- Sosai
The Japanese word "Sosai" (Japanese:総裁, "Sōsai") means roughly "president" or "director-general". It is used in several ways:
Political
*Sosai, or president of the government, was only once the title of the imperial prime minister: from
1 January 1868 (before there was no cabinet, only chief advisers: "Kampaku" to the nominally reigning Tenno (emperor) and both "Rōjū " and "Tairō " to the de facto rulingShogun ) until11 June 1868 : PrinceTaruhito Arisugawa (1835–1895); next the prime ministerial office is styled "U Daijin " "Ministers to the Right", in 1871 shortened to "Daijjin".*Sosai also was the title of Admiral
Takeaki Enomoto (1836–1908), the elected president (27 January 1869 –27 June 1869 ) of the short-lived rebelliousEzo Republic on the present Hokkaidō Island, vanquished by Imperial troops.*Sosai, or President of Liberal Democratic Party, is the office of the head of the LDP.
Others
This office also exist in various sports, business and charitable organizations. The term is also used to translate the head of various foreign organizations.
The most famous of such people is Sosai
Masutatsu Oyama who earned this appellation by creating aKarate style calledKyokushin kai and spreading karate in the western world.
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