Tokuso - Tokusou

This refers to the successive heads of the Hojo clan, who were regents of the Kamakura Shogunate. It is also written as "Tokumune." Tokumune was originally the Buddhist name of Hojo Yoshitoki, but after Yoshitoki, it came to be used as an alternative name for the heads of the Hojo clan, Yasutoki, Tsunetoki, Tokiyori, Tokimune, Sadatoki, Takatoki, and others. These heads of the Hojo clan were described as "guardians of the Shogun family, carrying out government affairs (omitted), and in terms of promotion, they were heads of the family (Tokumune) and were ranked as Junior Fourth Rank, but they never achieved more than they deserved" (Umematsuron, Vol. 1).

When the Hojo clan occupied key positions in the shogunate, such as regent, rensho, and hyojoshu, all power was concentrated in the head of the Hojo clan, the direct descendant of the family, the tokuso. This was called the tokuso autocracy. From the time of Tokiyori, all decisions were made at yoriai (meetings of some of the hyojoshu and Tokuso's close associates) held at the tokuso's private residence, and took precedence over the hyojo kaigi, the official decision-making body. Even after leaving his position as regent, Tokuso continued to hold real political power by appointing members of his clan to those positions. As a result, the shogunate's official political system became a mere formality, and even the position of shogun itself became a puppet. The vassals of the Tokuso were called Miuchibito, and despite being subordinate vassals, they wielded more influence than ordinary Gokenin (direct vassals of the Shogun). Some Gokenin who had fallen on hard times became vassals of the Hojo clan in order to make a living. Taira no Yoritsuna and Nagasaki Takasuke, who became Tokuso's close aides (Naikanrei), monopolized the Shogunate government, and were slandered by the people, are representative of the Miuchibito.

The Hojo clan's territories were spread all over the country, and among them, the Tokuso's territories accounted for the largest proportion. These were called Tokuso territories. The Tokuso family's household organ, the Kumonsho (public office), had many staff members and was responsible for managing the territories throughout the country, but there were also other household organs such as the Tokuso-kata (judicial affairs) and the Samurai-dokoro (military affairs). Tokuso's vassals were dispatched to each territory to serve as Jitodai (land stewards), Mandokoro (administrative offices), and Kyushu (providing officials), and were responsible for administrative duties such as collecting taxes. This system of territorial management was very similar to the manorial management by the nobles and temples and shrines of the same era. Needless to say, controlling the transportation routes was essential for maintaining and managing the Tokuso territories throughout the country. As a result, the main checkpoints, ports, ports, and ports stretching from Wagae Island in Kamakura through the Setouchi and Sea of ​​Japan to Tosaminato in Tsugaru, Oshu, were placed under the control of the Tokuso. It is also known that there were fleets that traveled the Sea of ​​Japan routes with the Tokuso's family crest (three scales) as their flag and obtained customs license privileges. Branch temples of the Zen sect (Rinzai sect) and Ritsu sect (Saidaiji school), which spread their teachings throughout the country under the protection of the Tokuso family, were often established within the Tokuso's territories along the transportation routes.

[Nobuo Irumada]

"Japanese History 10: The Mongol Invasion" by Yoshihiko Amino (1974, Shogakukan) " " Basic Research on the Hojo Clan of Kamakura" by Takayuki Okutomi (1980, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

鎌倉幕府の執権(しっけん)北条(ほうじょう)氏嫡流の代々の当主をさす。「徳宗」とも記す。得宗とは本来、北条義時(よしとき)の法名であったが、義時ののち、北条氏嫡流の当主となった泰時(やすとき)―経時(つねとき)―時頼(ときより)―時宗(ときむね)―貞時(さだとき)―高時(たかとき)らの別称としても用いられるに至った。これら北条氏嫡流の当主をさして、「将軍家御後見として、政務を申行(もうしおこない)（略）、昇進に於(おい)ては家督（徳宗）従(じゅ)四位下をもて官途して遂に過分の聞えなし」（『梅松論』上）と称せられたゆえんである。

　執権、連署(れんしょ)、評定衆(ひょうじょうしゅう)など幕府の要職が北条氏一門によって占められると、あらゆる権力は北条氏嫡流の当主、すなわち得宗に集中することとなった。これを得宗専制という。時頼のころからは得宗の私邸で行われる寄合(よりあい)（評定衆の一部ならびに得宗側近の人々の会合）がすべてを決定し、公的な議決機関たる評定会議に優越する事態となり、得宗は執権職を離れたのちも、一門の人をその職につかせて、政治の実権を掌握し続けた。そのため幕府の公的な政治制度は形骸(けいがい)化し、将軍の地位そのものまでもが傀儡(かいらい)と化するに至った。得宗の被官（家臣）は御内人(みうちびと)と称されて、陪臣たるにもかかわらず、一般の御家人(ごけにん)（将軍家の直臣）にも勝る発言力を行使することになった。零落した御家人のなかからは、北条氏の被官となって生計を維持しようとする者も現れた。得宗の側近（内管領(ないかんれい)）となり、幕政を壟断(ろうだん)して、人々の謗(そし)りを受けた平頼綱(よりつな)、長崎高資(ながさきたかすけ)らは御内人の代表ともいうべき存在である。

　北条氏一門の所領は全国各地に広がり、そのなかでも、得宗の所領は最大の比重を占めた。これを得宗領という。得宗家の家政機関たる公文所(くもんじょ)は多数の職員を抱えて、全国各地にわたる所領の管理にあたったが、このほかにも得宗方（裁判関係）、御内侍所(さむらいどころ)（軍事関係）などの家政機関があった。各地の所領には得宗被官が派遣されて、地頭(じとう)代、政所(まんどころ)、給主などとなり、年貢の収納をはじめとする管理業務の遂行にあたったが、このような所領管理システムは同時代の公家(くげ)・寺社による荘園(しょうえん)管理のそれときわめて類似したものであった。ところで、全国各地にわたる得宗領の維持、管理のうえで交通路の掌握が不可欠であったことはいうまでもない。そのため鎌倉の和賀江(わがえ)島から瀬戸内・日本海を経て奥州津軽十三湊(とさみなと)にまで至る、主要な関・渡・津・泊が得宗の管理下に置かれた。得宗の家紋（三鱗(みつうろこ)）を旗印に関税免許の特権を得て日本海航路を往来した船団の存在も知られている。得宗家の保護を得て各地に教線を伸ばした禅宗（臨済宗）、律宗（西大寺流）などの末寺も、交通路に沿った得宗領の中に設定されることが多かった。

［入間田宣夫］

『網野善彦著『日本の歴史10　蒙古襲来』（1974・小学館）』▽『奥富敬之著『鎌倉北條氏の基礎的研究』（1980・吉川弘文館）』

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