Daijō Daijin
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The Daijō daijin (太政大臣?) or Chancellor of the Realm was the head of the Daijō-kan, or Department of State in Heian Japan and briefly under the Meiji Constitution. The position, along with the rest of the Daijō-kan structure, was initially created by the Code of Taihō in 702.
The Chancellor presided over the Great Council of State, and controlled the officers of the state, in particular the minister of the left (左大臣, Sadaijin) and minister of the right (右大臣, Udaijin) , as well as four great councillors and three minor councillors. The ministers in turn controlled other elements of the government.
As the Fujiwara clan, which dominated the regency, gained influence, the official government offices diminished in power. By the 10th century, chancellors had no power to speak of unless they were simultaneously regent, or otherwise supported by the Fujiwara. Although the position continued in name until 1885, by the beginning of the 12th century, the office was essentially powerless, and was often vacant, as the regents, who sometimes acted as minister of the left or right, held all the administrative power over the government. It was briefly resurrected under the Meiji Constitution with the appointment of Sanjo Sanetomi in 1871, before being abolished completely in 1885.
[edit] Reference
- Sansom, George (1958). 'A History of Japan to 1334'. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.
