The Yanagiwara family (柳原家, ''Yanagiwara-ke'') is a Japanese aristocratic family descending from the Fujiwara clan's Hokke house. Its ''

kuge The was a Japanese aristocratic class that dominated the Japanese Imperial Court in Kyoto. The ''kuge'' were important from the establishment of Kyoto as the capital during the Heian period in the late 8th century until the rise of the Kamakur ...

'' family rank was ''meike''. After the Meiji Restoration, the family was appointed Count.

Origins

The Yanagiwara family descends from the Fujiwara clan's Hokke house through

Fujiwara no Manatsu Fujiwara (, written: 藤原 lit. "'' Wisteria'' field") is a Japanese surname. (In English conversation it is likely to be rendered as .) Notable people with the surname include: ; Families * The Fujiwara clan and its members ** Fujiwara no Kamat ...

, the elder brother of Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu. Through Manatsu, they descend from the

Hino family Hino may refer to: Places Estonia * Hino, Põlva County * Hino, Võru County ** Lake Hino Japan * Hino, Shiga * Hino, Tokyo * Hino, Tottori ** Hino District, Tottori ** Hino River Transportation * Hino Motors, a Japanese truck manufacturer ow ...

lineage. The family was founded in the late

Kamakura period The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle betwee ...

by Yanagiwara Sukeakira, the fourth son of Go''n- Dainagon'' Hino Toshimitsu. Sukeakira took the name Yanagiwara from the Yanagiwara Mansion that he lived in.

History

Yanagiwara Sukeakira was the younger brother of

Hino Suketomo Hino may refer to: Places Estonia * Hino, Põlva County * Hino, Võru County ** Lake Hino Japan * Hino, Shiga * Hino, Tokyo * Hino, Tottori ** Hino District, Tottori ** Hino River Transportation * Hino Motors, a Japanese truck manufacturer own ...

, and because his eldest brother Hino Sukena was Emperor Kōgon's favorite, he served the Northern Court building up his power. He later moved to live at the Yanagiwara Mansion taking his family name from its name. The descendants of Sukeakira began writing, and this became the family business. Members of the family exceled in ''kidendō'' (the academic study of poetry) and were appointed ''bunshō-hakase'' (''kidendō'' teachers). However, the hereditary succession of this position died out in 1471, Yanagiwara Kazumitsu being the last family member appointed ''bunshō-hakase''. Yanagihara Sakimitsu

After the Meiji Restoration, the family was appointed to the '' kazoku'' (hereditary

peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted noble ranks. Peerages include: Australia * Australian peers Belgium * Belgi ...

) with the title of Count. Count Yanagiwara Sakimitsu's sister, Yanagiwara Naruko, became a concubine of

Emperor Meiji , also called or , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession. Reigning from 13 February 1867 to his death, he was the first monarch of the Empire of Japan and presided over the Meiji era. He was the figur ...

in 1873, and subsequently, the mother of Emperor Taishō. Sakimitsu's daughter, Byakuren Yanagiwara, was a poet and novelist who rose to prominence in 1921 following the Byakuren incident. The family has branches such as Mushanokōji and Machijiri.

Clan heads

# Yanagiwara Sukeakira (1297–1353) # Yanagiwara Tadamitsu (1334–1379) # Yanagiwara Sukehira (1363–1404) # Yanagiwara Yukimitsu (1393–1443) # Yanagiwara Suketsuna (1417–1500) # Yanagiwara Kazumitsu (1448–1510) # Yanagiwara Sukesada (1495–1578) # Yanagiwara Atsumitsu (1541–1597) (son of Machi Sukemasa) # Yanagiwara Sukeatsu (1580–1596) # Yanagiwara Suketoshi (1584–1602) # Yanagiwara Shigemitsu (1595–1654) # Yanagiwara Sukeyuki (1621–1679) # Yanagiwara Sukekado (1644–1712) # Yanagiwara Hidemitsu (1664–1683) # Yanagiwara Sukemoto (1685–1705) # Yanagiwara Suketaka (1692–1716) # Yanagiwara Mitsutsuna (1711–1760) (son of Reizei Tametsuna) # Yanagiwara Motomitsu (1746–1800) # Yanagiwara Tadamitsu (1772–1812) # Yanagiwara Takamitsu (1793–1851) # Yanagiwara Mitsunaru (1818–1885) # Yanagiwara Sakimitsu (1850–1894) # Yanagiwara Yoshimitsu (1874–1946) # Yanagiwara Hiromitsu (1889–1966) (son of Ōhara Shigetomo) # Yanagiwara Ukemitsu (1916–2011) # Yanagiwara Yorimitsu (1940–2007) # Yanagiwara Yūjirō (1967-)

References

{{reflist Japanese clans Fujiwara clan Japanese nobility

Origins

History

Clan heads

See also

References