Rusuiyaku
- Japanese: 留守居役 (rusui yaku)
Rusuiyaku were samurai officials in the service of Edo period domains, who oversaw the administration of the domain's mansions in Edo or other cities in the lord's absence. They served an extremely important role as the domain's representative in the city, as administrators and intermediaries, facilitating the domain's involvement in political and economic matters in the major metropolises.
The responsibilities of a rusuiyaku were diverse and extensive, including maintaining the domain's mansion and preparing it for the arrival and residence of the lord or other members of his household; communicating on behalf of the domain with the shogunate and other official institutions, including at times filing formal inquiries or complaints with the shogunate;[1] and communicating with the rusuiyaku of other domains, as intermediaries in arranging various political, personal, or economic matters between domains;[2] among many other activities.
