In the Azuchi-Momoyama period, as Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI took the position of kanpaku (chief adviser to the Emperor), the title of kokushi changed into an official post for a samurai family to show the level of its social position or authority and became completely nominal.
安土桃山時代には豊臣秀吉の関白に伴い、国司の称号は武家の地位・権威を示す武家官位へと変質し、完全に名目だけのものとなった。