The is a department of the Imperial Household Agency of Japan. The board is the chief administration charged with ceremonial matters.

History

The history dates back to the

Asuka period The was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710 (or 592 to 645), although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period. The Yamato polity evolved greatly during the Asuka period, which is named after ...

of the 8th century under the

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 ...

, when the was formed. This stayed in existence until the reforms of the Meiji era in 1871, when the ministry was replaced with the , which was soon renamed in 1872. The Ministry of Shinto Affairs was abolished, with the bulk of duties moved to the and the administration of formal ceremonial functions transferred to the Bureau of the Ceremonies. The Bureau of the Ceremonies was initially under the administration of the , but was transferred to the control of the Imperial Household Ministry in September 1877. The Bureau underwent the current name change in October 1884.

Organisation

The board is headed by the . However, the post has historically gone under the name . The Grand Master is assisted by two . One of them has , while the other has . / (Wordings are not exactly identical.) The first Vice-Grand Master has subordinate underneath him, variously charged with ceremonial rites, music, and

duck netting Duck netting is a non-competitive sport that, in modern times, is generally limited to play by the members of the Imperial House of Japan and their guests. It is believed to be peculiar to Japan in general, and to the Imperial Household specifical ...

parties at the . The other Vice-Grand Master is charged foreign matters, i.e., with assisting in coordinating various court functions held for visiting foreign dignitaries. He is also responsible for such activities as the Imperial Family's State visits to foreign countries.

Music Department

It is the board's , which performs both , i.e. ancient court music, and Western classical music.

Wild Duck Preserves

The hunting parties at the ''kamoba'' preserves invites guests to participate in traditional wild-duck netting, where the wildfowl are tagged. It should be mentioned that the guests invited to the netting are often diplomatic missions and

plenipotentiaries A ''plenipotentiary'' (from the Latin ''plenus'' "full" and ''potens'' "powerful") is a diplomat who has full powers—authorization to sign a treaty or convention on behalf of his or her sovereign. When used as a noun more generally, the word ' ...

from foreign countries, although

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

members, members of the National Diet, and Supreme Court Justices are extended invitations also. (Wordings are not exactly identical.)

Grand Masters of Ceremonies

Below is a historic list of grand masters from 1947:

Explanatory notes

Citations

References

* Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). '' Nihon Odai Ichiran''; ou
''Annales des empereurs du Japon.''
Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland
OCLC 5850691
* Varley, H. Paul. (1980)
''Jinnō Shōtōki: A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns.''
New York: Columbia University Press.
OCLC 59145842

External links

{{Authority control 701 establishments 8th-century establishments in Japan Government of feudal Japan Imperial Household Agency Positions of authority