In Japan, Sesshō (摂政) was a title given to a regent who was named to assist either a child emperor before his coming of age, or an empress. The Kampaku (関白) was theoretically a sort of chief advisor for the emperor, but was the title of both first secretary and regent who assists an adult emperor. During the Heian era, they were the effective rulers of Japan. There was little, if any, effective difference between the two titles, and several individuals merely changed titles as child emperors grew to adulthood, or adult emperors retired or died and were replaced by child emperors. The two titles were collectively known as Sekkan (摂関), and the families that exclusively held the titles were called Sekkan-ke or Sekkan family. After the Heian era, shogunates took over the power.
A retired kampaku is called Taikō (太閤), which came to commonly refer to Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Contents |
In earlier times, only members of the Imperial Family could be appointed sesshō. Kojiki reported that Emperor Ōjin was assisted by his mother, Empress Jingū, but it is doubtful if it is a historical fact. The first historical sesshō was Prince Shōtoku who assisted Empress Suiko.
The Fujiwara clan was the primary holders of the kampaku and sesshō titles. More precisely those titles were held by the Fujiwara Hokke (Fujiwara north family) and its descendants, to which Fujiwara no Yoshifusa belonged.
In 858 Fujiwara no Yoshifusa became sesshō. He was the first not to belong to the Imperial house. In 876 Fujiwara no Mototsune, the nephew and adopted son of Yoshifusa, was appointed to the newly created office of kampaku.
After Fujiwara no Michinaga and Fujiwara no Yorimichi, their descendants held those two office exclusively. In 12th Century, there were five families among the descendants of Yorimichi called Sekke: Konoe family, Kujō family, Ichijō family, Takatsukasa family and Nijō family. Both the Konoe and Kujō family were descendants of Yorimichi, through Fujiwara no Tadamichi. The other three families were derived from either the Konoe or Kujō families. Until the Meiji Restoration of 1868, those five families held those title exclusively with two exceptions of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and his nephew Toyotomi Hidetsugu.
The office and title of kampaku fell out of use by convention with the appointment of the first Prime Minister of Japan during the Meiji Restoration. Emperor Meiji abolished the office in 1872. Today, under the Imperial Household Law, the office of sesshō is restricted to the Imperial Family. Crown Prince Hirohito, before becoming Emperor Shōwa, was sesshō from 1921 to 1926 for the mentally disabled Emperor Taishō. He was called sesshō-no-miya.
The following is a list of sessho and kampaku in the order of succession.[1] The list is not exhaustive.
| Sesshō | Kampaku | Reign | Emperor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Shōtoku | 593 – 622 | Empress Suiko | |
| Fujiwara no Yoshifusa.[2] | 858 – 872 | Emperor Seiwa | |
| Fujiwara no Mototsune | 872 – 880 | Emperor Seiwa, Emperor Yōzei | |
