Kugokata (供御方)

"Kugokata" was a position in charge of preparation and service of meals to the seii taishogun (literally, "great general who subdues the barbarians") and his family in the Muromachi bakufu.

Those in this position were picked from osueshu, the lowest-ranked officers taking care of daily miscellaneous chores for the Ashikaga (Muromachi) shogun family.
According to "Buke Meimoku-sho" (Compilation of historical data of the Edo period), this had been a hereditary post of the Ota and Shinshi clans, although there were some records about the annual events such as New Year's rite - shikisankon (three trays of drink and food) - in which the Shinshi clan took charge of the meals for the shogun, it seems that Kugokata itself was not constantly occupied by specific clans, because there are such cases as follows:
There is a record that in 1466, when Shogun Yoshimasa ASHIKAGA visited the residence of Yukitane INO, all the lowest-ranked officers were engaged in preparation and service of the meal to shogun, and also there is another record that mentions that other clans such as the Hikita clan, Shimotsuya clan and others took charge of Kugokata.

[Original Japanese]