Saigokusuji-gundai (a magistrate of Kyushu region) (西国筋郡代)
Saigokusuji-gundai was one of the gundai set in four places in the Edo period. It is also known as Saigoku-gundai.
Summary
Saigokusuji-gundai, an administrative officer as well as a local governor who managed the affairs of Kyushu region which was the territory under the direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate, had a fief of 162,000 koku. The magistrate's office was placed in Hita, Bungo Province (Hita City, Oita Prefecture).
The tenryo (the shogunal demesne) under the responsibility of Saigokusuji-gundai was the second largest tenryo among the tenryo in the nation. Saigokusuji-gundai was regarded as the higher position than other regular gundai because it had close relationship with tozama yuhan (outside feudal lord of powerful domain), such as the Shimazu clan, the Hosokawa clan, the Nabeshima clan, and the Kuroda clan. Since their job was to watch developments in the Kyushu domains, cooperating with Nagasaki bugyo (Nagasaki magistrate), they were also known as "Kyushu Tandai" (local feudal commissioner).