InJapan, theSesshō (摂政) was aregent who was named to act on behalf of either a childemperor before hiscoming of age, or anempress regnant. TheKampaku (関白) was theoretically a sort of chief advisor for the Emperor, but was in practice the title of bothfirst secretary andregent who assisted an adult emperor. The duties of theSesshō andKampaku were to convey to the Emperor the policies formulated by theSadaijin (左大臣,Minister of the Left) and other senior officials of theDaijō-kan (太政官,Council of State), and to convey the Emperor's decisions to them. As regents of the Emperor, theSesshō andKampaku sometimes made decisions on behalf of the Emperor, but their positions were not defined by law and they had no specific political authority. The two titles were collectively known assekkan (摂関), and the families that exclusively held the titles were calledsekkan-ke (sekkan family).[1]
During theHeian period (794–1185), from the middle of the 9th century, theFujiwara clan began to marry off their daughters to the Emperor and assume the positions ofSesshō andKampaku, thereby excluding other clans from the political centre and increasing their political power. From the 10th century, the Fujiwara clan monopolized theSesshō andKampaku, and at the end of the 10th century, around the time ofFujiwara no Michinaga andFujiwara no Yorimichi, the power of the Fujiwara clan reached its zenith. In the mid-11th century,Emperor Go-Sanjo ran his own government, and the next Emperor,Shirakawa, abdicated to becomeCloistered Emperor, beginning thecloistered rule. From then on, the cloistered rule of Cloistered Emperor took root, and the de facto Fujiwara regime, which used the positions ofSesshō andKampaku, was over, and theSesshō andKampaku lost their real political power and became mere names.[1][2][3]
During theKamakura period (1185–1333), when the warrior class seized power and theKamakura shogunate was established, the Fujiwara were divided intoFive regent houses (五摂家,Go-sekke): theKonoe,Kujō,Nijō,Ichijo, andTakatsukasa families. From then on, these five families served asSesshō andKampaku on a rotating basis.[4]
Toyotomi Hideyoshi was the first person in history to become aKampaku who was not a noble by birth; his nephewToyotomi Hidetsugu also became aKampaku. Hideyoshi obtained this title, the highest position in the aristocracy, by being adopted into the Konoe family and formally becoming an aristocrat. A retiredKampaku was calledTaikō (太閤), which came to commonly refer to Toyotomi Hideyoshi.[5][6]
Bothsesshō andkampaku were styled asdenka ortenga (殿下) in historical pronunciation; translated as "(Imperial) Highness", as were Imperial princes and princesses.
In earlier times, only members of theImperial Family could be appointedsesshō. TheKojiki reports thatEmperor Ōjin was assisted by his mother,Empress Jingū, but it is doubtful if it is a historical fact. The first historicalsesshō wasPrince Shōtoku, who assistedEmpress Suiko.
TheFujiwara clan was the primary holder of thekampaku andsesshō titles. More precisely, those titles were held by theFujiwara Hokke (northern Fujiwara family) and its descendants, to whichFujiwara no Yoshifusa belonged.
In 858, Fujiwara no Yoshifusa becamesesshō. He was the firstsesshō not to be a member of the Imperial house. In 887,Fujiwara no Mototsune, the nephew and adopted son of Yoshifusa, was appointed to the newly created office ofkampaku.
In the 12th century, there werefive families among the descendants of Yorimichi calledsekke: theKonoe family,Kujō family,Ichijō family,Takatsukasa family andNijō family. Both the Konoe and Kujō families were descendants ofFujiwara no Yorimichi, throughFujiwara no Tadamichi. The other three families were derived from either the Konoe or Kujō families. Until theMeiji Restoration of 1868, those five families held those title exclusively with the two exceptions ofToyotomi Hideyoshi and his nephewToyotomi Hidetsugu.
