Sankin-kodai

Hi all!

I have read in several places about the Sankin-kodai law that was established at the beginning of the Tokugawa shugonate.

Hadn't the family members EVER left Edo back to their provinces / Did they spend their entire lives there?
Was the Daimyo able to choose whom to deliver to Edo, or were entire families transferred?
Who would rule the province during the time the Daimyo visited Edo?
How long did the Daimyo have to stay in Edo? How often (most commonly indicated time period I found is every other year)

Thanks,
Rami

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