Hikitsuke
Encyclopedia
The Hikitsuke or Hikitsuke-kata (引付方) (High Court) was one of judicial organs of the Kamakura
and Muromachi shogunates of Japan
.
The Hikitsuke was established by fifth shikken
Hōjō Tokiyori
in 1249 to expedite an increasing number of lawsuits. Hikitsuke had three, later, five tribunals, and each tribunal was operated by four or five Hikitsukeshū (引付衆 adjusters), whose top was called Tōnin (頭人), and four or five Bugyōnin (奉行人 secretaries).
The Hikitsuke's power increased gradually. At first the Hikitsuke just drafted several verdicts after hearings and submitted them to the Hyojoshu. Submitting only one verdict per lawsuit, the Hikitsuke later became a de facto full law court. It originally processed only conflicts of the vassals
of the shogunate, but later treated more general cases.
Although it aimed at accelerating trials and making them fair, the Hikitsuke tended to make rough-and-ready decisions in the late Kamakura period
. The Hikitsukeshu were mostly occupied by the Hōjō clan
. In addition, the Hikitsukeshu and Hyojoshu lost effective power to the yoriai, which was held at tokuso
's residence.
The Muromachi shogunate took over the system of Hikitsuke, but it lost its substantial meaning after Ashikaga Tadayoshi
died, who controlled the Hikitsuke.
Kamakura shogunate
The Kamakura shogunate was a military dictatorship in Japan headed by the shoguns from 1185 to 1333. It was based in Kamakura. The Kamakura period draws its name from the capital of the shogunate...
and Muromachi shogunates of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
The Hikitsuke was established by fifth shikken
Shikken
The was the regent for the shogun in the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. The post was monopolized by the Hōjō clan, and this system only existed once in Japanese history, between 1203 and 1333...
Hōjō Tokiyori
Hojo Tokiyori
Hōjō Tokiyori was the fifth shikken of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. He was born to Hōjō Tokiuji and a daughter of Adachi Kagemori....
in 1249 to expedite an increasing number of lawsuits. Hikitsuke had three, later, five tribunals, and each tribunal was operated by four or five Hikitsukeshū (引付衆 adjusters), whose top was called Tōnin (頭人), and four or five Bugyōnin (奉行人 secretaries).
The Hikitsuke's power increased gradually. At first the Hikitsuke just drafted several verdicts after hearings and submitted them to the Hyojoshu. Submitting only one verdict per lawsuit, the Hikitsuke later became a de facto full law court. It originally processed only conflicts of the vassals
Gokenin
A was initially a vassal of the shogunate of the Kamakura and the Muromachi periods. In exchange for protection and the right to become shugo or jitō , in times of peace a gokenin had the duty to protect the imperial court and Kamakura, in case of war had to fight with his forces under the...
of the shogunate, but later treated more general cases.
Although it aimed at accelerating trials and making them fair, the Hikitsuke tended to make rough-and-ready decisions in the late Kamakura period
Kamakura period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....
. The Hikitsukeshu were mostly occupied by the Hōjō clan
Hojo clan
See the late Hōjō clan for the Hōjō clan of the Sengoku Period.The in the history of Japan was a family who controlled the hereditary title of shikken of the Kamakura Shogunate. In practice, the family had actual governmental power, many times dictatorial, rather than Kamakura shoguns, or the...
. In addition, the Hikitsukeshu and Hyojoshu lost effective power to the yoriai, which was held at tokuso
Tokuso
Tokusō was the title held by the head of the mainline Hōjō clan, who monopolized the position of shikken of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan....
's residence.
The Muromachi shogunate took over the system of Hikitsuke, but it lost its substantial meaning after Ashikaga Tadayoshi
Ashikaga Tadayoshi
was a general of the Northern and Southern Courts period of Japanese history and a close associate of his elder brother Takauji, the first Muromachi shogun. Son of Ashikaga Sadauji and of a daughter of Uesugi Yorishige, the same mother as Takauji, he was a pivotal figure of the chaotic transition...
died, who controlled the Hikitsuke.