Ōmetsuke

nihongo|Ōmetsuke|大目付|"Ōmetsuke" were the chief censors or the chief inspectors of Tokugawa Japan. They were "bakufu" officials ranking approximately with the "kanjō-bugyō." The "ōmetsuke" were charged with the special duty of detecting and investigating instances of maladministration, corruption or disaffection anywhere in Japan; and particularly amongst the "daimyō."Beasley, William G. (1955). "Select Documents on Japanese Foreign Policy, 1853-1868," p. 326.]

Intelligence gathering

The shogunate recognized the need for some kind of internal intelligence-gathering apparatus and for some degree of covert espionage within its own ranks. It could be said that the "ōmetsuke" functioned as the Shogun's intelligence agency or as internal spies, reporting to the officials in Edo on events and situations across the country.Cunningham, Don. (2004). [http://books.google.com/books?id=g5BP7DGuNFsC&pg=PA39&dq=metsuke&client=firefox-a&sig=tXW0CFoxwLGJhg9iN4eIRwYlqXs "Taiho-jutsu: Law and Order in the Age of the Samurai," p. 39.] ]

The "ōmetsuke" were responsible for supervising the activities of officials and members of the "daimyō" (feudal lords); and their counterparts, the "metsuke", were charged with focusing on those ranking below "daimyō"-status. [see above] ]

Although similarly engaged, the reporting protocols of the "ōmetsuke" and "metsuke" differed. The "ōmetsuke" reported directly to the to the four or five "rōjū" at the top of the shogunate bureaucracy. The "metsuke" reported to "wakadoshiyori" who ranked just below the "rōjū". By design, the intelligence-gathering activities of the "metsuke" was intended to complement those of the "ōmetsuke" even though there was no official reporting relationship between the two somewhat independent groups. [see above] ]

"Ad hoc" evolution

The bureaucracy of the Togukawa shogunate expanded on an "ad hoc" basis, responding to perceived needs and changing circumstances. Sometimes one or more of the "ōmetsuke" or "metsuke" would have been selected to address a specific or even a unique problem. For example, Toki Yorimune in the period from 1845 through 1846 and again from 1855 through 1858 was charged with special duties as "kaibo-gakari-ōmetsuke".Beasley, p. 341.]

The prefix "kaibō-gakari" meaning "in charge of maritime defense" was used with the titles of some "bakufu" officials after 1845. This term was used to designate those who bore a special responsibility for overseeing coastal waters, and by implication, for dealing with matters involving foreigners. "Kaibō-gakari-ōmetsuke" which later came to be superseded by the term "gaikoku-gakari." [Beasley, p. 323.] Izawa Masayoshi was given special duties as "kaibo-gakari-ōmetsuke" in the years from 1856 through 1858; and he was promoted as "gaikoku-gakari" from 1858 through 1863.Beasley, p. 334.] These developments prceeded the "Gaikoku bugyō" system which began just prior to the negotiations which resulted in the Harris Treaty. [Cullin, L.M. (2003). "A History of Japan, 1582-1941," p. 185.] First appointed in August 1858, the "gaikoku-bugyō" were bakufu officials who were charged with advising the government on foreign affairs and who were tasked with conducting negotiations with foreign diplomats both in Japan and abroad.

In popular culture

The post of "ōmetsuke" was, of course, not immune to corruption; and sometimes the conduct of these officials could be affected by bribes. For example, the the televised "jidaigeki" episodes of "Abarenbo Shogun" are rife with petty corruption, including a broad range of officials across the span of television seasons.

List of "ōmetsuke"

:dynamic list
* Toki Yorimune (1845-1846, 1855-1858). [see above]
* Tstutsui Masanori (1854-1857). [Beasley, p. 342.]
* Ido Satohiro (1856-1858). [Beasley, p. 332.]
* Izawa Masayoshi (1856-1858, 1858-1863). [see above]
* Takemoto Maso (1862-1863). [Beasley, p. 340.]
* Matsudaira Yasunao (1864). [Beasley, p. 336.]
* Kawada Hiroshi (1868). [see above]
* Nagai Naomune (1864-1865, 1865-1867). [Beasley, p. 338.]

Notes

References

* Beasley, William G. (1955). [http://books.google.com/books?id=jjOCAAAAIAAJ&dq=Niigata+bugyo&pgis=1"Select Documents on Japanese Foreign Policy, 1853-1868."] London: Oxford University Press. [reprinted by RoutledgeCurzon, London, 2001. 10-ISBN 0-197-13508-0; 13-ISBN 978-0-197-13508-2 (cloth)]
* Cullen, L.M. (2003). "A History of Japan, 1582-1941: Internal and External Worlds." Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-82115-X (cloth) ISBN 0-521-529918-2 (paper)
* Cunningham, Don. (2004). [http://books.google.com/books?id=g5BP7DGuNFsC&dq=metsuke&client=firefox-a&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0 "Taiho-jutsu: Law and Order in the Age of the Samurai."] Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing. 10-ISBN 0-804-83536-5
* Sansom, George. (1963). "A History of Japan: 1615-1867." Stanford: Stanford University Press.10-ISBN 0-8047-0527-5; 13-ISBN 978-0-804-70527-1

ee also

* Bugyō