noun
feudal lord who stayed in his domain; lord who did not travel to the capital
Historical term from the Muromachi period referring to a feudal lord who remained in his own territory instead of going to Kyoto to serve the shogun.
在国衆は、京都に出仕せずに自領にとどまった。
The zaikokushū stayed in their own domains without attending the shogun in Kyoto.
室町時代の在国衆は、幕府との関係が希薄になりがちだった。
During the Muromachi period, zaikokushū tended to have weak ties with the shogunate.
Kokujin were local samurai or landholders; zaikokushū can be seen as a subset of kokujin who specifically remained in their provinces rather than serving in Kyoto.
Compound of 在国 (zaikoku, 'staying in one's province') and 衆 (shū, 'group' or 'people'). The term emerged in the Muromachi period to describe lords who did not travel to the capital.