Jitō

Jito (地頭 Jitō) were medieval land stewards in Japan, especially in the Kamakura and Muromachi Shogunates. Appointed by the Shogun, Jito managed manors including national holdings governed by the provincial governor (kokushi).

The term jito began to be used in the late Heian period as an adjectival word like "local". For example, a jito person (地頭人) meant a local influential. Later, jito was sometimes used to call persons who manage each local manor. For modern historians cannot clarify the character of the early jito appointed by Yoritomo, the conditions of these precursors are much less known.

Jito was officially established when Minamoto Yoritomo was appointed the office of the Head of Jito by the Imperial court with the right of nationwide appointment of Jito. Yoritomo appointed many Jito nationwide, however mainly in Kantō. In the Kamakura period, Jito were chosen amongst the Gokenin (the shogun's vassals) who governed military affairs. Jito handled the taxation and administration of the manor to which they were appointed, and directly administrated the lands and the farmers of the manor.

After the Jōkyū War, the Shogunate appointed many Jito in the Western Japan to the land that the people of the losing side had possessed. At that time, many prominent Gokenin including Mori clan (1221) and Ōtomo clan moved from the east to the west.

The jito system was officially abolished in the late of 16th century by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.