three ministries (ritsuryō system)
Historical term referring to the three central ministries under the Japanese ritsuryō system: Ministry of Civil Services (式部省), Ministry of Health (民部省), and Ministry of War (兵部省).
See also: 律令制
three departments (Tang China)
Historical term for the three central departments in Tang dynasty China: the Secretariat (中書省), the Chancellery (門下省), and the Department of State Affairs (尚書省).
Under the ritsuryō system, the three ministries refer to the Ministry of Civil Services, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of War.
The three departments of the Tang dynasty consisted of the Secretariat, the Chancellery, and the Department of State Affairs.