The offices and titles ofsesshō andkampaku were abolished by the declaration of the Imperial Restoration in 1868 during theMeiji Restoration in order to reorganize the government structure. The office and title ofsesshō was stipulated under the formerImperial Household Law in 1889 and also under the new Imperial Household Law in 1948. Under these laws, the officeholder ofsesshō is restricted to a member of theJapanese Imperial family.Crown PrinceHirohito, before becoming Emperor Shōwa, wassesshō from 1921 to 1926 for the mentally disabledEmperor Taishō. He was calledsesshō-no-miya (摂政宮, "the Prince-Regent").
The area of Taikō in Nagoya is named after the title, although it refers to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The main street is Taikō-dōri, which is served by the subwayTaiko-dori Station.
The following is a list ofsesshō andkampaku in the order of succession.[7] The list is not exhaustive:
| Portrait | Name | Regent title | Tenure | Monarch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Prince Shōtoku (574–622) | Sesshō | 593–622 | Empress Suiko |
 | Prince Naka no Ōe[8] (626–672) | Sesshō | 655–661 | Empress Saimei |
| Prince Kusakabe[9] (662–689) | Sesshō | 681–686 | Emperor Tenmu | |
 | Fujiwara no Yoshifusa[10] (804–872) | Sesshō | 858–872 | Emperor Seiwa |
 | Fujiwara no Mototsune (836–891) | Sesshō | 872–880 | |
| Emperor Yōzei | ||||
| Kampaku | 887–890 | |||
| Emperor Kōkō | ||||
| Emperor Uda | ||||
 | Fujiwara no Tokihira[11] (871–909) | Sesshō | 909 | Emperor Daigo |
 | Fujiwara no Tadahira (880–949) | Sesshō | 930–941 | Emperor Suzaku |
| Kampaku | 941–949 | |||
| Emperor Murakami | ||||
 | Fujiwara no Saneyori[12] (900–970) | Kampaku | 967–969 | Emperor Reizei |
| Sesshō | 969–970 | Emperor En'yū | ||
 | Fujiwara no Koretada (924–972) | Sesshō | 970–972 | |
| Fujiwara no Kanemichi[13] (925–977) | Kampaku | 972–977 | ||
| Fujiwara no Yoritada (924–989) | Kampaku | 977–986 | ||
| Emperor Kazan | ||||
 | Fujiwara no Kaneie (929–990) | Sesshō | 986–990 | Emperor Ichijō |
| Kampaku | 990 | |||
 | Fujiwara no Michitaka (953–995) | Kampaku | 990 | |
| Sesshō | 990–993 | |||
| Kampaku | 993–995 | |||
| Fujiwara no Michikane (961–995) | Kampaku | 995 | ||
 | Fujiwara no Michinaga (966–1028) | Sesshō | 1016–1017 | Emperor Go-Ichijō |
 | Fujiwara no Yorimichi[14] (992–1071) | Sesshō | 1017–1019 | |
| Kampaku | 1020–1068 | |||
| Emperor Go-Suzaku | ||||
| Emperor Go-Reizei | ||||
| Fujiwara no Norimichi (996–1075) | Kampaku | 1068–1075 | Emperor Go-Sanjō | |
| Emperor Shirakawa | ||||
| Fujiwara no Morozane (1042–1101) | Kampaku | 1075–1086 | ||
