View source for Tokusō

{{Short description|Title held by the head of Japan's Hōjō clan}}
{{Refimprove|date=June 2017}}
{{Italic title|reason=[[:Category:Japanese words and phrases]]}}
{{Nihongo|'''''Tokusō'''''|得宗|lead=yes}} was the title (post) held by the head of the mainline [[Hōjō clan]], who also monopolized the position of ''[[shikken]]'' (regents to the shogunate) of the [[Kamakura shogunate]] in [[Japan]] during the period of Regent Rule (1199–1333). It’s important not to confuse a regent of the shogunate with a regent of the Emperor (the latter are called [[Sesshō and Kampaku|''Sesshō'' and ''Kampaku'']]). ''Shikkens'' were the first regents to the shogunate.

The ''tokusō'' from 1256 to 1333 was the military dictator of Japan as ''de facto'' head of the ''bakufu'' (shogunate); despite the actual shōgun being merely a puppet. This implies that all other positions in Japan—the Emperor, the Imperial Court, ''Sesshō'' and ''Kampaku'', and the ''shikken'' (regent of the shōgun)—had also been reduced to [[figurehead]]s.<ref name="kokushi6">「執権 (一)」（『国史大辞典 6』（[[吉川弘文館]]、[[1985年]]） {{ISBN|978-4-642-00506-7}}）<!-- reference name should be transliterated/translated to English for clarity --></ref>

==Origin==
{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2017}}
The name ''tokusō'' is said to have come from {{Nihongo|Tokushū|徳崇}}, the Buddhist name of [[Hōjō Yoshitoki]], but his father [[Hōjō Tokimasa]] is usually regarded as the first ''tokusō''. There were eight ''tokusō'' overall:

#[[Hōjō Tokimasa]]
#[[Hōjō Yoshitoki]]
#[[Hōjō Yasutoki]]
#[[Hōjō Tsunetoki]]
#[[Hōjō Tokiyori]]
#[[Hōjō Tokimune]]
#[[Hōjō Sadatoki]]
#[[Hōjō Takatoki]]

The political structure of the ''tokusō'' dictatorship was set up by Yasutoki and was consolidated by his grandson Tokiyori. The ''tokusō'' line held overwhelming power over the ''[[gokenin]]'' and the cadet lines of the Hōjō clan. Tokiyori often worked out policies at {{Nihongo|private meetings|寄合|yoriai}} at his residence instead of discussing them at the {{Nihongo|''Hyōjō''|評定}}, the council of the shogunate. This made the ''tokusō''{{'}}s {{Nihongo|private retainers|御内人|miuchibito}} stronger. In 1256, Tokiyori separated the positions of ''shikken'' and ''tokusō'' for the first time. Because of an illness, he installed his infant son Tokimune as the ''tokusō'' while [[Hōjō Nagatoki|Nagatoki]], a collateral relative, was appointed ''shikken'' to assist Tokimune.

==See also==
* [[Shikken]]
* [[Rensho]]
* [[Rokuhara Tandai]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tokuso}}
[[Category:Government of feudal Japan]]
[[Category:Japanese historical terms]]