Ichi no Tsukasa (市司)
Ichi no tsukasa (Market Office) was the institution that belonged to Kyoshiki (the Capital Bureau) on the Ritsuryo system (a system of centralized government based on the ritsuryo code) of the Ritsuryo system Japan. It was placed in the each market east and west of the capital, and Higashi no ichi no tsukasa (Office of the East Market) belonged to Sakyoshiki (Eastern Capital Offices) and Nish no ichi no tsukasa (Office of the West Market) belonged to Ukyoshiki (Western Capital Offices).
Official duties
Supervised cities located east and west of the capital. Prevented from fraud and crime in the cities, managed scales and measures on commerce, monitored prices, and worked on procurement of commodity for public use when necessary. Also, divided prevailing price in the cities into three ranks as upper, middle, lower (each was described as three ranks further such as expensive or cheep, so it was actually nine ranks) every 10 days (once a month in the 'Engishiki' [an ancient book for codes and procedures on national rites and prayers]). Then, Ichi no tsukasa prepared 'Kokacho' (price book) that stated investigated prices at different times and submitted to Kyoshiki it belonged to.
Ichi no kami (Commissioner of the Market) as the head was originally an official equivalent to Shorokuinojo (Senior Sixth Rank, Upper Grade), but a person who accepted to have an appointment among governmental official of Goi (Fifth Rank) responsible for practical works, tokugyosho (student like postgraduate, student taking the graduate program) and monjosho (student of literary studies in the Imperial University) most of the time. It meant that a person who had assets and economic sense seemed to be appointed to the post in a positive and negative way. Also, Kebiishi no jo (Number three officials with judicial and police powers) was often appointed to the post since the post dealt with security in the cities.
Kacho who inspected prices as tomobe (Servant of the Court administering a group) and monobe who cracked down on criminals in the cities were staffed.
Personnel
Kami (equivalent to Shorokuinojo), one individual for east and west each. Jo (equivalent to Jushichiinoge [Junior Seventh Rank, Lower Grade]), one individual for east and west each. Reishi (equivalent to Daihatsuinojo [Greater Initial Rank, Upper Grade]), one individual for east and west each.
Shisho (a person doing miscellaneous duties about documents), two individuals for east and west each (later one for each). Kacho, five individuals for east and west each. Monobe, 20 individuals for east and west each. Shibu (low rank bureaucrats), 10 individuals for east and west each (later six for each). Jikicho (factotum), one individual for east and west each.