Non-official officer - Ingaikan

This was an official position that was outside the quota of officials in the various offices stipulated in the ryo (decrees). It was first seen in 718 (Yoro 2) when Hatanoyosa was appointed as Shikibu-in-gai Shoyu (junior assistant minister). After that, officials were placed in the capital offices of Togubo, Emonfu, Chuefu, Shona-gon, etc., and many were appointed to local offices of rank below Suke. Originally, in-gaikan were official officials who were placed outside the quota due to the busyness of the work, but the number of such officials increased, including those who were demoted or who served as in-gaikan concurrently as Kyoto officials, and this caused problems as their purpose was to obtain stipends (public office), so in 774 (Hōki 5), in-gaikan officials who had served for more than five years were dismissed, and those who had served for less than five years were required to resign at the end of five years, and then in 781 (Tenō 1), all in-gaikan officials except for gunji and gunki were abolished. After that, gonkan officials became popular instead.

[Naohiko Watanabe]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

令(りょう)に規定する諸司官吏の定員外に置かれた官。718年（養老2）波多与射（余射）(はたのよさ)を式部員外少輔(しょう)に任じたのが初見。以後、京官(けいかん)には春宮坊(とうぐうぼう)、衛門府(えもんふ)、中衛府、少納言(しょうなごん)などに置かれ、また地方官には介(すけ)以下に多く任命されている。元来、員外官は事務の忙繁を理由に、定員外に置いた職事官(しきじのかん)であるが、左遷や京官の兼任による員外国司など、その官員も多数に上り、俸禄(ほうろく)（公廨(くげ)）獲得が目的となって弊害を生じたため、774年（宝亀5）員外国司の歴任5年以上の者は解任し、5年未満の者は5年に満ちて辞めることとし、ついで781年（天応1）郡司、軍毅(ぐんき)を除く内・外官の員外官を全廃した。以後これにかわり権官(ごんかん)が盛行した。

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