Otsu-bugyo (大津奉行)

Otsu-bugyo (Otsu magistrate) is a post created in Otsu domain of Omi Province (present-day Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture) in the Middle Ages. Sometimes, the name Otsu daikan was used to refer to the post and both names were used at the same time.

Otsu-bugyo appointment is believed to date back to 1534, when it was created by the Rokkaku clan (either by Ujitsuna or Sadayori ROKKAKU) and Kiyomune KOMAI was appointed to the post, but the details remain unknown. Since then, Kiyomune has assumed the Otsu name, with the bugyo post held by his descendants for generations. After the downfall of the Rokkaku clan, Nobunaga ODA dispatched a daikan (local governor) to Otsu with the approval of Yoshiaki ASHIKAGA and brought the region under his rule.

In 1600, Ieyasu TOKUGAWA appointed Kanbei SUEYOSHI as Otsu-bugyo and separated the bugyo and daikan posts the following year with the appointment of Nagayasu OKUBO as Otsu-daikan. In 1615, Otsu-bugyo was positioned as ongoku-bugyo (magistrate placed in important areas for direct government control) and Otsu-daikan was placed under its command, but they were both abolished in 1722 when they were absorbed into Kyoto machi bugyo (Kyoto City Magistrates).

[Original Japanese]