g the effect of combinations; the second, to prevent adoption of
Imperial princes into other families. The Bakufu sought, as far as
possible, to bring about the taking of the tonsure by all princes of
the Blood who were not in the direct line of the succession, and to
keep these princes from attaining to the posts of regents or
ministers of State.

"(5) All reports shall be submitted to the Emperor by the regent, the
denso, or an administrator (bugyo). Any other person who, in
disregard of this rule, attempts to address the Throne direct, shall
be sent into exile, whatever his rank."

The denso mentioned in this provision was an official appointed by
the Bakufu for that special purpose. The whole arrangement as to
communication with the Throne constituted a powerful buttress of
Bakufu influence. Generally, the latter could contrive, as has been
shown above, to control the appointment and continuance in office of
a regent or a minister, while as for the administrators (bugyo), they
were nominees of Yedo. It thus resulted that the Throne was
approachable through the channel of the Bakufu only.

LAWS WITH REFERENCE TO BUDDHISM

The above laws remained unchanged throughout the Tokugawa era. A
special law was also enacted with reference to Buddhist sects and the
principal Buddhist temples. Ieyasu secured to these temples the
possession of their manors by granting title-deeds bearing what was
called the "go-shuinji," or "vermilion signature." The term was not
really applicable in the case of Ieyasu. It is true that Hideyoshi,
doubtless in imitation of Chinese custom, stamped a vermilion seal
upon documents of this character; but the Tokugawa shoguns employed a
black signature written with a pen. Nevertheless, the term
"go-shuinji" continued to be used from the time of the Taiko
downwards. It was an outcome of Ieyasu's astuteness that the great
Hongwan temple was divided into two branches, eastern and western, by
which process its influence was prevented from becoming excessive.
During the administration of the third shogun, every daimyo was
required to adhere to a definite sect of Buddhism, and to the
Buddhist and Shinto temples was entrusted the duty of keeping an
accurate census of their parishioners. The direct purpose of these
latter laws was to facilitate the extermination of Christianity.
Anyone whose name was not enrolled on one of the above lists fell
under suspicion of embracing the foreign faith.

A JAPANESE