also: しょうゆう · すないすけ
Historical title in the ritsuryō system and early Meiji period; a specific government post.
Shō is one of the official posts in the ritsuryō system.
Standard kanji spelling for this historical title.
Alternate reading; less common than しょう.
Alternate reading; historical or dialectal variant.
The term is composed of 少 (shō, 'junior' or 'assistant') and 輔 (ho, 'assist' or 'support'), reflecting its function as an assistant vice-minister. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.