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Sadaijin, most commonly translated as "Minister of the Left", was a government position in Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of 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....
 in the late Nara
Nara period

The of the history of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. Empress Gemmei established the capital of Heijo-kyo . Except for 5 years , when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kammu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyo, in 784 before moving to Heian-kyo , or Kyoto, a decade lat...
 and Heian period
Heian period

The is the last division of classical History of Japan, running from 794 to 1185. It is the period in Japanese history when Confucianism and other Chinese culture were at their height....
s. The position was consolidated in the Taiho Code
Taiho Code

The was an administrative reorganization enacted in 701 in Japan, at the end of the Asuka period. It was historically one of the . It was compiled at the direction of Prince Osakabe, Fujiwara no Fuhito and Awata no Mahito at the request of Emperor Mommu and, like many other developments in the country at the time, it was largely an adaptation of...
 of 702
702

Events...
. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code
Asuka Kiyomihara Code

The Asuka Kiyomihara Code refers to a collection of governing rules compiled and promulgated in 689, one of the first, if not the first collection of Ritsuryo laws in classical Japan....
 of 689 marks the initial appearance of the Sadaijin in the context of a central administrative body called the Daijo-kan (Council of State). This early Daijo-kan was composed of the three ministers -- the Daijo-daijin (Chancellor), the Sadaijin and the Udaijin
Udaijin

Udaijin , most commonly translated as the "Minister of the Right", was a government position in Japan in the late Nara period and Heian periods....
 (Minister of the Right).

The sadaijin was the Senior Minister of State, overseeing all functions of government with the Udaijin
Udaijin

Udaijin , most commonly translated as the "Minister of the Right", was a government position in Japan in the late Nara period and Heian periods....
 as his deputy.

Within the Daijo-kan, the sadaijin was second only to the Daijo Daijin (the Great Minister, or Chancellor of the Realm) in power and influence.






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Sadaijin, most commonly translated as "Minister of the Left", was a government position in Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of 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....
 in the late Nara
Nara period

The of the history of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. Empress Gemmei established the capital of Heijo-kyo . Except for 5 years , when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kammu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyo, in 784 before moving to Heian-kyo , or Kyoto, a decade lat...
 and Heian period
Heian period

The is the last division of classical History of Japan, running from 794 to 1185. It is the period in Japanese history when Confucianism and other Chinese culture were at their height....
s. The position was consolidated in the Taiho Code
Taiho Code

The was an administrative reorganization enacted in 701 in Japan, at the end of the Asuka period. It was historically one of the . It was compiled at the direction of Prince Osakabe, Fujiwara no Fuhito and Awata no Mahito at the request of Emperor Mommu and, like many other developments in the country at the time, it was largely an adaptation of...
 of 702
702

Events...
. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code
Asuka Kiyomihara Code

The Asuka Kiyomihara Code refers to a collection of governing rules compiled and promulgated in 689, one of the first, if not the first collection of Ritsuryo laws in classical Japan....
 of 689 marks the initial appearance of the Sadaijin in the context of a central administrative body called the Daijo-kan (Council of State). This early Daijo-kan was composed of the three ministers -- the Daijo-daijin (Chancellor), the Sadaijin and the Udaijin
Udaijin

Udaijin , most commonly translated as the "Minister of the Right", was a government position in Japan in the late Nara period and Heian periods....
 (Minister of the Right).

The sadaijin was the Senior Minister of State, overseeing all functions of government with the Udaijin
Udaijin

Udaijin , most commonly translated as the "Minister of the Right", was a government position in Japan in the late Nara period and Heian periods....
 as his deputy.

Within the Daijo-kan, the sadaijin was second only to the Daijo Daijin (the Great Minister, or Chancellor of the Realm) in power and influence. Frequently, a member of the Fujiwara family
Fujiwara family

The Fujiwara clan , descending from the Nakatomi clan, was a powerful family of regents in Japan that monopolized the regent positions, Sessho and Kampaku....
 would take the position in order to help justify and exercise the power and influence the family held.

