yoriki

Yoriki assisted daimyō (feudal lords) or their designated commanders during military campaigns in the Kamakura and Muromachi periods.[https://books.google.com/books?id=g5BP7DGuNFsC&dq=yoriki&pg=PA42 Taiho-jutsu: law and order in the age of the samurai, Don Cunningham, Tuttle Publishing, 2004 P.42]

During the Sengoku period, as the scale of warfare increased, the organization of armies commanded by {{nihongo3|feudal lords||sengoku daimyō}} was subdivided. The daimyō commanded the entire army as the commander-in-chief, {{nihongo3||総大将|sō-daishō}}. Under him, the {{nihongo3||侍大将|samurai daishō}} commanded the main cavalry force, while the {{nihongo3||足軽大将|ashigaru taishō}} commanded the {{nihongo3||足軽|ashigaru}} who fought on foot.{{cite web|url=https://www.touken-world.jp/history/history-important-word/samurai-taisho/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240725112704/https://www.touken-world.jp/history/history-important-word/samurai-taisho/|script-title=ja:侍大将|language=ja|publisher=The Nagoya Japanese Sword Museum Nagoya Touken World|date=|archive-date=25 July 2024|access-date=25 July 2024}} Yoriki, often from the {{nihongo3||地侍|jizamurai}}, assisted the samurai daisho and the ashigaru taishō on horseback.{{cite web|url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E4%B8%8E%E5%8A%9B-146520|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240725112708/https://kotobank.jp/word/%E4%B8%8E%E5%8A%9B-146520|script-title=ja:与力|language=ja|publisher=Kotobank|date=|archive-date=25 July 2024|access-date=25 July 2024}}

In the Edo period, yoriki provided administrative assistance at governmental offices. Among different yorikis were the machikata yoriki, who were in charge of police under the command of the machi-bugyō. Below the yoriki were the dōshin. In the city of Edo there were about 25 yorikis working each for the two machi-bugyō offices. Since their status was {{nihongo3||御家人|gokenin}}, they were originally equivalent to {{nihongo3||徒士|kachi}} and not allowed to ride horses, but the yoriki were allowed to ride as a special exception.

{{Reflist}}

• Cunningham, Don (2004). [https://books.google.com/books?id=g5BP7DGuNFsC 'Taiho-Jutsu: Law and Order in the Age of the Samurai']. Tuttle Publishing. p. 43. {{ISBN|0-8048-3536-5}}. Google Book Search. Retrieved on February 26, 2009.

Category:Officials of the Tokugawa shogunate

Category:Government of feudal Japan

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