also: くにのつかさ
provincial governor; provincial official
Historical term for an official appointed to govern a province under the ritsuryō system; especially refers to the governor (kami).
The kokushi was an official who governed provinces under the ritsuryō system.
During the Heian period, the authority of provincial governors gradually weakened.
国司 (identical reading) was a historical provincial governor appointed by the imperial court, while 国士 means a distinguished, patriotic person of great character.
provincial governor's office (historical)
Standard kanji form for this historical term.
Archaic native Japanese reading, rarely used in modern contexts.
From 国 (kuni, 'province') + 司 (tsukasa, 'official'). The reading こくし is Sino-Japanese, while くにのつかさ is the native Japanese reading.