The post of sadaijin, along with the rest of the Daijo-kan structure, gradually lost power over the 10th and 11th centuries, as the Fujiwara came to dominate politics more and more. The system was essentially powerless by the end of the 12th century, when the Minamoto, a warrior clan, seized control of the country from the court aristocracy (kuge
Kuge

The kuge was a Japanese aristocratic Social class that dominated the Japanese imperial court in Kyoto until the rise of the Shogunate in the 12th century at which point it was eclipsed by the daimyo....
). However, it is not entirely clear when the Daijo-kan system was formally dismantled prior to the Meiji era.

A revealing framework

Any exercise of meaningful powers of court officials in the pre-Meiji period
Meiji period

The , or Meiji era, denotes the 45-year reign of the Meiji Emperor, running, in the Gregorian calendar, from 23 October 1868 to 30 July 1912. During this time, Japan started its modernization and rose to world power status....
 reached its nadir during the years of the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate

The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the , and the , was a feudalism regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family....
, and yet the structure Council of State (Daijo-kan) did manage to persist. It is not 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. .
  • 3. .
  • 4. .
  • 5. . There are commonly three Dainagon; sometimes more.
  • 6. .
  • 7. . There are commonly three Shonagon.
  • 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
    Shikibu-sho

    The was one of the divisions of the Japanese government , instituted in the Asuka period and formalized during the Heian period This Imperial ministry was concerned primarily with administrative matters....
    , Ceremonies
    Jibu-sho

    The was a division of the Japanese government , instituted in the Asuka period and formalized in the Heian period. This Imperial ministry was charged with a focus on the ceremonial aspects of the Imperial year, on the formal nature of formal relations with China, Korea, and other nations, and on the maintenance of Imperial tombs and mausole...
    , and Taxation.
  • 11. This administrator was charged or tasked with supervising four ministries: Military
    Hyobu-sho

    The was a division of the Japanese government , instituted in the Asuka period and formalized during the Heian period, which addressed matters relating to the supervision of the imperial troops....
    , Justice, Treasury
    Ministry of Finance (Japan)

    The is one of Cabinet -level ministries of the Government of Japan. The Ministry was once named Okura-sho . The Ministry is headed by the Minister of Finance , who is a member of the Cabinet and is typically chosen from members of the Diet of Japan by the Prime Minister of Japan....
     and Imperial Household.
  • 12. .
  • 13. .
  • 14. .
  • 15. .
  • 16. .
  • 17. .
  • 18. . There are twenty officials with this title.


The Eight Ministries

A mere list of the court titles cannot reveal nearly enough about the actual functioning of the Daijo-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. .
  • VI. .
  • VII. .
  • VIII. .


See also

  • Daijo-kan
  • Kugyo
    Kugyo

    is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre-Meiji period eras. In general, this elite group included only three to four men at a time....
  • List of Daijo Daijin
    List of Daijo Daijin

    The following is list of Daijo Daijin....
  • Sessho and Kampaku
    Sessho and Kampaku

    In Japan, Sessho was a title given to a regent who was named to assist either a child Emperor of Japan before his coming of age, or an Japanese empresses....
  • Kokyu
    Kokyu

    The kokyu is a traditional Japanese string instrument, the only one played with a bow . Although it was supposedly introduced to Japan from China along with the shamisen, its material, shape and sound are unique to Japan....
  • Kuge
    Kuge

    The kuge was a Japanese aristocratic Social class that dominated the Japanese imperial court in Kyoto until the rise of the Shogunate in the 12th century at which point it was eclipsed by the daimyo....
  • Imperial Household Agency
    Imperial Household Agency

    The is a government agency of Japan in charge of the state matters concerning Imperial Household of Japan and also keeping the Privy Seal of Japan and the State Seal of Japan....