Ministry of the Imperial Household
The Ministry of the Imperial Household was a division of the eighth century Japanese government of the Imperial Court in Kyoto, instituted in the Asuka period and formalized during the Heian period. The Ministry was reorganized in the Meiji period and existed until 1947, before being replaced by the Imperial Household Agency.
Overview
The needs of the Imperial Household has changed over time. The ambit of the Ministry's activities encompassed, for example:- supervision and maintenance of rice fields for the supply to the imperial family
- oversight of the harvesting done on the Imperial domains
- orchestrating the presentation to the Emperor of rare delicacies as gifts from his subjects
- administration of the culinary and engineering departments of the court
- regulation of breweries
- oversight of the court ladies
- oversight of court smiths
- management of court servants
- oversight of the Imperial wardrobe, etc.
- attending to the imperial princes and princesses of the second to the fourth generation, inclusive
History
When this government agency was initially established in 645, it functioned as a tax collector on Imperial land. The organization and functions of the Imperial Household were refined and regulated in the Taiho Code, which was promulgated in 701–702 during the reign of Emperor Monmu. The fundamental elements of this system evolved over the course of centuries, but the basic structures remained in place until the Meiji Restoration.This Ministry came to be responsible for everything to do with supporting the Emperor and the Imperial Family. Significant modifications were introduced in 1702, 1870, and 1889. It was reorganized into the Imperial Household Office in 1947, with its staff size was downscaled from 6,200 to less than 1,500, and the Office was placed under the Prime Minister. In 1949, the Imperial Household Office became the Imperial Household Agency, and placed under the fold of the newly created Prime Minister's Office, as an external agency attached to it.
In 2001, the Imperial Household Agency was organizationally re-positioned under the Cabinet Office.
Hierarchy
The court developed a supporting bureaucracy which was exclusively focused on serving the needs of the Imperial Household. Among the ritsuryō officials within this ministry structure were:- Chief administrator of the imperial household, the surveyor of all works which are executed within the interior of the palace.
- First assistant to the chief of the imperial Household.
- Second assistant to the chief of the imperial household, two persons.
- Third assistant to the chief of the imperial household, two persons
- Alternate assistants to the chief of the imperial household, two persons
- Chief steward of the imperial household
- Chief steward of the imperial household
- Assistant chief steward of the imperial household, two positions
- Alternate assistant steward of the imperial household, two positions
- Chief carpenter/cabinet-maker
- Assistant chief carpenter/cabinet-maker
- Master carpenters/cabinet-maker, two positions
- Carpenter/cabinet-maker, two positions
- Chief estimator/adjustor, An expert who evaluates the price/cost of work to be done or already completed
- Chief storekeeper/Palace kitchens manager see Ōiryō
- First assistant storekeeper/Palace kitchens manager
- Second assistant storekeeper/Palace kitchens manager
- Alternate assistant storekeeper/Palace kitchens manager
- Chief surveyor of apartments and furniture
- First assistant surveyor of apartments and furniture
- Second assistant surveyor of apartments and furniture, two positions
- Alternate assistant surveyors of apartments and furniture, two positions.
- Chief pharmacist
- First assistant to the chief pharmacist'
- Second assistant to the chief pharmacist
- Alternate assistant to the chief pharmacist
- Chief physician
- Female physician. No male physician would be permitted to care for the health of the emperor's women
- Chief acupuncturist
- Emperor's personal physician
- Emperor's second personal physician'
- Emperor's alternate personal physician
- Surveyor of housekeeping
- First assistant surveyor of housekeeping
- Second assistant surveyor of housekeeping
- Alternate assistant surveyor of housekeeping
- Chief genealogist of the imperial family
- First assistant to the chief genealogist
- Alternate assistant to the chief genealogist
- First cupbearer to the Emperor.
- Cupbearer to the Emperor
- Assistant cupbearer
- Alternate assistant cupbearer
- Chief sake maker
- First assistant to the chief sake maker
- Alternate assistant to the chief sake maker
- Surveyor of the Emperor's women
- Assistant surveyor of the Emperor's women
- Alternate assistant surveyor of the Emperor's women
- Head of the water supply bureau
- First assistant to the head of the water supply bureau
- Alternate assistant to the head of the water supply bureau