Dainagon Totally Explained

Everything about Dainagon totally explained

, often translated as "Great Councillor," was a government post of the Japanese ritsuryo governmental system, which was in place for much of the classical and feudal periods. The title is a composite created from dai- (meaning "great" or "first") and -nagon (meaning "counselor").
The post was created in 702 by the Taihō Code, and evolved out of the earlier post Oimonomōsu-tsukasa. Holders of the office were of the Senior Third Rank. They assisted the Minister of the Left (the Sadaijin) and the Minister of the Right (the Udaijin).
By the mid-17th century, the Dainagon counsellor or state, was expected to work closely the Minister of the Center (the Naidaijin), whose position ranked just below the Udaijin and the Sadaijin. This court position evolved to ensure that someone will be always prepared to replace or assist the main court officials if, for any reason, it should be impossible for one of the two senior counselors to devote himself to his duties and responsibilities in all matters. Thus, the Dainagon ranked just above all other kuge in the kugyō except the Daijō Daijin, Udaijin, Sadaijin, and Naidaijin. This ancient office would have been roughly equivalent to that of vice-minister in the modern cabinet system. It was abolished in 1871.

A revealing framework

Any exercise of meaningful powers of court officials in the pre-Meiji period reached its nadir during the years of the Tokugawa shogunate, and yet the structure Council of State (Daijō-kan) did manage to persist. It isn't possible to evaluate any individual office without assessing its role in the context of a durable yet flexible network and hierarchy of functionaries.
The highest positions in the court hierarchy can be cataloged. A dry list provides a superficial glimpse inside the complexity of the court structure:

1.
- See also, .
2. .
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5. . There are commonly three Dainagon; sometimes more.
6. .
7. . There are commonly three Shōnagon.
8. . This office functions as a manager of activities within the palace.
9. . These are specifically named men who act at the sole discretion of the emperor.
10. This administrator was charged or tasked with supervising four ministries: Center, Civil Services, Ceremonies, and Taxation.
11. This administrator was charged or tasked with supervising four ministries: Military, Justice, Treasury and Imperial Household.
12. .
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18. . There are twenty officials with this title.

The Eight Ministries

A mere list of the court titles can't reveal nearly enough about the actual functioning of the Daijō-kan; but at least the broad hierarchical relationships become more readily identified:

I. .

II. ; also known as the "Ministry of Legislative Direction and Public Instruction".

III. ; also known as the "Ministry of the Interior".

IV. .

V. .

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VIII. .Further Information

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