The Kurahashi Family (倉橋家)
The Kurahashi family was a "Tosho-ke" (the hereditary lineage of Court nobles occupying relatively high ranks) of a branch family of Tsuchimikado of the Abe clan and its social standing was hange, kuge of lower rank.
The family started when a decendant of ABE no Seimei, Onmyo no kami (Director of Onmyoryo, or Buereau of Divination) (Junior Third Rank, non-Councilor) Hisanaga TSUCHIMIKADO's second son Yasuyoshi created a branch family named 'Kurahashi' in 1612.
It is said 'Kurahashi' was named after their forefather ABE no Kurahashimaro.
After the first family head, Minbukyo (Minister of Popular Affairs) Yasuyoshi KURAHASHI, Onmyodo (way of Yin and Yang; occult divination system based on the Taoist theory of the five elements) was their family business for generations, and they also had 150 koku crop yields during the Edo period. During the Meiji Era, the tenth family head was Jibukyo (Minister of the Ministry of Civil Administration) Yasutoshi KURAHASHI, and the family was raised to the peer level and viscount.
The family crest was the 'butterfly' following after the Tsuchimikado family, and the family temple was Shinnyo-do temple. Their residence was in Sakai-machi Gomongai.