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.

Initially voluntary, the system was made mandatory for ''tozama daimyô'' in [[1635]] in a re-issuance of the ''[[buke shohatto]]'' ("various laws for warrior families"); this was expanded to all ''daimyô'' in [[1642]]. Lords were obligated to maintain a residence in Edo, where members of their close family would reside as hostages against the ''daimyô's'' disobedience or rebellion. As of [[1648]], each lord's heir was obligated to travel to Edo as well, and from [[1684]] onwards, the ''fudai daimyô'' had to make their ''sankin'' journeys every six months. Though most ''daimyô'' were obliged to perform this journey regularly, some ''tozama daimyô'' were granted exceptions, in most cases due to their great service to the realm in other respects, or after successfully arguing for the excessiveness of the burden. These included [[Satsuma han]], which was particularly powerful and had a particularly lengthy journey; [[Tsushima han]] which governed relations and trade with [[Joseon|Korea]]; and [[Fukuoka han|Fukuoka]] and [[Saga han]], which contributed to the defense of the port of [[Nagasaki]]. Some northern domains which contributed to responses to Russian incursions also received temporary exemptions at times.<ref>[[Mark Ravina]], ''Land and Lordship in Early Modern Japan'', Stanford University Press (1999), 152.</ref>

Initially voluntary, the system was made mandatory for ''tozama daimyô'' in [[1635]] in a re-issuance of the ''[[buke shohatto]]'' ("various laws for warrior families"); this was expanded to all ''daimyô'' in [[1642]]. Lords were obligated to maintain a residence in Edo, where members of their close family would reside as hostages against the ''daimyô's'' disobedience or rebellion. As of [[1648]], each lord's heir was obligated to travel to Edo as well, and from [[1684]] onwards, the ''fudai daimyô'' had to make their ''sankin'' journeys every six months. Though most ''daimyô'' were obliged to perform this journey regularly, some ''tozama daimyô'' were granted exceptions, in most cases due to their great service to the realm in other respects, or after successfully arguing for the excessiveness of the burden. These included [[Satsuma han]], which was particularly powerful and had a particularly lengthy journey; [[Tsushima han]] which governed relations and trade with [[Joseon|Korea]]; and [[Fukuoka han|Fukuoka]] and [[Saga han]], which contributed to the defense of the port of [[Nagasaki]]. Some northern domains which contributed to responses to Russian incursions also received temporary exemptions at times.<ref>[[Mark Ravina]], ''Land and Lordship in Early Modern Japan'', Stanford University Press (1999), 152.</ref>