Konoefu - Konoefu

Ryoge no Kan (official office outside the Imperial Court) in ancient Japan. Its predecessor was the Jutoei (official office of the sword-giving guard) established in 759 (Tenpyo Hoji 3) during the Nara period, which was renamed Konoefu in 765 (Tenpyo Jingo 1). Along with Chuefu (center) and Gaifu (outer court guard), it was the most important guard office, ranking above the five guard offices (Emonfu, Left and Right Ejifu, Left and Right Hyoefu) under the Ritsuryo system, and served as a close attendant to the Emperor. After the Gaifu was abolished in 772 (Hoki 3), Konoefu was renamed Sakonoefu (left court guard) and Chuefu (center) was renamed Ukonofu (right court guard) in 807 (Daido 2) at the beginning of the Heian period, and the Left and Right Konoefu were established as part of the Rokuefu system, alongside the Left and Right Efu and Left and Right Hyoefu. There were officials below the ranks of Taisho, Chusho, and Shosho, and they had jurisdiction over the Konoetoneri (400 at the time of its establishment, 600 each in the Engishiki system). The Taisho rank was Junior Third Rank, and as the highest-ranking military officer, many of them were held by ministers or Dainagons. Chusho who also held the position of Kurodono-no-to were called Tonochujo, and councilors who also held the position of Chusho were called Saishochujo. The duties of the Konoefu included opening and closing the Komon (inner gate) of the Imperial Palace, guarding the Komon gate, guarding the Imperial Palace quarters, inspecting the capital, and guarding during imperial travels. Particularly in the early Heian period, they played an important role as military officers close to the emperor, playing a wide range of roles such as suppressing political incidents and arranging imperial envoys. However, with the development of aristocratic politics centered around the Fujiwara clan, high-ranking officials such as general and junior general became honorary positions for the aristocracy, and the duties of lower-ranking officials and chamberlains became more peripheral, such as horsemanship and music and dance, and many of them began serving the retired emperor or the regents as attendants, and from the 10th century onwards, the military and police functions of the Konoefu were lost.

[Haruo Sasayama]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

日本古代の令外官(りょうげのかん)。奈良時代、759年（天平宝字3）に設置された授刀衛(じゅとうえい)がその前身で、765年（天平神護1）近衛府と改称され、中衛府(ちゅうえふ)・外(がい)衛府とともに、令制の五衛府（衛門府、左右衛士府(えじふ)、左右兵衛府(ひょうえふ)）の上に位する最重要の衛府として、天皇近侍の任を担った。772年（宝亀3）に外衛府が廃止されたのち、平安時代初期の807年（大同2）、近衛府を左近衛府(さこのえふ)、中衛府を右近衛府(うこのえふ)と改称、左右衛門府・左右兵衛府と並ぶ、六衛府制の一環としての左右近衛府が成立した。大将、中将、少将以下の官人があり、近衛舎人(このえとねり)（創設時400人、延喜式(えんぎしき)制では左右各600人）を管轄した。大将の官位は従三位(じゅさんみ)で、最高位の武官として、多くは大臣・大納言(だいなごん)が兼帯した。また中将で蔵人頭(くろうどのとう)を帯する者を頭中将(とうのちゅうじょう)、参議で中将を兼帯する者を宰相(さいしょう)中将と称した。近衛府の職務は、宮城内の閤門(こうもん)（内門）の開閉、閤門内の警備、内裏(だいり)の宿衛、京中の巡検、行幸時の警固などであり、ことに平安初期には、政治的事件の鎮圧や、勅使などに幅広く活躍し、天皇側近の武官として重要な存在であった。しかし藤原氏を中心とする貴族政治の展開に伴って、大将、中将などの上級官人は貴族の栄誉職化し、下級官人や舎人の職務も、馬芸や楽舞などの末梢(まっしょう)的なものとなり、その多くが随身(ずいじん)として院や摂関家に奉仕するようになって、10世紀以降、近衛府の軍事・警察的機能は失われていった。

［笹山晴生］

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