일본고대국가 지방기구 大宰府의 외교기능에 대한 법제 연구

A Legislative Study on Diplomatic Functions of Dazaifu as a Local Government Organization of Ancient Japan

This paper deals with the role and functions of the Dazaifu, a local government organization of ancient Japan by analyzing specific cases. This study focuses on two aspects. One is the function of the organization as a branch of the central government which implemented the instructions of the government such as the royal edicts issued by the emperor, administrative measures, and government messages. The other is the role played by the Dazaifu in the locality even before the specific government instructions were delivered to it. These two cases can be presented vividly by examining how the Dazaifu submitted its rather detailed reports to the central government. This study began from answering the question of how the Dazaifu and the emperor in dealing with diplomatic affairs interacted with each other. It is not correct to say that the Dazaifu functioned independently in dealing with diplomatic affairs. It was subjected to a detailed and specified evaluation of the central government. The regulation of the central government over the local government was based on the codes and statutes enacted in the eighth century. However, as time went by, the local government organization such as the Dazaifu was allowed new functions. This study shows that in the late eighth century the Dazaifu became able to handle matters related with foreigners on its own. In the ninth century this practices gradually settled in.