Chosho

One of the government offices in the Kokuga (provincial government offices) during the Heian period. Also called "Zusho." One of the "Tokoro" (places) established along with the Tadokoro (field offices) and Saisho (tax offices) as a division of labor within the Kokuga organization, the Zusho was originally tasked with collecting and managing Choyo (tax-paying goods). However, as the Choyo system changed, it came to be in charge of the collection of cotton, silk, cloth, and other materials, as well as their prices and weights and measures. Like the tax office officials, the position was passed down to local lords as hereditary, and some samurai took the surname Chosho, such as the Zusho clan of Satsuma (Kagoshima Prefecture).

[Masaki Watanabe]

"A Study of the Collapse of the Ritsuryo System by Yasuo Izumiya (1972, Meihosha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

平安時代、国衙(こくが)に置かれた役所の一つ。「ずしょ」ともよむ。国衙機構の分業組織として田所(たどころ)・税所(さいしょ)などとともに設置された「所(ところ)」の一つで、本来は調庸(ちょうよう)物の収納・管理を任務とした。しかし、調庸制の変質に伴い、綿、絹、布などの収納やそれらの価格、度量衡に関することなどをつかさどった。税所の官人らと同様に在地の土豪に世襲化され、薩摩(さつま)（鹿児島県）の調所(ずしょ)氏のように調所を姓とする武士も現れた。

［渡辺正樹］

『泉谷康夫著『律令制度崩壊過程の研究』（1972・鳴鳳社）』

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