The is a department of the

Imperial Household Agency The (IHA) is an agency of the government of Japan in charge of state matters concerning the Imperial House of Japan, Imperial Family, and the keeping of the Privy Seal of Japan, Privy Seal and State Seal of Japan. From around the 8th century ...

of Japan.

History

According to

Taihō Code The was an administrative reorganisation enacted in 703 in Japan, at the end of the Asuka period. It was historically one of the . It was compiled at the direction of Prince Osakabe, Fujiwara no Fuhito and Awata no Mahito. Nussbaum, Louis- ...

around the 8th century, it was presupposed that a chamberlain belonged to the Ministry of the Center. When the was installed during the

Heian era The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...

, the chamberlain's role was quickly reduced, limited to matters of courtesy. In 1869, the chamberlain was brought into the Imperial Household Ministry. The position of Grand Chamberlain was placed within the merit system in 1871, and three people—

Tokudaiji Sanetsune Prince was a Japanese courtier who served as Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan from 1891 to 1912 during the Meiji era. Life Tokudaiji Sanetsune was born to a branch of the Fujiwara court nobility in Kyoto. His father was Tokudaiji Ki ...

, Masataka Kawase, and

Higashikuze Michitomi Count was a Japanese noble and statesman of the late Edo period and early Meiji period. He was among the pro-Emperor ''sonnō jōi'' faction nobles who escaped to Chōshū Domain after members of the pro-shogunate ''kōbu gattai'' faction stag ...

—were appointed. According to the Imperial Household Ministry regulations, the Grand Chamberlain supervises chamberlains who closely attend to the appointed person, report to that person, and announce their orders. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the chamberlains were organized into the Board of the Chamberlains, within the Imperial Household Agency, through the temporary . After the passage of the National Public Service Law (Shōwa 22 Law No. 120), the chamberlain became a special service national public servant. Although distinctions between first-class officials, second-class officials, and so forth continued, the class publication of an appointment document would no longer be carried out after the

2001 Central Government Reform The by the Japanese government involved the establishment of a new ministry, the merging of existing ministries and the abolition of others. This resulted in little more than a change of ministry names (with the exception of the Environment Agen ...

Organisation

The is a chief functionary of the Imperial court and aide of the

Emperor of Japan The emperor of Japan is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of ...

. He also keeps the Privy Seal and the State Seal and has been an official civil servant since the

Meiji Period The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...

. Today, the Grand Chamberlain, assisted by a Vice-Grand Chamberlain, heads the Board of the Chamberlains. The Grand Chamberlain's position is that of an attestation official ( 認証官 ''Ninshōkan''), i.e. his appointment and dismissal are at the discretion of the Emperor.

Crown Prince

The Crown Prince of Japan is also served by a chamberlain. This official is called because the Crown Prince lives in the Tōgū Palace ("East Palace"). The Grand Master is the head of the Board of the Crown Prince's Household.

Grand Chamberlains

This is a list of grand chamberlains after the

Meiji period The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...

: * Prince

( 徳大寺実則), 1871–77 * Viscount Kawase Masataka ( 河瀬真孝), 1871–73 * Count

( 東久世通禧), 1871–77 *

Yamaguchi Tadasada Yamaguchi Tadasada () (October 18, 1843 – March 21, 1902) was an Imperial Japanese Navy veteran of the Boshin War and Meiji-era Japanese politician. He was the second governor of Ibaraki Prefecture (1872). He was Grand Chamberlain of Japan (1878 ...

( 山口正定), 1878–84 * Yoneda Torao ( 米田虎雄), 1878–84 * Prince

( 徳大寺実則), 1884–12 * Baron Hatano Norinao ( 波多野敬直), 1912 * Prince Katsura Tarō ( 桂太郎), 1912 * Prince Takatsukasa Hiromichi ( 鷹司煕通), 1912–18 * Count

Ogimachi Sanemasa Ōgimachi Sanemasa () (July 20, 1855 – June 26, 1923) was a Japanese pharmacist and politician. He was Grand Chamberlain of Japan (1919–1922). He was the 10th governor of Saitama Prefecture (1899–1900). He was a recipient of the Order of t ...

( 正親町実正), 1919–22 * Count Tokugawa Satotaka ( 徳川達孝), 1922–27 * Count Chinda Sutemi ( 珍田捨巳), 1927–1929 * Baron Suzuki Kantarō ( 鈴木貫太郎), 1929–36 * Hyakutake Saburō ( 百武三郎), 1936–44 * Fujita Hisanori ( 藤田尚徳), 1944–47 After enforcement of the

Constitution of Japan The Constitution of Japan is the supreme law of Japan. Written primarily by American civilian officials during the occupation of Japan after World War II, it was adopted on 3 November 1946 and came into effect on 3 May 1947, succeeding the Meij ...

by the end of World War II: * Ōgane Masujirō ( 大金益次郎), 1947–48 * Mitani Takanobu ( 三谷隆信), 1948–65 * Inada Syūichi ( 稲田周一), 1965–69 *

Irie Sukemasa was a Japanese essayist. Life A second cousin of the Shōwa Emperor, Irie was born in Tokyo. He was a graduate of the University of Tokyo. He was Grand Chamberlain of Japan (1969–1985). He was a recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun and the ...

( 入江相政), 1969–85 * Tokugawa Yoshihiro ( 徳川義寛), 1985–88 * Yamamoto Satoru ( 山本悟), 1988–96 * Watanabe Makoto ( 渡邉允, 12 December 1996 – 2007 * Kawashima Yutaka ( 川島裕), 2007–2015 * Kawai Chikao ( 河相周夫), 2015–2019 * Odano Nobutake ( 小田野展丈), 2019–2021 * Bessho Koro ( 別所浩郎), 2021–present

References

External links