| Fujiwara no Mototsune | 880 – 890 | Emperor Yōzei, Emperor Kōkō, Emperor Uda | |
| Fujiwara no Tokihira | 909[3] | Emperor Daigo | |
| Fujiwara no Tadahira | 930 – 941 | Emperor Suzaku | |
| Fujiwara no Tadahira | 941 – 949 | Emperor Suzaku, Emperor Murakami | |
| Fujiwara no Saneyori[4] | 967 – 969 | Emperor Reizei | |
| Fujiwara no Saneyori | 969 – 970 | Emperor En'yū | |
| Fujiwara no Koretada | 970 – 972 | Emperor En'yū | |
| Fujiwara no Kanemichi[5] | 972 – 977 | Emperor En'yū | |
| Fujiwara no Yoritada | 977 – 986 | Emperor En'yū, Emperor Kazan | |
| Fujiwara no Kaneie | 986 – 990 | Emperor Ichijō | |
| Fujiwara no Kaneie | May 5 (lunar calendar), 990 – May 8, 990 | Emperor Ichijō | |
| Fujiwara no Michitaka | May 8, 990 – May 26, 990 | Emperor Ichijō | |
| Fujiwara no Michitaka | 990 – 993 | Emperor Ichijō | |
| Fujiwara no Michitaka | 993 – 995 | Emperor Ichijō | |
| Fujiwara no Michikane | April 28, 995 – May 8, 995 | Emperor Ichijō | |
| Fujiwara no Michinaga | 1016 – 1017 | Emperor Go-Ichijō | |
| Fujiwara no Yorimichi | 1017 – 1019 | Emperor Go-Ichijō | |
| Fujiwara no Yorimichi. | Emperor Go-Ichijō, Emperor Go-Suzaku, Emperor Go-Reizei | ||
| Fujiwara no Norimichi | 1068 – 1075 | Emperor Go-Sanjō, Emperor Shirakawa | |
| Fujiwara no Morozane | 1075 – 1086 | Emperor Shirakawa | |
| Fujiwara no Morozane | 1086 – 1090 | Emperor Horikawa | |
| Fujiwara no Morozane | 1090 – 1094 | Emperor Horikawa | |
| Fujiwara no Moromichi | 1094 – 1099 | Emperor Horikawa | |
| Fujiwara no Tadazane | 1105 – 1107 | Emperor Horikawa | |
| Fujiwara no Tadazane | 1107 – 1113 | Emperor Toba | |
| Fujiwara no Tadazane | 1113 – 1121 | Emperor Toba | |
| Fujiwara no Tadamichi | 1121 – 1123 | Emperor Toba | |
| Fujiwara no Tadamichi | 1123 – 1129 | Emperor Sutoku | |
| Fujiwara no Tadamichi | 1129 – 1141 | Emperor Sutoku | |
| Fujiwara no Tadamichi | 1141 – 1150 | Emperor Konoe | |
| Fujiwara no Tadamichi | 1150 – 1158 | Emperor Konoe, Emperor Go-Shirakawa | |
| Konoe Motozane | 1158 – 1165 | Emperor Nijō | |
| Konoe Motozane | 1165 – 1166 | Emperor Rokujō | |
| Fujiwara no Motofusa | 1166 – 1172 | Emperor Rokujō, Emperor Takakura | |
| Fujiwara no Motofusa | 1172 – 1179 | Emperor Takakura | |
| Konoe Motomichi | 1179 – 1180 | Emperor Takakura | |
| Konoe Motomichi | 1180 – 1183 | Emperor Antoku | |
| Matsudono Moroie | 1183 – 1184 | Emperor Antoku | |
| Konoe Motomichi | 1184 – 1186 | Emperor Antoku, Emperor Go-Toba | |
| Kujō Kanezane | 1186 – 1191 | Emperor Go-Toba | |
| Kujō Kanezane | 1191 – 1196 | Emperor Go-Toba | |
| Konoe Motomichi | 1196 – 1198 | Emperor Tsuchimikado | |
| Konoe Motomichi | 1198 – 1202 | Emperor Tsuchimikado | |
| Kujō Yoshitsune | 1202 – 1206 | Emperor Tsuchimikado | |
| Konoe Iezane[6] | 1206 | Emperor Tsuchimikado | |
| Konoe Iezane[7] | 1206 – 1221 | Emperor Tsuchimikado, Emperor Juntoku | |
| Kujō Michiie[8] | 1221 | Emperor Chūkyō | |
| Konoe Iezane.[9] | 1221 – 1223 | Emperor Go-Horikawa | |
| Konoe Iezane[10] | 1223 – 1228 | Emperor Go-Horikawa | |
| Kujō Michiie | 1228 – 1231 | Emperor Go-Horikawa | |
| Kujō Norizane | 1231 – 1232 | Emperor Go-Horikawa | |
