TokusÅ
The TOKUSO (Japanese得 宗) was in Japan the head of the main line of the Hōjō a monopoly on the offices of regent ( Shikken ) of the Kamakura shogunate and his assistant ( Rensho ) had.
The name TOKUSO should come from TOKUSHU (徳 崇), the Buddhist name of the Hōjō Yoshitoki, but Hōjō Tokimasa is usually regarded as the first of the eight TOKUSO:
The political structure of the dictatorship of TOKUSO was introduced by Yasutoki and consolidated by his grandson Tokiyori. The TOKUSO line was the dominant power on the Gokenin and the secondary lines in the family.
Tokiyori often worked its policy on private meetings (寄 合, yoriai ) in his residence, rather than to discuss the Hyōjō (评定), the advice of the shogunate. This strengthened the followers (御 内人, miuchibito ) of TOKUSO.
1256 Tokiyori separated the positions of Shikken and TOKUSO the first time. Due to illness he put his son Tokimune (still a small child) as TOKUSO a while Hōjō Nagatoki, a distant relative was appointed as Shikken to support Tokimune.