Regent - Sessho

Japanese: 摂政 - せっしょう

An important position that governs the country on behalf of the emperor. It is also called Setsuro or Shippei. According to the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, the first person to hold this position was Empress Jingu during the reign of Emperor Ojin. In the past, members of the imperial family were appointed to this position, including Prince Shotoku during the reign of Emperor Suiko. In 866 (Jogan 8), Emperor Seiwa's maternal grandfather, the Grand Minister of State, Fujiwara no Yoshifusa, was the first vassal to receive the imperial decree of regent. From the time of Emperor Reizei (reigned 967-969), it became customary to appoint a regent while the emperor was a child and a chancellor after he came of age, and this position was also called "ichi no hito" (the number one person) as the highest position in the imperial court. In terms of the system, the Kanpaku remained in the position of a vassal as an advisor to the Emperor, whereas the Sessho was the Emperor's representative and was said to be almost equal to the Emperor himself, with the authority to add the "ka" (the Emperor would have personally signed the character "ka") to imperial edicts. After Yoshifusa, the position of Sessho was passed down to the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan, and it became customary for the Head of the Fujiwara clan to also hold the position. After Michinaga, the position was monopolized by his descendants until the end of the Edo period, when it was abolished along with the Kanpaku when the Imperial Rule Restoration was issued.

[Yoshihiko Hashimoto]

Constitutional Regent

Under the old Constitution (Constitution of the Empire of Japan) of 1889 (Meiji 22), the person who exercises supreme power in the name of the Emperor was called a regent (Article 17), and under the old Imperial House Law, in the event that the Emperor was a minor (under 18 years old) or seriously ill mentally or physically, an adult member of the Imperial Family was to be appointed in principle after deliberation by the Imperial Family Council and the Privy Council (Articles 19 and following). It was under this system that Crown Prince Hirohito (later Emperor Showa) became regent in 1921 (Taisho 10) after Emperor Taisho fell seriously ill.

Under the Japanese Constitution, "The Regent shall perform acts relating to state affairs in the name of the Emperor" (Article 5). According to the current Imperial House Law, a Regent may be appointed by a resolution of the Imperial Household Council when the Emperor is a minor (under 18 years of age) or suffers from a serious mental or physical illness or accident (Article 16), and the Regent shall not be subject to prosecution during his term of office (Article 21). The order of appointment of regents among members of the Imperial Family is set out, with the Crown Prince or the Crown Prince's heir having reached adulthood being first (Article 17).

[Yasuji Hata]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

天皇にかわって大政を摂行する重職。摂籙(せつろく)、執柄(しっぺい)などともいう。記紀によれば、応神(おうじん)天皇のときの神功(じんぐう)皇后が初例といわれ、推古(すいこ)朝の聖徳太子をはじめ、古くは皇族がこれに任ぜられたが、866年（貞観8）清和(せいわ)天皇の外祖父太政大臣(だいじょうだいじん)藤原良房(よしふさ)が臣下として初めて摂政の詔(みことのり)を受け、さらに冷泉(れいぜい)天皇（在位967～969）のころから、天皇幼少の間は摂政を、成年後は関白を置くのが慣例となり、朝廷最高の地位として「一(いち)の人」ともよばれた。そして制度上は、関白が天皇の補佐としてなお臣下の地位にとどまったのに対し、摂政は天皇の代理者として、ほとんど天皇に等しいといわれ、詔書に画可(かくか)（本来は天皇が「可」の字を親署する）を加える権限などをもった。良房以降、摂政は藤原氏北家(ほっけ)に伝えられ、藤原氏長者(うじのちょうじゃ)を兼帯するのが例となり、さらに道長(みちなが)以後はその子孫に独占されて江戸時代末に及んだが、王政復古の発令に際して、関白とともに廃止された。

［橋本義彦］

憲法上の摂政

1889年（明治22）の旧憲法（大日本帝国憲法）上、天皇の名において大権(たいけん)を行使する者を摂政といい（17条）、旧皇室典範では、天皇が未成年（18歳未満）もしくは心身上の重患等の際、皇族会議および枢密顧問の議を経て原則として成年の皇族が任ぜられることになっていた（19条以下）。1921年（大正10）大正天皇の重患により、皇太子裕仁(ひろひと)親王（のちの昭和天皇）が摂政に就任したのはこの制度によるものである。

　日本国憲法上は、「摂政は、天皇の名でその国事に関する行為を行ふ」（5条）にすぎない。現皇室典範によれば、摂政は、天皇が未成年（18歳未満）のとき、もしくは心身上の重患または重大な事故の存するとき皇室会議の議によって置かれ（16条）、その在任中訴追されない（21条）。成年に達した皇太子または皇太孫を第一位とする皇族の摂政就任順位が定められている（17条）。

［畑　安次］

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