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Tokuso (得宗 Tokuso) was the head of the
Hojo clan, who monopolized the position of
shikken (regents) of the
Kamakura shogunate in
Japan. In the late
Kamakura period, tokuso became more powerful than shikken.
The name tokuso is said to have come from Tokushū (徳崇), the Buddhist
name of
Hojo Yoshitoki, but
Hojo Tokimasa is usually regarded as the first tokuso. There were nine
tokuso:
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Hojo Tokimasa
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Hojo Yoshitoki
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Hojo Yasutoki
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Hojo Tokiuji
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Hojo Tsunetoki
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Hojo Tokiyori
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Hojo Tokimune
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Hojo Sadatoki
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Hojo Takatoki
The political structure of the tokuso dictatorship was set up by
Yasutoki and was consolidated by his son Tokiyori. Tokuso came to held
overwhelming power over
gokenin and the rest of the Hojo clan. Tokiyori often worked out
policies at private meetings (寄合 yoriai) at his residence instead of
discussing at Hyojo (評定), the council of the shogunate. That made tokuso's
retainers (御内人 miuchibito) stronger. In 1256 Tokiyori separated the
positions of shikken and tokuso for the first time. Because of illness, he
installed his infant son Tokimune as the tokuso while
Nagatoki, a collateral relative, was appointed as the shikken to
assist Tokimune. Since them tokuso became more powerful than shikken.
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