Five regent houses
Encyclopedia
The Five regent houses is a collective term for those five families of Fujiwara clan, who were regarded entitled to the position of Sekkan
in the Imperial Court of Kyoto, Japan
, and monopolized the position between 12th and 19th century. The five houses are Konoe
, Takatsukasa
, Kujō
, Ichijō
and Nijō
.
The Fujiwara clan
had also other families, but traditionally only these five were eligible for regentship. They were the most politically powerful families among the kuge
(court officials).
As the imperial clan claimed to descent from the goddess Amaterasu
, in the Fujiwara tradition the clan descended from another ancient kami, Ame-no-Koyane
. Apparently, only these two clans were left in the modern era to claim kami descent.
Partly based on that kami descent, tradition required that emperors may marry only from Fujiwara and imperial family itself - the view was that an empress must descend from gods, too. Thus, with the exception of Tokugawa Masako
, wife of the Emperor Mizunoo, all Empresses of that long period were of the clans that formed the Sekke or from branches of the imperial family itself.
Sessho and Kampaku
In Japan, was a title given to a regent who was named to assist either a child emperor before his coming of age, or an empress. The was theoretically a sort of chief advisor for the emperor, but was the title of both first secretary and regent who assists an adult emperor. During the Heian era,...
in the Imperial Court of Kyoto, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and monopolized the position between 12th and 19th century. The five houses are Konoe
Konoe family
The Konoe family is a branch of the Fujiwara clan, a powerful noble family in Japan. As one of the five regent houses, the Konoe family monopolized the offices of Sessho and Kampaku along with Takatsukasa, Kujō, Ichijō and Nijō families. They are collectively known as the Five regent houses.With...
, Takatsukasa
Takatsukasa family
The Takatsukasa family is a branch of the Fujiwara clan of Japan. In the 13th century, the main line of the Fujiwara family split into five houses: Konoe, Takatsukasa, Kujō, Nijō and Ichijō. These five families in turn provided regents for the Emperor, and were thus known as the Five Regent...
, Kujō
Kujō family
The Kujō family was a Japanese noble family and a branch of the Fujiwara clan derived from Fujiwara no Tadamichi. They were counted as one of the Sekke, the five regent houses and therefore one of the most politically powerful families among the kuge .As one of the Sekke, the five regent houses,...
, Ichijō
Ichijo family
The was one of five regent houses, branches of the Fujiwara clan, a powerful noble family monopolizing regent positions Sesshō and Kampaku in Japan. The family was founded by Kujō Michiie's third son Ichijō Sanetsune....
and Nijō
Nijo family
The was one of five regent houses, branches of the Fujiwara clan, a powerful noble family that monopolized regent positions Sesshō and Kampaku in Japan. The family was founded by Kujō Michiie's second son Nijō Yoshizane, while his third son Ichijō Sanetsune founded Ichijō family.-External links:* ...
.
The Fujiwara clan
Clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...
had also other families, but traditionally only these five were eligible for regentship. They were the most politically powerful families among the kuge
Kuge
The was a Japanese aristocratic class that dominated the Japanese imperial court in Kyoto until the rise of the Shogunate in the 12th century at which point it was eclipsed by the daimyo...
(court officials).
As the imperial clan claimed to descent from the goddess Amaterasu
Amaterasu
, or is apart of the Japanese myth cycle and also a major deity of the Shinto religion. She is the goddess of the sun, but also of the universe. the name Amaterasu derived from Amateru meaning "shining in heaven." The meaning of her whole name, Amaterasu-ōmikami, is "the great August kami who...
, in the Fujiwara tradition the clan descended from another ancient kami, Ame-no-Koyane
Ame-no-Koyane
Ama-no-Koyane-no-mikoto is a kami, a male deity of the Japanese religion of Shinto. He is one of the deities of Kasuga Shrine, Nara, Japan.He is considered to be an ancestor of the Fujiwara clan....
. Apparently, only these two clans were left in the modern era to claim kami descent.
Partly based on that kami descent, tradition required that emperors may marry only from Fujiwara and imperial family itself - the view was that an empress must descend from gods, too. Thus, with the exception of Tokugawa Masako
Tokugawa Masako
, also known as Kazu-ko, was an empress consort of Japan. She was the daughter of Tokugawa Hidetada, who was the second shogun of the Edo period of the history of Japan.* 1620 : Masako entered the palace as a consort of the Emperor Go-Mizunoo...
, wife of the Emperor Mizunoo, all Empresses of that long period were of the clans that formed the Sekke or from branches of the imperial family itself.
External links
- Sekke Kamon The Kamon of the five regent houses