Kanto moshitsugi (関東申次)
Kanto moshitsugi, also called Knato shisso, was a post introduced in the imperial court during the Kamakura period and played, together with the Rokuhara Tandai (an administrative and judicial agency in Rokuhara, Kyoto) on the Kamakura bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun) side, the role of doing communications and adjustments between the bakufu and the imperial court or the government by cloistered emperors. Initially, a specific court noble privately designated by the bakufu assumed the post, but after Michiie KUJO lost his position in 1246, it became an official post designated by the bakufu and the post was hereditarily assumed effectevely by the head of the Saionji family that had a marital relation with MINAMOTO no Yoritomo (his niece entered the Saionji family through a marriage). After the Jokyu War (the war in the Jokyu era), when the imperial court was going to decide an imprtant matter, it became basically necessary for the imperial court to get its persmission from the bakufu through the Kanto moshitsugi, and its power increased: For example, when the battle betwwen Daikakuji-to (imperial lineage starting with Emperor Kameyama) and Jimyoin-to (imperial lineage from Emperor Gofukakusa to Emperor Gokomatsu) became serious concerning the imperial succession problem, the imperial succession problem or personel affairs in the imperial court became to be seriously affected by opinions of Kanto moshitsugi. However, when Kanto moshitsugi gradually sided more with Jimyoin-to due to a private relationship of the head of the Saionji family and Daikakuji-to (the head was on bad terms with Daikakuji-to), Daikakuji-to came to communicate with the bakufu directly, and Kanto moshitsugi came to lose its power rapidly as the 14-th century started. Then, after Daikakuji-to Emperor Godaigo defeated the Kamakura bakufu, the Saionji family was badly criticized, and Dainagon (chief councilor of state), Kinmune SAIONJI, who was the last Kanto moshitsugi, was executed on suspicion of a rebellion.