Changes

''Sankin kôtai'', or "alternate attendance," was a system of military service which served as a central piece of the [[Tokugawa shogunate|Tokugawa shogunate's]] systems for controlling the ''[[daimyo|daimyô]]'' and maintaining power. ''Daimyô'' were obligated to alternate their residence between [[Edo]] and their [[han|domain]]; the expense of journeys to and from Edo each other year, with large entourages, combined with the expense of maintaining [[daimyo yashiki|mansions]] in Edo often cost significant portions of the domain's resources, keeping them from consolidating power within their domains. The process of having so many samurai traveling to and from the capital, and maintaining residences in the capital, had a profound effect on cultural diffusion throughout the realm, and contributed significantly to the samurai-heavy demographic character of Edo.

''Sankin kôtai'', or "alternate attendance," was a system of military service which served as a central piece of the [[Tokugawa shogunate|Tokugawa shogunate's]] systems for controlling the ''[[daimyo|daimyô]]'' and maintaining power. ''Daimyô'' were obligated to alternate their residence between [[Edo]] and their [[han|domain]]; the expense of journeys to and from Edo each other year, with large entourages, combined with the expense of maintaining [[daimyo yashiki|mansions]] in Edo often cost significant portions of the domain's resources, keeping them from consolidating power within their domains. The process of having so many samurai traveling to and from the capital, and maintaining residences in the capital, had a profound effect on cultural diffusion throughout the realm, and contributed significantly to the samurai-heavy demographic character of Edo.

[[File:Iyo-matsuyama-sankin.JPG|center|thumb|800px|Detail from a handscroll painting depicting the ''sankin kôtai'' procession of the lord of [[Iyo-Matsuyama han]]. Date unknown. [[National Museum of Japanese History]]]]

[[File:Iyo-matsuyama-sankin.JPG|center|thumb|800px|Detail from a handscroll painting depicting the ''sankin kôtai'' procession of the lord of [[Iyo-Matsuyama han]]. Date unknown. [[National Museum of Japanese History]]]]

The ''sankin kôtai'' system can be linked to a number of precedents in earlier periods, including in the relationships between ''[[gokenin]]'' ("housemen") and the [[Kamakura shogunate]], and between ''[[shugo|shugo daimyô]]'' and the [[Muromachi shogunate]]. Systems practiced in a number of [[Sengoku period]] domains provide an even stronger example, closer to the Edo period practice both chronologically, and logistically. In many regions in the Sengoku period, it was not unusual for retainers, granted a small sub-fief by their lords, to be required to appear before the lord at New Year's, or on other regular occasions, to demonstrate their obedience; of course, Sengoku retainers were also obliged to provide warriors, arms, horses, and/or other equipment to their lord's armies. The practice of keeping ''daimyô's'' wives and heirs hostage in Edo also grew out of Sengoku era practices regarding [[hostages]]. Yet, no such system was ever implemented in earlier periods as widely, and as systematically, as under the Tokugawa shogunate.<ref name=honjin49>Watanabe Kazutoshi 渡辺和敏, "Sankin kôtai to honjin" 参勤交代と本陣, ''Honjin ni tomatta daimyô tachi'' 本陣に泊まった大名たち, Toyohashi, Aichi: Futagawa-juku honjin shiryôkan (1996), 49-50.</ref>

The ''sankin kôtai'' system can be linked to a number of precedents in earlier periods, including in the relationships between ''[[gokenin]]'' ("housemen") and the [[Kamakura shogunate]], and between ''[[shugo|shugo daimyô]]'' and the [[Muromachi shogunate]]. Systems practiced in a number of [[Sengoku period]] domains provide an even stronger example, closer to the Edo period practice both chronologically, and logistically. In many regions in the Sengoku period, it was not unusual for retainers, granted a small sub-fief by their lords, to be required to appear before the lord at New Year's, or on other regular occasions, to demonstrate their obedience; of course, Sengoku retainers were also obliged to provide warriors, arms, horses, and/or other equipment to their lord's armies. The practice of keeping ''daimyô's'' wives and heirs hostage in Edo also grew out of Sengoku era practices regarding [[hostages]]. Yet, no such system was ever implemented in earlier periods as widely, and as systematically, as under the Tokugawa shogunate.<ref name=honjin49>Watanabe Kazutoshi 渡辺和敏, "Sankin kôtai to honjin" 参勤交代と本陣, ''Honjin ni tomatta daimyô tachi'' 本陣に泊まった大名たち, Toyohashi, Aichi: Futagawa-juku honjin shiryôkan (1996), 49-50.</ref>

Some scholars identify the first performances of ''sankin'' under the Tokugawa as a series of meetings in the earliest years of [[Tokugawa Ieyasu|Tokugawa Ieyasu's]] hegemony between Ieyasu and certain prominent ''tozama daimyô''. As [[Maeda Toshiie]] and others were received in audience by Ieyasu and formally bowed before him and declared their submission to his authority, they were performing "''sankin''": coming to their lord's castle and sitting in attendance, or in service, to their lord, the shogun. The lords of the [[Tohoku|northern]], [[Chugoku region|central]], and [[Saikoku region|western]] regions were obliged to journey to [[Sunpu]] and Edo in [[1609]], and to declare their submission and loyalty. Many of these ''daimyô'' had been loyal to the [[Toyotomi clan]], or still were, and had not been directly defeated in battle by the Tokugawa; thus, obliging them to formally declare their submission and loyalty was an important step towards securing Tokugawa hegemony. Building upon the ceremonial and socio-political / ideological (i.e. feudal) precedents of the preceding age, such audiences set the model, to some extent, for the form, and meaning, of ''sankin kôtai'' audiences going forward.<ref name=honjin49/>

Some scholars identify the first performances of ''sankin'' under the Tokugawa as a series of meetings in the earliest years of [[Tokugawa Ieyasu|Tokugawa Ieyasu's]] hegemony between Ieyasu and certain prominent ''tozama daimyô''. As [[Maeda Toshiie]] and others were received in audience by Ieyasu and formally bowed before him and declared their submission to his authority, they were performing "''sankin''": coming to their lord's castle and sitting in attendance, or in service, to their lord, the shogun. The lords of the [[Tohoku|northern]], [[Chugoku region|central]], and [[Saikoku region|western]] regions were obliged to journey to [[Sunpu]] and Edo in [[1609]], and to declare their submission and loyalty. Many of these ''daimyô'' had been loyal to the [[Toyotomi clan]], or still were, and had not been directly defeated in battle by the Tokugawa; thus, obliging them to formally declare their submission and loyalty was an important step towards securing Tokugawa hegemony. Building upon the ceremonial and socio-political / ideological (i.e. feudal) precedents of the preceding age, such audiences set the model, to some extent, for the form, and meaning, of ''sankin kôtai'' audiences going forward.<ref name=honjin49/> The [[Shimazu clan]] were the first to propose having the lords' wives remain in Edo as "hostages," a practice which was later made standard and obligatory by the shogunate.<ref name=ueno92/>

==Implementation & Logistics==

==Implementation & Logistics==