@article{oai:rekihaku.repo.nii.ac.jp:02000089,
 author = {柳谷, 慶子 and YANAGIYA, Keiko},
 journal = {国立歴史民俗博物館研究報告, Bulletin of the National Museum of Japanese History},
 month = {Sep},
 note = {本稿は、大名家の奥向から江戸城大奥へ派遣された「御城使（おしろづかい）」を取り上げ、その実相を選任と役務の検討を通して明らかにしようとするものである。御城使は「女使（おんなづかい）」「女中使（じょちゅうづかい）」と呼ばれることもあるが、江戸城大奥へ派遣される奥女中を特定する名称は、御城使である。この点を確認したうえで、はじめに御城使の本務である「大奥勤め」の全容を捉える分析を行った。大奥勤めとは、将軍の子女・子息の縁組を契機として、縁組の当人、および縁組先の大名家の当主や正妻が、将軍家への定期・不定期の挨拶・献物を課された儀礼勤めである。基本的に後代の当主と正妻に受け継がれるものとなった。近世中後期には大名家の願い出により、勤めを行う主体の原則が拡大されていたが、幕末に至るまで、大奥勤めを許された大名家は、全体の一割ほどに過ぎなかった。よって、大奥勤めの使者となる御城使は、仕える主人の名誉と家柄を誇示する存在となり、登城の華やかな行列にその様相が顕れていた。
御城使は奥女中の職階の最高位である上臈、もしくは老女が担当する。大奥勤めの使者として、しきたりと規式の作法をわきまえた振る舞いを求められ、これを担う能力を必要とされた。また、役方の複数の職階の奥女中が献物や書状の準備などを分担分業し、協同して、御城使を支えた。さらに奥向・表向の男性役人が任務の一部を代替したり、任務に加わる態勢が採られていた。これは元服前の幼少当主による大奥勤めは、付属する奥女中の職制に役方が不足していたことや、大奥勤めに付随した将軍・御台所からの拝領物の受領に際して、上使の応接に表向・奥向を超えて役職に応じた務めが生じたからである。
一方、御城使は将軍家と大名家の縁組交渉や、大名家から将軍家への内願に際して、非公式の情報伝達を担う奥向ルートとしても機能した。以上の考察から、御城使は、表向で御城使と称された留守居役に並び立つ役務であり、これを担う奥女中は大名家の官僚機構における女性官僚として位置付けることができる。, The aim of this study is to provide a clear picture of the oshirozukai—maidservants who were dispatched to the inner chambers of Edo Castle from the private quarters of daimyos' (feudal lords') mansions—through an examination of their appointment and services. The oshirozukai are also referred to as onnazukai or jochuzukai, but oshirozukai is the name that identifies the maidservants who were dispatched to the inner chambers of Edo Castle. Having confirmed this, I first conducted an analysis to grasp the whole picture of the service in the inner chambers of Edo Castle which was the main duty of the oshirozukai. This was a form of ceremonial service when a daughter or son of the Shogun was married to a member of the family of a daimyo, whereupon the family member getting married and the head of the family or his wife were required to make regular greetings and offerings to the Shogun. In principle this service was handed down to the head and wife of the head of the next generation of the daimyo family. In the mid- and late-early modern period, at the request of daimyo families, the principle of who could provide these services was expanded. Nevertheless, until the late Tokugawa Shogunate, the daimyo families permitted to provide such services accounted for only about one-tenth of the total. Therefore, the oshirozukai who were sent to provide services in the inner chambers of Edo Castle reflected honor on the master they served and showed off the family's lineage, which was evident in the spectacular procession to the castle.
The service of the oshirozukai was undertaken by joro (noblewomen) or rojo (senior ladies in waiting), the highest ranks among the ladies in waiting at Edo Castle. As emissaries to the inner chambers of the castle, they were required to act with discipline and manners and to possess the abilities necessary to do so. In addition, maidservants of various administrative ranks shared the work of preparing offerings and letters, working together with the oshirozukai to support their services. Furthermore, male officials of both the inner and outer halls of the castle were ready to undertake some of the duties of the oshirozukai or join them in performing their duties. Nevertheless, the need also arose for young heads of household not yet of age to serve in the inner chambers because the assigned maidservants were not sufficient to perform the required administrative duties or because, when gifts were received from the Shogun or his wife in connection with the duties of the inner chambers, a person of appropriate rank was required to receive the envoy, regardless of whether it was of an official or private nature.
On the other hand, the oshirozukai also functioned as a private channel for the unofficial communication of information in marriage negotiations between the Shogun's family and a daimyo family, or when an informal request was made from a daimyo's family to the Shogun's family. From the above considerations, it can be concluded that oshirozukai was a role equivalent to that performed by the rusui (caretakers) and the maidservants of the inner chamber who rendered such services can be positioned as female bureaucrats in the hierarchy of the daimyo family.},
 pages = {193--223},
 title = {[論文] 「御城使」としての奥女中 : 選任と役務の検討を中心に},
 volume = {235},
 year = {2022},
 yomi = {ヤナギヤ, ケイコ}
}