Kamigata Regimen of the Edo Bakufu in the Later Part of the Early Modern Period

Kamigata area was once a stronghold for Edo Bakufu equivalent to Kanto. Oshioki Reiruishu, together with Kujigata Osadamegaki, was one of the most important legal sources for Bakufu in the later part of the early modern period. In this paper the Kamigata Regimen by Bakufu was studied emphasizing issues relating to punishment, by primarily examining Oshioki Reiruishu. The study specifically focused on the process and authority of administrative and judicial practices handled by the Bakufu officials in Kamigata as well as between Kamigata and Edo.<BR>The Bakufu officials in Kamigata carried out both administrative and judicial practices in an integrated and continuous manner by following the same process of inquiries and instructions.They individually solved already existing issues while setting and changing rules and systems to generally solve issues for future occasions.<BR>Inquiries by the Bakufu officials in Kamigata involved three forms: From Kamigata Bugyo to Shoshidai and Osakajodai, from Shoshidai and Osakajodai to Roju, and from Kamigata Bugyo to Roju. Shoshidai and Osakajodai were involved in the mediation of the inquiries from Kamigata Bugyo to Roju as well as the instructions from Roju to Kamigata Bugyo.<BR>In response to inquiries from Kamigata Bugyo, Shoshidai and Osakajodai made decisions and gave instructions on their own using the documents formatted in the same way as the ones used by Roju. With this system, punishment and various other issues were resolved in Kamigata. In terms of punishment, the system that Kamigata Bugyo made inquiries and Shoshidai and Osakajodai gave instructions in return was established in Enkyo 1 (1744). In Tenmei 8 (1788), the range of punishment that allowed Shoshidai and Osakajodai to give instructions in response to Kamigata Bugyo's inquiries was considerably expanded.<BR>Kyoto Machi Bugyo and Osaka Machi Bugyo played a special role to perform investigation on overall practices directed and handled by Shoshidai and Osakajodai. The roles played by Kyoto Machi Bugyo, Osaka Machi Bugyo to Shoshidai, Osakajodai was the same as the role played by Hyojosho to Roju. That is, the relationship between Shoshidai, Osakajodai and Kyoto Machi Bugyo,Osaka Machi Bugyo in Kamigata was similar to the one between Roju and Hyojosho in Edo.