Guardhouse - Bansho

(1) A guard post. In the Muromachi period, it was called the post of the shogunate's vassals, and in the Sengoku period, it was called the post of the feudal lord's attendant. In the Edo period, it referred to the posts of officials such as the gates of Edo Castle and the Hiroshikiban and Hyakunin-gumi, and the Tsujiban posts in Edo and Kyoto were also called guard posts. (2) A post set up at key transportation points in the Edo period to inspect and monitor ships and passengers, or to collect taxes. Among the various ship inspection guard posts, the shogunate's Uraga guard post was the most famous. There were also guard posts of the shogunate and various feudal domains at key locations on land routes, and there were Kuchidome guard posts at the border between the imperial domain and private domains. In some cases, checkpoints were called guard posts. (3) In cities such as Edo and Osaka, the magistrate's office in each area was also called a bansho. (4) One of the local offices of the former Ryukyu Domain and Okinawa Prefecture before 1897 (Meiji 30).

[Minami Kazuo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

（1）番人の詰所(つめしょ)。室町時代は幕府営中の祗候(しこう)所、戦国時代は大名の近習(きんじゅ)の詰所を称した。江戸時代は江戸城諸門そのほか広敷番(ひろしきばん)や百人組などの役人の詰所をいい、また江戸や京都などに置かれた辻(つじ)番の詰所も番所とよんだ。（2）江戸時代に交通の要所に設置して船舶や通行人を検閲・監視し、あるいは税を徴収した役人の詰所。各船改(ふなあらため)番所のなかでも幕府の浦賀(うらが)番所は著名。陸路でも要地には幕府や諸藩の番所があり、天領・私領の境には口留(くちどめ)番所があった。関所を番所と称した所もある。（3）江戸や大坂などの都市では、それぞれの地の奉行(ぶぎょう)所のことを番所ともいった。（4）旧琉球(りゅうきゅう)藩および1897年（明治30）以前の沖縄県の地方庁の一つ。

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