The , usually translated as Elder, was one of the highest-ranking government posts under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan. The term refers either to individual Elders, or to the Council of Elders as a whole; under the first two shà Âguns, there were only two Rà Âjà «. The number was then increased to five, and later reduced to four. The Rà Âjà « were usually appointed from the ranks of the fudai daimyà Âs with domains of between 25,000 and 50,000 koku.
The Rà Âjà « had a number of responsibilities, most clearly delineated in the 1634 ordinance that reorganized the government and created a number of new posts:
The Rà Âjà « served not simultaneously, but in rotation, each serving the Shogun for a month at a time, communicating with the Shogun through a chamberlain, called Soba-yà Ânin. However, the Rà Âjà « also served as members of the Hyà Âjà Âsho council, along with the à Â-Metsuke and representatives of various Bugyà  (Commissions or Departments). As part of the Hyà Âjà Âsho, the Rà Âjà « sometimes served a role similar to that of a supreme court, deciding succession disputes and other such disputed matters of state and its vassals.
Under the reign of Tokugawa Tsunayoshi (1680âÂÂ1709) the Rà Âjà « lost nearly all their power, as the Shogun began to work more closely with the Tairà Â, Chamberlains, and others, including Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, who held the power of a Tairà Â, but not the title. The Rà Âjà « became little more than messengers, going through the motions of their proper roles as intermediaries between the Shogun and other offices, but not being able to exercise any power to change or decide policy. As Arai Hakuseki, a major Confucian poet and politician of the time wrote, "All the Rà Âjà « did was to pass on his <nowiki>[Yoshiyasu's]</nowiki> instructions" (Sansom 141). Even after Tsunayoshi's death, the Rà Âjà « did not regain their former power. They continued to exist, however, as a government post and a council with, officially if not in fact, all the powers and responsibilities they originally held, through the Edo period.
Each office-holder is listed once. Some may have served under multiple shà Âguns, and as a result of multiple terms, the list may not fully accurate reflect the order in which the office was held. For example, Hotta Masayoshi served in 1857âÂÂ58 after Abe Masahiro (1843âÂÂ57), but also served earlier, and is listed earlier; he is not also listed after Abe.