The system of Zhongqi

Japanese: 鍾匱の制 - しょうきのせい

At the start of the Taika Reforms, this was a system in which the Imperial Court tried to hear people's complaints by letter. According to the Nihon Shoki, on August 5, 645 (Taika 1), the reform government issued an imperial edict stating that a bell and a box were placed in the Imperial Court, and that anyone wishing to complain could, with the approval of their Tomo no Miyatsuko or Soncho, put their complaint in the box, and that the bell should be struck if the government's response was deemed negligent or unfair. The following year, on February 15, the government issued an imperial edict stating that people who had come to the capital from the provinces to carry taxes and other things were being kept in the central government and unfairly used for odd jobs in various places, and that these odd jobs would be suspended.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

大化改新の発足当時，朝廷が投書によって人々の訴えを聞こうとした制度。《日本書紀》によると，645年(大化1)8月5日に改新政府は朝廷に鍾(鐘)（かね）と匱（ひつ）を置き，憂訴したい人はだれでもその人の伴造（とものみやつこ）や尊長の承認を得た上で訴状をその匱に入れ，それに対する政府の処置が怠慢あるいは不公平と思われたときにはその鍾を撞くべき旨の詔を出し，また翌年2月15日に，地方から租税などを運んで上京した人々を，政府が中央にとどめて不当に諸所の雑役に駆使していることを指摘した訴状を匱に入れたものがあったので，それらの雑役を停止することにする旨を述べた詔を出している。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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