Gokenin (御家人; lit. housemen) were the direct vassals of the shogun in Japan. Their status varied across the ages.

Gokenin during the Kamakura period

Gokenin during the Muromachi period

During the Muromachi period, gokenin was a kind of a social status rather than direct vassals. Unlike the Kamakura shogunate, the Ashikaga shogunate organized gokenin. Most jito came under the dominance of the shugo of each province. The direct vassals of the shogunate were called Hōkōshū (奉公衆) instead.

Gokenin during the Edo period

In the Edo period, gokenin were the lowest-ranking direct vassals of the Tokugawa shogunate next to hatamoto. Unlike hatamoto, gokenin were not allowed to have an audience with the shogun. They basically suffered economic hardships and supplemented their income by moonlighting. In the late Edo period, some gokenin sold the status of gokenin to wealthy commoners by adopting their sons or themselves.