| Kujō Norizane | 1232 – 1235 | Emperor Shijō | |
| Kujō Michiie | 1235 – 1237 | Emperor Shijō | |
| Konoe Kanetsune | 1237 – 1242 | Emperor Shijō | |
| Konoe Kanetsune | 1242 | Emperor Go-Saga | |
| Nijō Yoshizane | 1242 – 1246 | Emperor Go-Saga | |
| Ichijō Sanetsune | 1246 | Emperor Go-Saga | |
| Ichijō Sanetsune | 1246 – 1247 | Emperor Go-Fukakusa | |
| Konoe Kanetsune | 1247 – 1252 | Emperor Go-Fukakusa | |
| Takatsukasa Kanehira | 1252 – 1254 | Emperor Go-Fukakusa | |
| Takatsukasa Kanehira | 1254 – 1261 | Emperor Go-Fukakusa, Emperor Kameyama | |
| Nijō Yoshizane | 1261 – 1265 | Emperor Kameyama | |
| Ichijō Sanetsune | 1265 – 1267 | Emperor Kameyama | |
| Konoe Motohira | 1267 – 1268 | Emperor Kameyama | |
| Takatsukasa Mototada | 1268 – 1273 | Emperor Kameyama | |
| Kujō Tadaie | 1273 – 1274 | Emperor Kameyama | |
| Kujō Tadaie | 1274 | Emperor Go-Uda | |
| Ichijō Ietsune | 1274 – 1275 | Emperor Go-Uda | |
| Takatsukasa Kanehira | 1275 – 1278 | Emperor Go-Uda | |
| Takatsukasa Kanehira | 1278 – 1287 | Emperor Go-Uda | |
| Nijō Morotada | 1287 – 1289 | Emperor Go-Uda, Emperor Fushimi | |
| Konoe Iemoto | 1289 – 1291 | Emperor Fushimi | |
| Kujō Tadanori | 1291 – 1293 | Emperor Fushimi | |
| Konoe Iemoto | 1293 – 1296 | Emperor Fushimi | |
| Takatsukasa Kanetada | 1296 – 1298 | Emperor Fushimi | |
| Takatsukasa Kanetada | 1298 | Emperor Go-Fushimi | |
| Nijō Kanemoto | 1298 – 1300 | Emperor Go-Fushimi | |
| Nijō Kanemoto | 1300 – 1305 | Emperor Go-Fushimi, Emperor Go-Nijō | |
| Kujō Moronori | 1305 – 1308 | Emperor Go-Nijō | |
| Kujō Moronori | 1308 | Emperor Hanazono | |
| Takatsukasa Fuyuhira | 1308 – 1311 | Emperor Hanazono | |
| Takatsukasa Fuyuhira | 1311 – 1313 | Emperor Hanazono | |
| Konoe Iehira | 1313 – 1315 | Emperor Hanazono | |
| Takatsukasa Fuyuhira | 1315 – 1316 | Emperor Hanazono | |
| Nijō Michihira | 1316 – 1318 | Emperor Hanazono, Emperor Go-Daigo | |
| Ichijō Uchitsune | 1318 – 1323 | Emperor Go-Daigo | |
| Kujō Fusazane | 1323 – 1324 | Emperor Go-Daigo | |
| Takatsukasa Fuyuhira | 1324 – 1327 | Emperor Go-Daigo | |
| Nijō Michihira | 1327 – 1330 | Emperor Go-Daigo | |
| Konoe Tsunetada | 1330 | Emperor Go-Daigo | |
| Takatsukasa Fuyunori | 1330 – 1333 | Emperor Go-Daigo, Emperor Kōgon | |
| Konoe Tsunetada | 1336 – 1337 | Emperor Kōmyō | |
| Konoe Mototsugu | 1337 – 1338 | Emperor Kōmyō | |
| Ichijō Tsunemichi | 1338 – 1342 | Emperor Kōmyō | |
| Kujō Michinori | 1342 | Emperor Kōmyō | |
| Takatsukasa Morohira[11] | 1342 – 1346 | Emperor Kōmyō | |
| Nijō Yoshimoto | 1346 – 1358 | Emperor Kōmyō, Emperor Sukō, Emperor Go-Kōgon | |
| Kujō Tsunenori | 1358 – 1361 | Emperor Go-Kōgon | |
| Konoe Michitsugu | 1361 – 1363 | Emperor Go-Kōgon | |
| Nijō Yoshimoto | 1363 – 1367 | Emperor Go-Kōgon | |
| Takatsukasa Fuyumichi | 1367 – 1369 | Emperor Go-Kōgon | |
| Nijō Moroyoshi | 1369 – 1375 | Emperor Go-Kōgon, Emperor Go-En'yū | |
| Kujō Tadamoto | 1375 – 1379 | Emperor Go-En'yū | |
| Nijō Morotsugu | 1379 – 1382 | Emperor Go-En'yū | |
| Nijō Yoshimoto | 1382 – 1388 | Emperor Go-Komatsu | |
| Konoe Kanetsugu | 1388 | Emperor Go-Komatsu | |
