Gaikoku bugyo

• Japanese: 外国奉行 (Gaikoku bugyô)

The position of Gaikoku bugyô, or Foreign Affairs Magistrate, was created in 1858/7, shortly after the signing of the Harris Treaty with the United States, and shortly before the signing of new treaties with the United Kingdom, Russia, France, and the Netherlands. The position of Kaibô kakari (coastal affairs officer) was abolished at this time.

Mizuno Tadanori, Nagai Naoyuki, Iwase Tadanari, Inoue Kiyonao, and Hori Toshihiro were the first to be assigned to this post. Kiyonao and Toshihiro continued to serve, respectively, as Shimoda bugyô and Hakodate bugyô while taking on the new position. Muragaki Norimasa was then appointed Gaikoku bugyô as well, several months later, while retaining his position as Hakodate bugyô.

The Gaikoku bugyô enjoyed a bashodaka of 2000 koku, a rank equivalent to shotaifu, and a seat above that of the ongoku bugyô.

Selected List of Gaikoku bugyô

• Mizuno Tadanori (1858-1859)
• Nagai Naoyuki (1858-1859)
• Iwase Tadanari (1858-?)
• Inoue Kiyonao (1858-1859)
• Hori Toshihiro (1858-?)
• Muragaki Norimasa (1858-?)
• Sakai Tadayuki (1859-?)
• Katô Noriaki (1859)
• Niimi Masaoki (1859-?)
• Mizoguchi Naokiyo (1859-?)
• Akamatsu Noritada (1859-?)
• Watanabe Takatsuna (1859-?)
• Hoshino Chiyuki (1864-1866)
• Kawaji Toshiakira (?-1868)

References

• Ishin Shiryô Kôyô 維新史料綱要, vol 3 (1937), 9.