Tokuso

Tokusō (得宗) was the title held by the head of the mainline Hōjō clan, who monopolized the position of "shikken" (regents) of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan.

The name tokuso is said to have come from Tokushū (徳崇), the Buddhist name of Hōjō Yoshitoki, but Hōjō Tokimasa is usually regarded as the first "tokusō". There were nine "tokusō":

#Hōjō Tokimasa
#Hōjō Yoshitoki
#Hōjō Yasutoki
#Hōjō Tokiuji
#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 son Tokiyori. The "tokusō" line came to held overwhelming power over "gokenin" and the cadet lines of the Hōjō clan. Tokiyori often worked out policies at private meetings (寄合 "yoriai") at his residence instead of discussing them at "Hyōjō" (評定), the council of the shogunate. This made the "tokusō's" private retainers (御内人 "miuchibito") stronger. In 1256 Tokiyori separated the positions of "shikken" and "tokusō" for the first time. Because of illness, he installed his infant son Tokimune as the "tokusō" while Nagatoki, a collateral relative, was appointed as the "shikken" to assist Tokimune.

See also: Rensho