Tokusō (Japanese: 得宗) was the title (post) held by the head of the mainline Hōjō clan, who also monopolized the position of shikken (regents to the shogunate) of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan during the period of Regent Rule (1199–1333).
The tokusō from 1256 to 1333 was the military dictator of Japan as de facto head of the bakufu (shogunate); despite the actual shōgun being merely a puppet.
This implies that all other positions in Japan—the Emperor, the Imperial Court, Sesshō and Kampaku, and the shikken (regent of the shōgun)—had also been reduced to figureheads.
Tokiyori often worked out policies at private meetings (寄合, yoriai) at his residence instead of discussing them at the Hyōjō (評定), the council of the shogunate.
This made the tokusō's private retainers (御内人, miuchibito) stronger.