| Sesshō | 1086–1090 | Emperor Horikawa | ||
| Kampaku | 1090–1094 | |||
| Fujiwara no Moromichi (1062–1099) | Kampaku | 1094–1099 | ||
| Fujiwara no Tadazane (1078–1162) | Kampaku | 1105–1107 | ||
| Sesshō | 1107–1113 | Emperor Toba | ||
| Kampaku | 1113–1121 | |||
 | Fujiwara no Tadamichi (1097–1164) | Kampaku | 1121–1123 | |
| Sesshō | 1123–1129 | Emperor Sutoku | ||
| Kampaku | 1129–1141 | |||
| Sesshō | 1141–1150 | Emperor Konoe | ||
| Kampaku | 1150–1158 | |||
| Emperor Go-Shirakawa | ||||
 | Konoe Motozane (1143–1166) | Kampaku | 1158–1165 | Emperor Nijō |
| Sesshō | 1165–1166 | Emperor Rokujō | ||
 | Fujiwara no Motofusa (1144–1230) | Sesshō | 1166–1172 | |
| Emperor Takakura | ||||
| Kampaku | 1172–1179 | |||
 | Konoe Motomichi (1160–1233) | Kampaku | 1179–1180 | |
| Sesshō | 1180–1183 | Emperor Antoku | ||
 | Matsudono Moroie (1172–1238) | Sesshō | 1183–1184 | |
| Konoe Motomichi (1160–1233) | Sesshō | 1184–1186 | |
| Emperor Go-Toba | ||||
 | Kujō Kanezane (1149–1207) | Sesshō | 1186–1191 | |
| Kampaku | 1191–1196 | |||
| Konoe Motomichi (1160–1233) | Kampaku | 1196–1198 | Emperor Tsuchimikado |
| Sesshō | 1198–1202 | |||
| Kujō Yoshitsune (1169–1206) | Sesshō | 1202–1206 | ||
| Konoe Iezane[15][16] (1179–1243) | Sesshō | 1206 | ||
| Kampaku | 1206–1221 | |||
| Emperor Juntoku | ||||
 | Kujō Michiie[17] (1193–1252) | Sesshō | 1221 | Emperor Chūkyō |
| Konoe Iezane[18][19] (1179–1243) | Sesshō | 1221–1223 | Emperor Go-Horikawa | |
| Kampaku | 1223–1228 | |||
| Kujō Michiie (1193–1252) | Kampaku | 1228–1231 | |
| Kujō Norizane (1210–1235) | Sesshō | 1231–1235 | ||
| Emperor Shijō | ||||
| Kujō Michiie (1193–1252) | Sesshō | 1235–1237 | |
 | Konoe Kanetsune (1210–1259) | Sesshō | 1237–1242 | |
| Kampaku | 1242 | Emperor Go-Saga | ||
 | Nijō Yoshizane (1216–1273) | Kampaku | 1242–1246 | |
 | Ichijō Sanetsune (1223–1284) | Kampaku | 1246 | |
| Sesshō | 1246–1247 | Emperor Go-Fukakusa | ||
| Konoe Kanetsune (1210–1259) | Sesshō | 1247–1252 | |
 | Takatsukasa Kanehira (1228–1294) | Sesshō | 1252–1254 | |
| Kampaku | 1254–1261 | |||
| Emperor Kameyama | ||||
| Nijō Yoshizane (1216–1273) | Kampaku | 1261–1265 | |
| Ichijō Sanetsune (1223–1284) | Kampaku | 1265–1267 | |
| Konoe Motohira (1246–1268) | Kampaku | 1267–1268 | ||
| Takatsukasa Mototada (1247–1313) | Kampaku | 1268–1273 | ||
| Kujō Tadaie (1229–1275) | Kampaku | 1273–1274 | ||
| Sesshō | 1274 | Emperor Go-Uda | ||
| Ichijō Ietsune (1248–1293) | Sesshō | 1274–1275 | ||
| Takatsukasa Kanehira (1228–1294) | Sesshō | 1275–1278 | |
| Kampaku | 1278–1287 | |||
| Nijō Morotada (1254–1341) | Kampaku | 1287–1289 | ||
| Emperor Fushimi | ||||