| Nijō Yoshimoto | 1388 | Emperor Go-Komatsu | |
| Nijō Yoshimoto | 1388 | Emperor Go-Komatsu | |
| Nijō Morotsugu | 1388 – 1394 | Emperor Go-Komatsu | |
| Ichijō Tsunetsugu | 1394 – 1398 | Emperor Go-Komatsu | |
| Nijō Morotsugu | 1398 – 1399 | Emperor Go-Komatsu | |
| Ichijō Tsunetsugu | 1399 – 1408 | Emperor Go-Komatsu | |
| Konoe Tadatsugu | 1408 – 1409 | Emperor Go-Komatsu | |
| Nijō Mitsumoto | 1409 – 1410 | Emperor Go-Komatsu | |
| Ichijō Tsunetsugu | 1410 – 1418 | Emperor Go-Komatsu, Emperor Shōkō | |
| Kujō Mitsuie | 1418 – 1424 | Emperor Shōkō | |
| Nijō Mochimoto | 1424 – 1428 | Emperor Shōkō | |
| Nijō Mochimoto | 1428 – 1432 | Emperor Go-Hanazono | |
| Nijō Kaneyoshi | 1432 | Emperor Go-Hanazono | |
| Nijō Mochimoto | 1432 – 1433 | Emperor Go-Hanazono | |
| Nijō Mochimoto | 1433 – 1445 | Emperor Go-Hanazono | |
| Konoe Fusatsugu | 1445 – 1447 | Emperor Go-Hanazono | |
| Ichijō Kaneyoshi | 1447 – 1453 | Emperor Go-Hanazono | |
| Takatsukasa Fusahira | 1454 – 1455 | Emperor Go-Hanazono | |
| Nijō Mochimichi | 1455 – 1458 | Emperor Go-Hanazono | |
| Ichijō Norifusa | 1458 – 1463 | Emperor Go-Hanazono | |
| Nijō Mochimichi | 1463 – 1467 | Emperor Go-Hanazono, Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado | |
| Ichijō Kaneyoshi | 1467 – 1470 | Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado | |
| Nijō Masatsugu | 1470 – 1476 | Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado | |
| Kujō Masamoto | 1476 – 1479 | Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado | |
| Konoe Masaie | 1479 – 1483 | Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado | |
| Takatsukasa Masahira | 1483 – 1487 | Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado | |
| Kujō Masatada | 1487 – 1488 | Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado | |
| Ichijō Fuyuyoshi | 1488 – 1493 | Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado | |
| Konoe Hisamichi | 1493 – 1497 | Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado | |
| Nijō Hisamoto | 1497 | Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado | |
| Ichijō Fuyuyoshi | 1497 – 1501 | Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado, Emperor Go-Kashiwabara | |
| Kujō Hisatsune | 1501 – 1513 | Emperor Go-Kashiwabara | |
| Konoe Hisamichi | 1513 – 1514 | Emperor Go-Kashiwabara | |
| Takatsukasa Kanesuke | 1514 – 1518 | Emperor Go-Kashiwabara | |
| Nijō Korefusa | 1518 – 1525 | Emperor Go-Kashiwabara | |
| Konoe Taneie | 1525 – 1533 | Emperor Go-Kashiwabara, Emperor Go-Nara | |
| Kujō Tanemichi | 1533 – 1534 | Emperor Go-Nara | |
| Nijō Korefusa | 1534 – 1536 | Emperor Go-Nara | |
| Konoe Taneie | 1536 – 1542 | Emperor Go-Nara | |
| Takatsukasa Tadafuyu | 1542 – 1545 | Emperor Go-Nara | |
| Ichijō Fusamichi | 1545 – 1548 | Emperor Go-Nara | |
| Nijō Haruyoshi | 1548 – 1553 | Emperor Go-Nara | |
| Ichijō Kanefuyu | 1553 – 1554 | Emperor Go-Nara | |
| Konoe Sakihisa | 1554 – 1568 | Emperor Go-Nara, Emperor Ōgimachi | |
| Nijō Haruyoshi | 1568 – 1578 | Emperor Ōgimachi | |
| Kujō Kanetaka | 1578 – 1581 | Emperor Ōgimachi | |
| Ichijō Uchimoto | 1581 – 1585 | Emperor Ōgimachi | |
