In the original ritsuryo system, governmental affairs were processed in order, from the upper rank, following the line of governance, so departments near the bottom of the bureaucratic organization merely did paperwork, and their decision-making was ultimately done by the emperor through upper organizations.
本来の律令制は政務を上から順番に統属関係にのっとった形で処理するため、官僚機構において底辺にちかい部署はただ事務処理を行なうのみであり、その意思決定は上位機構をへて最終的には天皇が裁断するものであった。