほかにも、羽田(はねだ)（武蔵(むさし)）・三崎（相模(さがみ)）・走水(はしりみず)（同上）・清水(しみず)（駿河(するが)）・荒井（遠江(とおとうみ)）・本坂(ほんさか)（同上）の各奉行、大津町奉行（近江(おうみ)）・大津蔵奉行（同上）などがあったが、早い時期に廃止された。

［北原章男］

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