Bugyō

Bugyō (奉行), often translated as "commissioner" or "magistrate" or "governor," was a title assigned to samurai officials of the Tokugawa government in feudal Japan; other terms would be added to the title to describe more specifically a given commissioner's tasks or jurisdiction.

Pre-Edo period

In the Heian period (794–1185), the post or title of bugyō would be applied only to a set task; once that task was complete, the officer would cease to be called bugyō. However, in the Kamakura period (1185–1333) and later, continuing through the end of the Edo period (1603–1868), posts and title came to be created on a more permanent basis. Over time, there came to be 36 bugyō in the Kamakura bureaucracy.

In 1434, Ashikaga Yoshinori established the Tosen-bugyō to regulate foreign affairs.

In 1587, a Japanese invading army occupied Seoul; and one of Hideyoshi's first acts was to create a bugyō for the city, replicating a familiar pattern in an unfamiliar setting.

Edo period

During the Edo period, the numbers of bugyō reached its largest extent. The bureaucracy of the Togukawa shogunate expanded on an ad hoc basis, responding to perceived needs and changing circumstances.

List

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• Edo machi-bugyō (江戸町奉行) – Magistrates or municipal administrators of Edo.
  • Kita-machi-bugyō (北町奉行) – North Edo magistrate.
  • Minami-machi-bugyō (南町奉行) – South Edo magistrate.
• Fushin-bugyō (普請奉行) – Superintendents of Public Works.
• Gaikoku-bugyō (外国奉行) – Commissioners in charge of trade and diplomatic relations with foreign countries after 1858.
• Gunkan-bugyō (軍鑑奉行) – Commissioners in charge of naval matters (post-1859).
• Gusoku-bugyō (具足奉行) – Commissioners in charge of supplying the shogunal armies.
  • Bugu-bugyō (武具奉行) – Commissioners in charge of supplying the shogunal armies (post-1863), replaced Gusoku-bugyō.
• Hakodate bugyō (箱館奉行) – Overseers of the port of Hakodate and neighboring territory of Ezo.
• Haneda bugyō (羽田奉行) – Overseers of the port of Haneda; commissioners of coastal defenses near Edo (post-1853).
• Hyōgo bugyō (兵庫奉行) – Overseers of the port of Hyōgo (post-1864).
• Jisha-bugyō (寺社奉行) – Ministers or administrators for religious affairs; overseers of the country's temples and shrines.
• Jiwari-bugyō (地割奉行)- Commissioners of surveys and surveying.
• Kanagawa bugyō (神奈川奉行) – Overseers of the port of Kanagawa (post-1859).
• Kanjō-bugyō (勘定奉行) – Ministers or administrators for shogunal finance (post-1787).
  • Gundai – Deputies.
  • Daikan (代官)- Assistant deputies.
  • Kane-bugyō (金奉行) – Superintendents of the Treasury.
  • Kura-bugyō (倉庫奉行) – Superintendents of Cereal Stores.
  • Kinza (金座) – Gold za or monopoly office (post-1595).
  • Ginza (銀座) – Silver za or monopoly office (post-1598).
  • Dōza (銅座) – Copper za or monopoly office (post-1636) and (1701–1712, 1738–1746, 1766–1768).
  • Shuza (朱座) – Cinnabar za or monopoly office (post-1609).
• Kanjō-gimmiyaku – Comptrollers of Finance.
• Kantō gundai – Kantō deputies.
• Kinzan-bugyō (金山奉行) – Commissioners of mines.
• Kyoto shoshidai (京都所司代) -- Shogunal representatives at Kyoto.
  • Kyoto machi-bugyō (京都町奉行) – Magistrates or municipal administrators of Kyoto.
  • Fushimi bugyō (伏見奉行) – Magistrates or municipal administrators of Fushimi (post-1620).
  • Nara bugyō (奈良奉行) – Governors of Nara.
• Machi-bugyō (町奉行) – Magistrates or municipal administrators in shogunal cities: Edo, Kyoto, Nagasaki, Nara, Nikkō, and Osaka.
• Nagasaki bugyō (長崎奉行) – Governor of Nagasaki.
• Niigata bugyō (新潟奉行) – Overseers of the port of Niigata.
• Nikkō bugyō (日光奉行) – Overseers of Nikkō.
• Osaka jōdai (大阪城代) – Overseers of Osaka Castle.
  • Osaka machi-bugyō (大阪町奉行) – Magistrates or municipal administrators in shogunal cities like Osaka.
  • Sakai bugyō (堺奉行) – Overseers of the town of Sakai.
• Rōya-bugyō (牢屋奉行) – Commissioners of the shogunal prison.
• Sado bugyō (佐渡奉行) – Overseers of the island of Sado.
• Sakuji-bugyō (作事奉行) – Commissioners of works (post-1632).
• Shimoda bugyō (下田奉行) – Overseers of the port of Shimoda.
• Sunpu jōdai (駿府城代) – Overseers of Sunpu Castle.
• Uraga bugyō (浦賀奉行) – Overseers of the port of Uraga.
• Yamada bugyō (山田奉行) -- Representatives of the shogunate at Ise.
• Zaimoku-ishi bugyō (材木石奉行) - Overseer of construction materials for the Shogun's properties (from 1647)
• Zen bugyō (善奉行)　－　Overseer of victuals for the Shogun's table

Meiji period

In the early years of the Meiji Restoration, the offices and conventional practices remained in place during the initial period when nothing else had been contrived to replace the existing Tokugawa system. For example, the commander-in-chief of artillery under the early Meiji government was called the Hohei-bugyō.

References

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