The Toin Family (洞院家)
The Toin family belonged to the court nobility of the Dojo family of Kanin-ryu (the Kanin family) of the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan, which existed from the Kamakura period to the Muromachi period. The branch families include the Ogura family and the Ogimachi family.
The founder of the family was Saneo TOIN, sadaijin (minister of the left), who was the son of Kintsune SAIONJI. Saneo was the maternal grandfather of three emperors; the Emperor Gouda, the Emperor Fushimi, and the Emperor Hanazono, and was valued at the Imperial Courts of both the Daikakuji lineage and the Jimyoin lineage. The family was known for its learnedness. Kinkata TOIN, the fourth generation of the family, was promoted to Grand Minister, authored "Kodaireki" (a chronicle) and "Entairyaku" (a journal written by Kinkata), and is also said to be the author of "Shugaisho" (a book including maps). In the period of the Northern and Southern Courts, the family split to Sanenatsu TOIN of the Northern Court and Saneyo TOIN of the Southern Court; but was reunited in the sixth generation by Kinsada TOIN, the son of Sanenatsu. Kinsada is also known as the editor of "Sonpibunmyaku" (a book about pedigree records of famous people). However, Kinkazu TOIN, the ninth generation of the family, suddenly disposed of all the household goods and documents when, in 1476 during the Onin War, he realized the absence of absolutes of the world and became a priest. Kintsura TOIN, his son (who in fact came from the Saionji family), was chosen as the heir, but he too left to become a monk and the family was discontinued upon his death.