| Nijō Akizane | 1585 | Emperor Ōgimachi | |
| Toyotomi Hideyoshi | 1585 – 1591 | Emperor Ōgimachi, Emperor Go-Yōzei | |
| Toyotomi Hidetsugu | 1591 – 1595 | Emperor Go-Yōzei | |
| Kujō Kanetaka | 1600 – 1604 | Emperor Go-Yōzei | |
| Konoe Nobutada | 1605 – 1606 | Emperor Go-Yōzei | |
| Takatsukasa Nobufusa | 1606 – 1608 | Emperor Go-Yōzei | |
| Kujō Yukiie | 1608 – 1612 | Emperor Go-Yōzei, Emperor Go-Mizunoo | |
| Takatsukasa Nobuhisa | 1612 – 1615 | Emperor Go-Mizunoo | |
| Nijō Akizane | 1615 – 1619 | Emperor Go-Mizunoo | |
| Kujō Yukiie | 1619 – 1623 | Emperor Go-Mizunoo | |
| Konoe Nobuhiro | 1623 – 1629 | Emperor Go-Mizunoo | |
| Ichijō Akiyoshi | 1629 | Emperor Go-Mizunoo | |
| Ichijō Akiyoshi | 1629 – 1635 | Empress Meishō | |
| Nijō Yasumichi | 1635 – 1647 | Empress Meishō, Emperor Go-Kōmyō | |
| Kujō Michifusa | 1647 | Emperor Go-Kōmyō | |
| Ichijō Akiyoshi | 1647 | Emperor Go-Kōmyō | |
| Ichijō Akiyoshi | 1647 – 1651 | Emperor Go-Kōmyō | |
| Konoe Hisatsugu | 1651 – 1653 | Emperor Go-Kōmyō | |
| Nijō Mitsuhira | 1653 – 1663 | Emperor Go-Kōmyō, Emperor Go-Sai | |
| Nijō Mitsuhira | 1663 – 1664 | Emperor Reigen | |
| Takatsukasa Fusasuke | 1664 – 1668 | Emperor Reigen | |
| Takatsukasa Fusasuke | 1668 – 1682 | Emperor Reigen | |
| Ichijō Kaneteru | 1682 – 1687 | Emperor Reigen | |
| Ichijō Kaneteru | 1687 – 1689 | Emperor Higashiyama | |
| Ichijō Kaneteru | 1689 – 1690 | Emperor Higashiyama | |
| Konoe Motohiro | 1690 – 1703 | Emperor Higashiyama | |
| Takatsukasa Kanehiro | 1703 – 1707 | Emperor Higashiyama | |
| Konoe Iehiro | 1707 – 1709 | Emperor Higashiyama | |
| Konoe Iehiro | 1709 – 1712 | Emperor Nakamikado | |
| Kujō Sukezane | 1712 – 1716 | Emperor Nakamikado | |
| Kujō Sukezane | 1716 – 1722 | Emperor Nakamikado | |
| Nijō Tsunahira | 1722 – 1726 | Emperor Nakamikado | |
| Konoe Iehisa | 1726 – 1736 | Emperor Nakamikado, Emperor Sakuramachi | |
| Nijō Yoshitada | 1736 – 1737 | Emperor Sakuramachi | |
| Ichijō Kaneka | 1737 – 1746 | Emperor Sakuramachi | |
| Ichijō Michika | 1746 – 1747 | Emperor Sakuramachi | |
| Ichijō Michika | 1747 – 1755 | Emperor Momozono | |
| Ichijō Michika | 1755 – 1757 | Emperor Momozono | |
| Konoe Uchisaki | 1757 – 1762 | Emperor Momozono | |
| Konoe Uchisaki | 1762 – 1772 | Empress Go-Sakuramachi, Emperor Go-Momozono | |
| Konoe Uchisaki | 1772 – 1778 | Emperor Go-Momozono | |
| Kujō Naozane | 1778 – 1779 | Emperor Go-Momozono | |
| Kujō Naozane | 1779 – 1785 | Emperor Kōkaku | |
| Kujō Naozane | 1785 – 1787 | Emperor Kōkaku | |
| Takatsukasa Sukehira | 1787 – 1791 | Emperor Kōkaku | |
| Ichijō Teruyoshi | 1791 – 1795 | Emperor Kōkaku | |
| Takatsukasa Masahiro | 1795 – 1814 | Emperor Kōkaku | |
| Ichijō Tadayoshi | 1814 – 1823 | Emperor Kōkaku, Emperor Ninkō | |
| Takatsukasa Masamichi | 1823 – 1856 | Emperor Ninkō, Emperor Kōmei | |
| Kujō Hisatada | 1856 – 1862 | Emperor Kōmei | |
| Konoe Tadahiro | 1862 – 1863 | Emperor Kōmei | |
| Takatsukasa Sukehiro | 1863 | Emperor Kōmei | |
| Nijō Nariyuki | 1863 – 1866 | Emperor Kōmei | |
| Nijō Nariyuki | 1867 | Emperor Meiji | |
| Crown Prince Hirohito | 1921 – 1926 | Emperor Taishō |