Sobayonin officers in the Edo bakufu were close confidants of seii taishogun (literally, "the great general who was to subdue the barbarians"), and played a role of informing Roju or other officers of instructions from Shogun.
江戸幕府における側用人は、征夷大将軍の側近であり、将軍の命令を老中らに伝える役目を担った。