In the Sengoku period (Japan), this term sometimes indicated the retainers who were under direct control of a lord, to separate them from the makusita-so samurai belonging to an independent military service such as kokujin (who were not retainers of the lord but were subordinated to the lord militarily).
戦国時代(日本)には、国人等の独立的軍団を構成している幕下層（家臣ではないが臣下の礼をとり軍事的に従属）とは別に、主君の指揮下に属する直属部隊の家臣を指す場合もある。