Our Way - Toudou

Japanese: 当道 - とうどう

A term used by a specific professional group to refer to their own organization, and in the narrow sense it refers to an autonomous organization of blind people officially recognized by the shogunate especially after the Muromachi period. It is said to have been organized by Akashi Kakuichi (Kakuichi Kengyo). Later, it split into six factions - Myokan, Shido, Gensho, Toshima, Myomon, and Oyama - and existed as a kind of "za" (a group of blind people), but an internal hierarchy was created, with the divisions of kengyo, betto, koto, and zato established. During the Edo period, it was further subdivided into 16 ranks and 73 koku, but generally it was recognized as just the division of kengyo, koto, and yondo. In 1871 (Meiji 4), the Todo system was abolished. (→ Todo Yoshu)

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

特定の職能集団が自分たちの組織をいう語で，狭義には特に室町時代以降に幕府が公認した盲人の自治組織をいう。明石覚一（覚一検校）によって組織化されたといわれる。そののち，妙観，師道，源照，戸嶋，妙聞，大山の 6派に分かれ，一種の「座」として存在したが，その内部で階級制を生じ，検校，別当，勾当，座頭の別を立てた。江戸時代にはさらに細分して 16階 73刻に制定されたが，一般には，検校，勾当，四度の区別程度で認識された。明治4（1871）年に，当道の制度は廃止された。（→当道要集）

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