Sub-letter/cover letter - soejo

Japanese: 副状∥添状 - そえじょう

A letter attached to the main document in the Middle Ages. When sending official documents such as letters of assurance, approval, donation, appointment, resignation, assignment, and complaint to the parties, it is attached with a supplementary note, interpretation, and progress of the main document along with a description of the reason for sending the document. Early examples of its use in the 11th and 12th centuries were the Shosoku-senka (letters from the shogunate attached to oral decrees) of the Dajokan and the Imperial decrees given to the parties attached to Kokushicho-sen, and it was created at a time when the magistrates' and commissioners' announcements based on official documents such as fu and ge no longer functioned as official authorities.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

中世において本文書に副（そ）えた書状。安堵状，裁許状，寄進状，補任状，沽却状，譲状，訴状などの公験（くげん）を当事者に送付するときに，本文書の補足･解釈･経過などとともに送付の旨を書いて副えるもの。11～12世紀，太政官における消息宣下(口宣に副えた上卿書状)，国司庁宣に副え当事者に与えた院宣などに使用されたのが早い例で，公式様文書の符や解（げ）による奉行･進達が職権的に機能しなくなる時期に生み出されたものである。

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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