| Konoe Iemoto (1261–1296) | Kampaku | 1289–1291 | ||
| Kujō Tadanori (1248–1332) | Kampaku | 1291–1293 | ||
| Konoe Iemoto (1261–1296) | Kampaku | 1293–1296 | ||
| Takatsukasa Kanetada (1262–1301) | Kampaku | 1296–1298 | ||
| Sesshō | 1298 | Emperor Go-Fushimi | ||
| Nijō Kanemoto (1268–1334) | Sesshō | 1298–1300 | ||
| Kampaku | 1300–1305 | |||
| Emperor Go-Nijō | ||||
 | Kujō Moronori (1273–1320) | Kampaku | 1305–1308 | |
| Sesshō | 1308 | Emperor Hanazono | ||
| Takatsukasa Fuyuhira (1275–1327) | Sesshō | 1308–1311 | ||
| Kampaku | 1311–1313 | |||
 | Konoe Iehira (1282–1324) | Kampaku | 1313–1315 | |
| Takatsukasa Fuyuhira (1275–1327) | Kampaku | 1315–1316 | ||
 | Nijō Michihira (1288–1335) | Kampaku | 1316–1318 | |
| Emperor Go-Daigo | ||||
 | Ichijō Uchitsune (1291–1325) | Kampaku | 1318–1323 | |
| Kujō Fusazane (1290–1327) | Kampaku | 1323–1324 | ||
| Takatsukasa Fuyuhira (1275–1327) | Kampaku | 1324–1327 | ||
| Nijō Michihira (1288–1335) | Kampaku | 1327–1330 | |
| Konoe Tsunetada (1302–1352) | Kampaku | 1330 | ||
| Takatsukasa Fuyunori (1295–1337) | Kampaku | 1330–1333 | ||
| Emperor Kōgon | ||||
| Konoe Tsunetada (1302–1352) | Kampaku | 1336–1337 | Emperor Kōmyō | |
| Konoe Mototsugu (1305–1354) | Kampaku | 1337–1338 | ||
| Ichijō Tsunemichi (1317–1365) | Kampaku | 1338–1342 | ||
| Kujō Michinori (1315–1349) | Kampaku | 1342 | ||
| Takatsukasa Morohira[20] (1310–1353) | Kampaku | 1342–1346 | ||
 | Nijō Yoshimoto (1320–1388) | Kampaku | 1346–1358 | |
| Emperor Sukō | ||||
| Emperor Go-Kōgon | ||||
| Kujō Tsunenori (1331–1400) | Kampaku | 1358–1361 | ||
| Konoe Michitsugu (1333–1387) | Kampaku | 1361–1363 | ||
| Nijō Yoshimoto (1320–1388) | Kampaku | 1363–1367 | |
| Takatsukasa Fuyumichi (1330–1386) | Kampaku | 1367–1369 | ||
| Nijō Moroyoshi (1345–1382) | Kampaku | 1369–1375 | ||
| Emperor Go-En'yū | ||||
| Kujō Tadamoto (1345–1397) | Kampaku | 1375–1379 | ||
| Nijō Morotsugu (1356–1400) | Kampaku | 1379–1382 | ||
| Nijō Yoshimoto (1320–1388) | Sesshō | 1382–1388 | Emperor Go-Komatsu |
| Konoe Kanetsugu (1360–1388) | Sesshō | 1388 | ||
| Nijō Yoshimoto (1320–1388) | Sesshō | 1388 | |
| Kampaku | 1388 | |||
| Nijō Morotsugu (1356–1400) | Kampaku | 1388–1394 | ||
| Ichijō Tsunetsugu (1358–1418) | Kampaku | 1394–1398 | ||
| Nijō Morotsugu (1356–1400) | Kampaku | 1398–1399 | ||
| Ichijō Tsunetsugu (1358–1418) | Kampaku | 1399–1408 | ||
| Konoe Tadatsugu (1383–1454) | Kampaku | 1408–1409 | ||
| Nijō Mitsumoto (1383–1410) | Kampaku | 1409–1410 | ||
| Ichijō Tsunetsugu (1358–1418) | Kampaku | 1410–1418 | ||
| Emperor Shōkō | ||||
| Kujō Mitsuie (1394–1449) | Kampaku | 1418–1424 | ||
