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.
The zaikokushū stayed in their own domains without attending the shogun in Kyoto.
During the Muromachi period, zaikokushū tended to have weak ties with the shogunate.
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.