Tokusō
The Tokusō ( Japanese 得 宗 , also 徳 崇 and 徳 宗 ) was the head of the main line of the Hōjō in Japan, who had a monopoly on the offices of regent ( Shikken ) of the Kamakura shogunate and his assistant ( Rensho ).
The name Tokusō is said to come from Tokushū ( 徳 崇 ), the Buddhist name of Hōjō Yoshitoki , but Hōjō Tokimasa is mostly considered to be the first of the eight Tokusō :
- Hōjō Tokimasa
- Hōjō Yoshitoki
- Hōjō Yasutoki
- Hōjō Tsunetoki
- Hōjō Tokiyori
- Hōjō Tokimune
- Hōjō Sadatoki
- Hōjō Takatoki
The political structure of the dictatorship of Tokusō was introduced by Yasutoki and consolidated by his grandson Tokiyori . The Tokusō line became the predominant power over the Gokenin and the subsidiary lines in the family.
Tokiyori often worked out his policy at private meetings ( 寄 合 , yoriai ) in his residence instead of discussing them at the Hyōjō ( 評定 ), the council of the shogunate. This strengthened the followers ( 御 内人 , miuchibito ) of Tokusō.
1256 Tokiyori separated the positions of Shikken and Tokusō for the first time. Because of illness, he put his son Tokimune (then a toddler) as Tokusō, while Hōjō Nagatoki , a more distant relative than Shikken, was appointed to support Tokimune.