Doboshu - Fellow

During the Muromachi and Edo periods, these were Buddhist priests who served the Shogun and feudal lords and were in charge of miscellaneous matters and various performing arts. They were also called Doho and written as Dobo. During the Muromachi period, they served the Shogun and feudal lords as their close aides, performing arts, tea ceremonies, and miscellaneous tasks. All of them were Buddhist priests and had the title Ami. Kan'ami and Ze'ami, the father and son who served Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, were famous for perfecting Sarugaku Noh, and the three generations of Noh'ami, Gei'ami, and So'ami (the San'ami) who served Shogun Yoshimasa were masters of ink painting and tea, and were also renowned for appraising Chinese goods, and Mon'ami and Dai'ami were known as masters of Tatehana. These Dohoshu were thought to have had close ties with the Jishu sect, as they all bore the title of Ami. In the Edo period, it became one of the government posts in the shogunate, and was under the control of the Wakadoshiyori. Under the four Doho-gashira (200 koku), there were Dohoshu (100 koku, 10 people's stipend) who bore the title of Ami, and monks. The heads served as attendants in the camp, accompanied the shogun when he went out, and served the senior councilors and wakadoshiyori, while the Doho and monks were in charge of guiding the daimyo around the camp, changing clothes, handling swords, and taking care of tea and lunches. In addition, among Nembutsu believers (especially Shinshu), those who shared the same faith were called Doho.

[Kiyoshi Hirokami]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

室町・江戸時代、将軍や大名に近侍して雑事や諸芸能をつかさどった法体(ほったい)の者。単に同朋ともいい、また童坊とも書く。室町時代には、将軍・大名の側近にはべって芸能、茶事、雑役を勤めた。いずれも僧体で、阿弥(あみ)号を称した。将軍足利義満(あしかがよしみつ)に仕えた観(かん)阿弥・世(ぜ)阿弥の父子は猿楽能(さるがくのう)の大成者として有名で、将軍義政(よしまさ)に仕えた能(のう)阿弥、芸(げい)阿弥、相(そう)阿弥の3代（三阿弥）は水墨画や茶の名手で唐物(からもの)の鑑定にも名をなし、文阿弥(もんあみ)、台阿弥(だいあみ)は「たてはな」の名手として知られる。これら同朋衆は、阿弥号を称するところから、時宗(じしゅう)との密接な関係もあったと考えられている。江戸時代には、幕府の役職の一つとなり、若年寄の支配に属した。同朋頭（200石高）4人の下に阿弥号を称する同朋衆（100俵高、十人扶持(ぶち)）、坊主(ぼうず)があり、頭は営中の給事、将軍外出の供奉(ぐぶ)、老中・若年寄の用を勤め、同朋・坊主は営中で大名の案内、更衣、刀剣の上げ下げ、茶・弁当の世話などを担当した。このほか、念仏信仰者（とくに真宗）の間で、信心を同じくする仲間同志を相互に同朋とよびあった。

［広神　清］

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