Kanjoginmiyaku (a governmental post in the Edo period) (勘定吟味役)
Kanjoginmiyaku was a governmental post in charge of auditing all jobs in the Kanjo-sho office (the office for finance) in the Edo Bakufu.
Kanjoginmiyaku was installed at the Kanjo-sho office, and the officers were appointed from Hatamoto (direct retainers of the bakufu) or Gokenin (also direct retainers of the bakufu, but lower-ranked than Hatamoto). Though being ranked next to the Kanjo-bugyo post in the Kanjo-sho office, this post was not under the Kanjo-bugyo post but under Roju's direct supervision (the second-highest post in the Bakufu government). Osadame-inzu (the number of officers) was four to six. Each of the officers was given a 500 koku of rice crop (approx. 180 liters/koku) for its rank status and 300 straw bags of rice crop for its job. Ordinarily, the officers waited in the Nakano-ma room.
The Kanjo-sho office dealt with all finance-related matters, including the balance of the bakufu's finance, the collection of tax in Tenryo (the areas controlled directly by the bakufu), trade at Nagasaki, the attendance of the Gundai officers and of the Daikan officers, and reminting coins. Kanjoginmiyaku officers audited all of these jobs. Any financial expenditure had to be supported by the Kanjoginmiyaku officers. Since it was directly under the control of Roju, the officers had the authority of informing Rouj immediately of the wrong acts done by officers in the Kanjo-sho office, including Kanjo-bugyo officers.
This post, initially established by Tsunayoshi TOKUGAWA, was once abolished by Shigehide OGIWARA at his own discretion in the Genroku era (1688 - 17-4)), but was restored by Hakuseki ARAI. In the Kyoho era (1716 - 1736), the post was separated into Ginmi-yaku (audit post) for financial affairs and Ginmi-yaku for law suits. Later, in the Horeki era (1751 - 1764), 13 subordinates were placed under each of these officers according to an order from Ieshige TOKUGAWA, establishing the system as an independent inspection and audit organization.
When a baku-shin (a direct retainer of the bakufu) became a Kanjoginmiyaku officer, he was ranked at Rokui (the sixth rank), being allowed to wear clothes called Hoi. After the Ashidakanosei law was enacted in the Kyoho reforms, this post was the highest one that could be reached by lower-class officers of the bakufu, and it was rare that such an officer was promoted above this post.
Chronological table
1682: This post was established.
1699: This post was abolished.
1712: This post was reestablished.
1721: This post was separated into Kujikata (a post in charge of civil suits) and kattekata (a post in charge of financial affairs)
1758: The number of officers in this post was increased, establishing the organization firmly.
1867: This post was abolished.