Koshō


A koshō was a type of samurai position, serving at the side of a military commander and handling various miscellaneous duties. The term originates from the homophone "扈従", and can also be written as "小性".

Medieval Koshō

The term "koshō" appears in the Muromachi period, with the term "小姓衆" seen among the close attendants of the Shogun of the Muromachi shogunate.
During the Sengoku period, the position of koshō was primarily filled by young individuals. In peacetime, they served roles similar to that of a private secretary. During wartime or marches, their role was particularly significant as they were expected to protect their lord, even at the cost of their own lives, acting as a shield. Therefore, they needed to possess broad knowledge, master first-class etiquette and martial arts. Consequently, many who grew in this role went on to become active as close aides to their lords.
There are also instances where Sengoku daimyo lords took their koshō as objects of male love.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu took the children of daimyo families as koshō, effectively holding them as hostages under this pretext..

Koshō in the Oda Administration

Oda Nobunaga was known for actively promoting the young samurai who served by his side, training them as umamawari and koshō. Historian Katsuhiro Taniguchi stated, "The success of Oda Nobunaga's reforms was due to the fact that the people he trained as umamawari and koshō strongly supported his hegemony," and conducted research on Nobunaga's close aides like koshō, umamawari, and kinjū. According to Taniguchi's research, even when historical sources separately list "御馬廻集" and "御小姓集", distinguishing their actual duties is difficult. Furthermore, many of Nobunaga's koshō continued to be called koshō even after turning 20 years old. According to Taniguchi, within the Oda administration, individuals like Mori Naritoshi (Ranmaru) became daimyo with 50,000 koku while still holding the position of koshō, indicating the high status of koshō. Their characteristics included serving as Nobunaga's guards and vanguard unit commanders in battle, while handling domestic affairs in peacetime. Nobunaga sometimes led surprise attacks on enemy positions using only his koshō and umamawari, as seen in battles like the Battle of Okehazama, during which the koshō also served as vanguard commanders, requiring individuals selected for their superior martial prowess. Figures like Maeda Toshiie, Niwa Nagahide, and Ikeda Tsuneoki rose to prominence from koshō positions. Some, like Maeda and Mori, were also objects of male love. Furthermore, upon promotion from koshō, one would become an "umamawari," a captain of the personal guard, and above that, administrative positions like bugyō or regional military commanders as yoriki daimyō, and further to kunimochi daimyō. Also, only those originally of samurai status could become koshō or bugyō. For example, even if sumo wrestlers like "Taikō" or "Hishiya" received stipends from Nobunaga and served as sword-bearers during military reviews, they could not become koshō, even if they were retainers. Additionally, even if lower-status individuals who participated in surprise attacks performed meritorious deeds, they might be promoted to samurai status but could not become koshō, indicating the existence of status-based distinctions..

Koshō in the Edo Period

The position of koshō is found in the administrative structures of the Tokugawa shogunate and various domains. During the Edo period, koshō ceded their secretarial roles to positions like Sobayōnin, Sobashū, kinjū shutōyaku, Osoba goyō toritsugi, and Yuhitsu. Instead, they attended closely to the lord, cooperating with the konahto staff in handling miscellaneous duties related to the lord's personal needs and managing communications concerning daily life. Their official primary duty was the protection of the shogun, lord, etc..

Tokugawa Shogunate Koshō

Within the Tokugawa shogunate, koshō were also called Oku koshō, Soba koshō, or Kinjū koshō to distinguish them from the similarly named Koshōgumi and Nakaoku Koshō. They were under the jurisdiction of the Wakadoshiyori, with an official stipend of 500 koku. Those with a personal family stipend of less than 1000 koku received an additional allowance of 300 bales of rice. Upon appointment, they would typically be promoted to the Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade within about a year, making them shodaibu-class officials.
Their numbers ranged from 20 to 30, with a caretaker from among their peers serving as the Koshō Gatōri. At times, there were up to around 40. They took turns attending closely to the shogun, and when the shogun slept within the Honmaru Palace's Nakaoku, they would stand night duty in nearby rooms.
They were recruited from among the Nakaoku Koshō, konahto, etc., and could be transferred to various positions such as Rusui, Hyakunin-gumi Gashira, Kachigashira, Shinbangashira, Sakite-gashira, Metsuke, and Konahto Gatōri.

Domainal Koshō

The duties and status of koshō in the various domains differed from domain to domain. In some domains, they were divided into ranks such as Ko-koshō, Chū-koshō, and Ō-koshō. In some cases, the position of konahto was of higher rank than koshō. Also, domains like the Yonezawa Domain, Kishū Domain, and Yanagawa Domain established a Koshō-gashira to oversee the koshō and konahto.
Some domain lords made it a practice to appoint talented young samurai who had just undergone genpuku as koshō or sobayōnin, aiming to nurture them into capable personnel who could eventually act as their own hands and feet. For example, if one was born as the eldest son and successor of a hereditary karō, the career path often progressed as follows: koshō → yōnin positions → karō position, or koshō → karō-in-training → karō position. Additionally, sons of high-ranking retainers might be summoned to serve as koshō, often in a "bedroom resident" status, as companions and side attendants for the domain lord's sons before their genpuku. Because koshō served in the physically closest position to the lord, involved in his protection and privy to secrets, some domains prohibited those appointed as koshō from socializing with other families, including their own relatives.

Notable Former Koshō

Related Items

  • Page - Western equivalent of koshō