The Mushanokoji Family (武者小路家)
The Mushanokoji family was a Japanese clan (court nobles). They were a branch of the Sanjonishi family, in the FUJIWARA no Kinsue line (Kanin line) of the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan. The Kakaku (family status) is the House of Urin (holding military ranks). The Art of Waka poetry was their family business. The family crest was Sanjo Kara Hanabishi (four-petal flower shape).
Family history
This family was founded during the Kanei era during the first half of the Edo period with Kimitane MUSHANOKOJI as the originator, who is the second son of Saneeda SANJONISHI, the Minister of the Right. Their Karoku (hereditary stipend) was 130 koku.
Sanekage MUSHANOKOJI the second, was born as the son of Sanenobu SAIKO (a great-grandson of Saneeda SANJONISHI), and was then adopted by his granduncle, Kimitane and succeeded Tosho (high court nobility) family, Mushanokoji. Sanekage and Kinno MUSHANOKOJI the third served as a Giso (a position conveying what the congress decides to the emperor). Sanekage was also a leading poet in the Emperor Reigen poetry circle, for he received a Kokin denju (the secret transmissions of the "Kokinshu," Anthology of Old and New Japanese Poems) from Reigenin and served as a grand master of Waka for Emperor Nakamikado and Emperor Sakuramachi. Because of his achievements, Sanekage was promoted to a Juichii Jun-daijin (vice minister, junior first rank), although he was from the Urin Family (the highest rank was Dainagon, chief councilor). Many excellent poets, including Sanekage, have been turned out from this family.
Shigesue TAKAMATSU, the second son of Sanekage, was specially permitted by the emperor to rebuild his father's family home, the Saiko family. When the Saiko family joined the Urin family, the family name was changed to Takamatsu.
Saneito MUSHANOKOJI the sixth (a son of Sueharu SANJO) resigned his post in 1790, and returned the Iki (court rank diploma) in 1792. Saneito and Kinnaka MUSHANOKOJI the seventh (a son of Sanena SANJONISHI) were both adopted from the Sanjo family. Around the end of the Edo period, Sanetake MUSHANOKOJI the eighth joined the Teishin hachiju-hachi kyo (eighty-eight retainers of Imperial Court) to oppose the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the United States and Japan (Demo of eighty-eight retainers of Imperial Court).
Saneyo MUSHANOKOJI the ninth was bestowed the title of Viscount in 1884. Kintomo MUSHANOKOJI the tenth served as the Japanese ambassador to Germany and the director-general of Sochitsuryo (Imperial Household Affairs Division).
Remarks
Saneatsu and Kinhide MUSHANOKOJI were from branch families, thus they were not the heads of the head family.