Chief Cabinet Secretary - Chidaijokanji

The Ryoge no Kan (official position outside the Imperial Court) was established in the first half of the 8th century to oversee the Dajokan. Prince Osakabe was appointed to this position in 703 (Taiho 3), followed by Prince Hozumi, Prince Toneri, and Prince Suzuka, but no one was appointed to this position after Prince Suzuka's death in 745 (Tenpyo 17). In other words, when we take into consideration that an elder was chosen from among the imperial family, that this was a lifelong position, and that its status was equivalent to that of a minister, there was a tradition that Prince Otsu, Prince Takechi, and the imperial family had overseen the Dajokan, and this tradition could not be ignored even after the implementation of the Taiho Code, and this position was probably a temporary measure to control government affairs by standing alongside the Left and Right Ministers, who were representatives of the various ministers, as representatives of the imperial family.

[Oshibe Yoshiaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

太政官を総覧するために、8世紀前半に設けられていた令外官(りょうげのかん)。703年（大宝3）に刑部(おさかべ)親王が任ぜられ、その後断続しながら穂積(ほづみ)親王、舎人(とねり)親王、鈴鹿(すずか)王と続くが、745年（天平17）に鈴鹿王が死去したのちは任ぜられていない。すなわち、皇親のうちから長老格が選ばれ、かつ終身官であること、その地位が大臣に準ずるものであることなどを考慮に入れるとき、従前に大津皇子、高市(たけち)皇子と皇親が太政官を総覧する伝統が存在しており、大宝律令(たいほうりつりょう)施行後もその伝統を無視することができず、この官職は諸臣の代表である左・右大臣に対し、皇親の代表として並立して、政務を統(す)べる臨時の措置であったのであろう。

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