title: Ministry of the Treasury
text: # Ministry of the Treasury
  
  The Ministry of the Treasury (大蔵省, Ōkura-shō, lit. 'the department of the great treasury') was a division of the eighth-century Japanese government of the Imperial Court in Kyoto, instituted in the Asuka period and formalized during the Heian period. The Ministry was replaced in the Meiji period.
  
  ## Overview
  
  The nature of the ministry was modified in response to changing times. The ambit of the Ministry's activities encompasses, for example:
  
  * administration of public accounts
  * oversight of tax collections and of offerings to the Emperor
  * regulation of weights and measures
  * control of the functuations in prices of commodities
  * regulation and oversight of the coinage of gold, silver, copper, and iron money
  * maintenance of the lists of artisans engaged in coinage-related activities
  * regulation of activities in the manufacture of lacquer ware, weaving, and other kinds of industries
  
  ## History
  
  The duties, responsibilities and focus of the ministry evolved over time. It was established as part of the Taika Reforms and Ritsuryō laws. Since 1885, Ōkura-shō has been construed in reference to the Ministry of Finance, also called the Ōkura no Tsukasa.
  
  ## Hierarchy
  
  The court included a ministry dealing with military affairs.
  
  Amongst the significant daijō-kan officials serving in this ministry structure were:
  
  * Chief administrator of the ministry of the treasury (大蔵卿, Ōkura-kyō). This official supervises the receipt of tributes from the provinces and imposes tribute on others.
  * Chief administrator of the ministry of the treasury (大蔵大輔, Ōkura-taifu)
  * First assistant to the chief of the ministry of the treasury (大蔵少輔, Ōkura-shō)
  * Second assistant to the chief of the ministry of the treasury (大蔵丞, Ōkura-no-jō), two positions
  * Alternate assistant to the chief of the ministry of the treasury (大蔵録, Ōkura-no-sakan), two positions
  * Collector of taxation from manufacturers and dyers (織部正, Oribe-no-kami)
  * Assistant collector of taxation from manufacturers and dyers (織部佑, Oribe-no-jō)
  * Alternate assistant collector of taxation from manufacturers and dyers (織部令史, Oribe-no-sakan)
  