| Nijō Mochimoto (1390–1445) | Kampaku | 1424–1428 | ||
| Sesshō | 1428–1432 | Emperor Go-Hanazono | ||
| Ichijō Kaneyoshi (1402–1481) | Sesshō | 1432 | ||
| Nijō Mochimoto (1390–1445) | Sesshō | 1432–1433 | ||
| Kampaku | 1433–1445 | |||
| Konoe Fusatsugu (1402–1488) | Kampaku | 1445–1447 | ||
| Ichijō Kaneyoshi (1402–1481) | Kampaku | 1447–1453 | ||
| Takatsukasa Fusahira (1408–1472) | Kampaku | 1454–1455 | ||
| Nijō Mochimichi (1416–1493) | Kampaku | 1455–1458 | ||
| Ichijō Norifusa (1423–1480) | Kampaku | 1458–1463 | ||
| Nijō Mochimichi (1416–1493) | Kampaku | 1463–1467 | ||
| Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado | ||||
| Ichijō Kaneyoshi (1402–1481) | Kampaku | 1467–1470 | ||
| Nijō Masatsugu (1443–1480) | Kampaku | 1470–1476 | ||
| Kujō Masamoto (1445–1516) | Kampaku | 1476–1479 | ||
| Konoe Masaie (1445–1505) | Kampaku | 1479–1483 | ||
| Takatsukasa Masahira (1445–1517) | Kampaku | 1483–1487 | ||
| Kujō Masatada (1439–1488) | Kampaku | 1487–1488 | ||
| Ichijō Fuyuyoshi (1465–1514) | Kampaku | 1488–1493 | ||
| Konoe Hisamichi (1472–1544) | Kampaku | 1493–1497 | ||
| Nijō Hisamoto (1471–1497) | Kampaku | 1497 | ||
| Ichijō Fuyuyoshi (1465–1514) | Kampaku | 1497–1501 | ||
| Emperor Go-Kashiwabara | ||||
| Kujō Hisatsune (1469–1530) | Kampaku | 1501–1513 | ||
| Konoe Hisamichi (1472–1544) | Kampaku | 1513–1514 | ||
| Takatsukasa Kanesuke (1480–1552) | Kampaku | 1514–1518 | ||
| Nijō Korefusa (1496–1551) | Kampaku | 1518–1525 | ||
| Konoe Taneie (1503–1566) | Kampaku | 1525–1533 | ||
| Emperor Go-Nara | ||||
| Kujō Tanemichi (1507–1594) | Kampaku | 1533–1534 | ||
| Nijō Korefusa (1496–1551) | Kampaku | 1534–1536 | ||
| Konoe Taneie (1503–1566) | Kampaku | 1536–1542 | ||
| Takatsukasa Tadafuyu (1509–1546) | Kampaku | 1542–1545 | ||
| Ichijō Fusamichi (1509–1556) | Kampaku | 1545–1548 | ||
| Nijō Haruyoshi (1526–1579) | Kampaku | 1548–1553 | ||
| Ichijō Kanefuyu (1529–1554) | Kampaku | 1553–1554 | ||
| Konoe Sakihisa (1536–1612) | Kampaku | 1554–1568 | ||
| Emperor Ōgimachi | ||||
| Nijō Haruyoshi (1526–1579) | Kampaku | 1568–1578 | ||
| Kujō Kanetaka (1553–1636) | Kampaku | 1578–1581 | ||
| Ichijō Uchimoto (1548–1611) | Kampaku | 1581–1585 | ||
 | Nijō Akizane (1556–1619) | Kampaku | 1585 | |
 | Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1538–1598) | Kampaku | 1585–1591 | |
| Emperor Go-Yōzei | ||||
 | Toyotomi Hidetsugu (1568–1595) | Kampaku | 1591–1595 | |
| Kujō Kanetaka (1553–1636) | Kampaku | 1600–1604 | ||
| Konoe Nobutada (1565–1614) | Kampaku | 1605–1606 | ||
| Takatsukasa Nobufusa (1565–1658) | Kampaku | 1606–1608 | ||
| Kujō Yukiie (1586–1665) | Kampaku | 1608–1612 | ||
