Imperial Court communications to Shogunate

From "Charismatic Bureaucrat: A Political Biography of Matsudaira Sadanobu
1758-1829," by Herman Ooms.

"When the court wished to take some action that was unprecedented, it had to
confer with the Bakufu through the Bakufu's Kyoto deputy (Kyoto Shoshidai).
Contract with the deputy was maintained through two court officials (buke
denso, messengers to the military) who were in charge of transmitting
memorials to and from the Kyoto deputy. The deputy relayed important matters
to the Senior Council in Edo by couriers, who traveled the distance between
Kyoto and Edo in about six days. Bakufu decisions followed the same route
back to the court messengers, but these latter had no direct access to the
Emperor. They contacted the kampaku or imperial advisor who then conferred
with the Emperor."

But if it involved Aizu, and since the Shogun came to Osaka Castle and later
Nijo Castle, the communication could probably be done right there. Aizu was
also probably directly apprised of this stuff.

--M.