Shoryoryo (the Bureau for managing imperial mausoleums) (諸陵寮)
The Shoryoryo was an organization which belonged to Jibu-sho Ministry (the Ministry of Civil Administration) under the Ritsuryo system (a system of centralized government based on the ritsuryo code).
Official duties and History
Shoryoryo was established as Shoryo-shi (Office of Mausoleums) under the Ritsuryo system. It was promoted to a bureau (Ritsuryo system) in 729. Official duties of the Shoryoryo/Shoryo-shi included management of imperial mausoleums, mourning and funeral rites for the imperial family. For the management of imperial mausoleums in particular, the bureau kept a name list of Ryoko (imperial tomb guard) and made them guard the mausoleums. When misfortunes took place, they were regarded as a curse of the dead, and officers of Ryo were sent to the mausoleum of the unfortunate imperial family and consoled the spirit. The case of Imperial Prince Sawara is famous. Imperial mausoleums are now kept by the Imperial Household Archives.