| Emperor Go-Mizunoo | ||||
| Takatsukasa Nobuhisa (1590–1621) | Kampaku | 1612–1615 | ||
| Nijō Akizane (1556–1619) | Kampaku | 1615–1619 | |
| Kujō Yukiie (1586–1665) | Kampaku | 1619–1623 | ||
| Konoe Nobuhiro (1599–1649) | Kampaku | 1623–1629 | ||
| Ichijō Akiyoshi (1605–1672) | Kampaku | 1629 | ||
| Sesshō | 1629–1635 | Empress Meishō | ||
| Nijō Yasumichi (1607–1666) | Sesshō | 1635–1647 | ||
| Emperor Go-Kōmyō | ||||
 | Kujō Michifusa (1609–1647) | Sesshō | 1647 | |
| Ichijō Akiyoshi (1605–1672) | Sesshō | 1647 | ||
| Kampaku | 1647–1651 | |||
| Konoe Hisatsugu (1622–1653) | Kampaku | 1651–1653 | ||
| Nijō Mitsuhira (1624–1682) | Kampaku | 1653–1663 | ||
| Emperor Go-Sai | ||||
| Sesshō | 1663–1664 | Emperor Reigen | ||
| Takatsukasa Fusasuke (1637–1700) | Sesshō | 1664–1668 | ||
| Kampaku | 1668–1682 | |||
| Ichijō Kaneteru (1652–1705) | Kampaku | 1682–1687 | ||
| Sesshō | 1687–1689 | Emperor Higashiyama | ||
| Kampaku | 1689–1690 | |||
 | Konoe Motohiro (1648–1722) | Kampaku | 1690–1703 | |
| Takatsukasa Kanehiro (1659–1725) | Kampaku | 1703–1707 | ||
 | Konoe Iehiro (1667–1736) | Kampaku | 1707–1709 | |
| Sesshō | 1709–1712 | Emperor Nakamikado | ||
| Kujō Sukezane (1669–1729) | Sesshō | 1712–1716 | ||
| Kampaku | 1716–1722 | |||
| Nijō Tsunahira (1672–1732) | Kampaku | 1722–1726 | ||
| Konoe Iehisa (1687–1737) | Kampaku | 1726–1736 | ||
| Emperor Sakuramachi | ||||
 | Nijō Yoshitada (1689–1737) | Kampaku | 1736–1737 | |
| Ichijō Kaneka (1692–1751) | Kampaku | 1737–1746 | ||
| Ichijō Michika (1722–1769) | Kampaku | 1746–1747 | ||
| Sesshō | 1747–1755 | Emperor Momozono | ||
| Kampaku | 1755–1757 | |||
| Konoe Uchisaki (1728–1785) | Kampaku | 1757–1762 | ||
| Sesshō | 1762–1772 | Empress Go-Sakuramachi | ||
| Emperor Go-Momozono | ||||
| Kampaku | 1772–1778 | |||
| Kujō Naozane (1717–1787) | Kampaku | 1778–1779 | ||
| Sesshō | 1779–1785 | Emperor Kōkaku | ||
| Kampaku | 1785–1787 | |||
| Takatsukasa Sukehira (1738–1819) | Kampaku | 1787–1791 | ||
| Ichijō Teruyoshi (1756–1795) | Kampaku | 1791–1795 | ||
| Takatsukasa Masahiro (1761–1841) | Kampaku | 1795–1814 | ||
| Ichijō Tadayoshi (1774–1837) | Kampaku | 1814–1823 | ||
| Emperor Ninkō | ||||
| Takatsukasa Masamichi (1789–1868) | Kampaku | 1823–1856 | ||
| Emperor Kōmei | ||||
 | Kujō Hisatada (1798–1871) | Kampaku | 1856–1862 | |
 | Konoe Tadahiro (1808–1898) | Kampaku | 1862–1863 | |
| Takatsukasa Sukehiro (1807–1878) | Kampaku | 1863 | ||
 | Nijō Nariyuki (1816–1878) | Kampaku | 1863–1866 | |
| Sesshō | 1867–1868 | Emperor Meiji | ||
 | Crown Prince Hirohito (1901–1989) | Sesshō | 1921–1926 | Emperor Taishō |