Jokan was a broadly used term to indicate government officials such as the Shonagon (lesser councilor of state), Benkan (controller) and Geki (secretary of the Grand Council of State), who were the three directors of the Sankyoku (an assortment of three bureaus: the Shonagon bureau, Benkan bureau and Geki bureau, respectively), the Shi (an official in charge of records), the Shisho (an official in charge of miscellaneous documents) and lower ranking Kanjin (government officials) affiliated with the Sankyoku, or in other words, Jokan indicates all of the officials of the Daijokan except the Kugyo (top court officials) and the Giseikan (Legislature).
一般的には、「三局」と称された少納言局・弁官局・外記局を率いる少納言・弁官・外記と三局に属した史(律令制)・史生以下の下級官人（反対に考えると、公卿・議政官を除く全ての太政官官人）を指す。