Koke

A kōke (高家) was a noble ranking below a daimyo in Japan during the Edo period. Their lands were assessed at less than ten thousand koku, making them ineligible for the rank of daimyo. Unlike hatamoto, whose duties were military, the kōke presided over ceremonies and acted as liaisons with the Imperial court in Kyoto.

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The shogunate appointed men of ancient families such as the Ashikaga clan. The office was hereditary. During the Genroku era, the highest-ranking kōke was Kira Yoshinaka, whom Asano Naganori attempted to kill, and whom the Forty-seven Ronin successfully killed in one of Japan's most famous vendettas. Kira was of Ashikaga lineage. Others descended from Muromachi period notables such as the Takeda family, the Otomo clan, and the Hatakeyama clan also served as kōke during the Edo period.

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Noble: Noble can refer to...

Daimyo: The daimyo (Japanese: ??: ') were the most powerful feudal rulers from the 12th century to the 19th century in Japan. The term daimyo literally means "great name." From the shugo daimyo of the Kamakura period through the sengoku daimyo to the daimyo of the Edo period, the rank had a long and varied...

Japan: For other uses, see Japan (disambiguation)....