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Sen No Rikyu, founder of the three main schools of Japanese tea ceremony. Painting by Hasegawa Tohaku.

Iemoto (家元) is a Japanese term meaning "founder" or "grand master." It is used to describe both people and a system of familial generations in traditional Japanese arts such as tea ceremony, ikebana, noh, calligraphy, traditional Japanese dance, martial arts, shogi and Go. The iemoto system is characterized by a hierarchical structure and the supreme authority of the iemoto.
Though there may be more than one master, the iemoto is the chief of a line of grand masters, and the most senior representative and teacher of a given school. An iemoto may be addressed by the title Iemoto or O-iemoto, or by the title Ō-sensei (大先生). The iemoto's main roles are to lead the school and protect its traditions, to be the final authority on matters concerning the school, to issue or approve licenses and certificates and, in some cases, to instruct the most advanced practitioners.
The title of iemoto is hereditary. It is transmitted by direct line, or by adoption. There can only be one iemoto at a time, which sometimes leads to the creation of new "houses" or "lines." By tradition, the title of iemoto is passed down along with a hereditary name. In the Urasenke tradition of tea ceremony, for example, the iemoto is usually named Sōshitsu.
The title of iemoto comes with great authority. Thus, to teach one of Japanese traditional arts it is obligatory to obtain a licence from an iemoto, and the iemoto is the only one who can provide or authorise this licence. Students must also acquire licenses or certificates at various stages in their study. Depending on the school, such certificates either give the student permission to study at a particular level or affirm that the student has achieved a given level of mastery. Recipients must pay for these certificates which, at the highest level, may cost several million yen. It is also the iemoto who authorises, selects and bestows ceremonial names for advanced practitioners.

Etymology

The word "iemoto," literally "house-origin," originated in the Heian period (794-1185), but came into common use in the Edo period (1603-1868), often in reference to a principal family line with authority over commercial guilds.
The concept of the "Iemoto System" (家元制度) was explicated by the historian Matsunosuke Nishiyama in the post-war period to describe the social structures associated with exclusive family control and networks of instructors, a characteristic of the feudal era whose influence on traditional arts is still felt today.

Famous Families And Schools

Go

There were originally four main schools of Go: Hon'inbō, Hayashi, Inoue and Yasui; and three minor schools: Sakaguchi, Hattori and Mizutani.
Early in the 17th century, the then best player in Japan, Hon'inbo Sansa, was made head of a newly founded Go academy (the Hon'inbo school 本因坊), which developed the level of playing greatly, and introduced the martial arts style system of ranking players. The government discontinued its support for the Go academies in 1868 as a result of the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate.
In honour of the Hon'inbō school, whose players consistently dominated the other schools during their history, one of the most prestigious Japanese Go championships is called the "Honinbo" tournament.

Heads of the Hon'inbo school

Generation Personal name Dates

*1st*	*Honinbo Sansa 算砂*	*1612-1623*
*2nd*	*Honinbo San'etsu 算悦*	*1630-1658*
*3rd*	*Honinbo Doetsu 道悦*	*1658-1677*
*4th*	*Honinbo Dosaku 道策*	*1677-1702*
*5th*	*Honinbo Dochi 道知*	*1702-1727*
*6th*	*Honinbo Chihaku 知伯*	*1727-1733*
*7th*	*Honinbo Shuhaku 秀伯*	*1733-1741*
*8th*	*Honinbo Hakugen 伯元*	*1741-1754*
*9th*	*Honinbo Satsugen 察元*	*1754-1788*
*10th*	*Honinbo Retsugen 烈元*	*1788-1808*
*11th*	*Honinbo Genjo 元丈*	*1809-1827*
*12th*	*Honinbo Jowa 丈和*	*1827-1839*
*13th*	*Honinbo Josaku 丈策*	*1839-1847*
*14th*	*Honinbo Shuwa 秀和*	*1847-1873*
*15th*	*Honinbo Shuetsu 秀悦*	*1873-1879*
*16th*	*Honinbo Shugen 秀元*	*1879-1884*
*17th*	*Honinbo Shuei 秀栄*	*1884-1886*
*18th*	*Honinbo Shoha 秀甫*	*1838-1886*
*19th*	*Honinbo Shuei 秀栄*	*1887-1907*
*20th*	*Honinbo Shugen 秀元*	*1907-1908*
*21st*	*Honinbo Shusai 秀哉*	*1908-1940*

Ikebana

The three main schools of flower arrangement, known in Japanese as ikebana, are ikenobo, ohara and sogetsu.

Tea Ceremony

The three main schools of Japanese Tea Ceremony, Omotesenke, Urasenke and Mushanokojisenke are known collectively as the "Sansenke." They are all descended from 16th-century tea master Sen No Rikyu.

Heads of the Urasenke school

Generation Personal name Tea name

*1st*	*Rikyu Soeki (1522-91)*	*利休宗易*	*Hōsensai*	*抛筌斎*
*2nd*	*Shōan Sōjun (1546-1614)*	*少庵宗淳*
*3rd*	*Genpaku Sōtan (1578-1658)*	*元伯宗旦*		*咄々斎*
*4th*	*Sensō Sōshitsu (1622-97)*	*仙叟宗室*	*Hororisai*	*朧月斎*
*5th*	*Jōsō Sōshitsu (1673-1704)*	*常叟宗室*	*Fukyūsai*	*不休斎*
*6th*	*Taisō Sōshitsu (1694-1726)*	*泰叟宗室*	*Rikkansai*	*六閑斎*
*7th*	*Chikusō Sōshitsu (1709-33)*	*竺叟宗室*	*Saisaisai*	*最々斎*
*8th*	*Ittō Sōshitsu (1719-71)*	*一燈宗室*	*Yūgensai*	*又玄斎*
*9th*	*Sekiō Sōshitsu (1746-1801)*	*石翁宗室*	*Fukensai*	*不見斎*
*10th*	*Hakusō Sōshitsu (1770-1826)*	*柏叟宗室*	*Nintokusai*	*認得斎*
*11th*	*Seichū Sōshitsu (1810-77)*	*精中宗室*	*Gengensai*	*玄々斎*
*12th*	*Jikishō Sōshitsu (1852-1917)*	*直叟宗室*	*Yumyōsai*	*又玅斎*
*13th*	*Tetchū Sōshitsu (1872-1924)*	*鉄中宗室*	*Ennōsai*	*圓能斎*
*14th*	*Sekisō Sōshitsu (1893-1964)*	*直叟宗室*	*Tantansai (AKA: Mugensai)*	*淡々斎 (無限斎)*
*15th (current grand master)*	*Hōsō Sōshitsu XV (Sen Genshitsu) (b.April 19, 1923)*	*汎叟宗室*	*Hōunsai*	*鵬雲斎*
*16th (current iemoto)*	*Sen (Genmoku) Sōshitsu XVI (b. June 7, 1956)*	*玄黙宗室*	*Zabōsai*	*坐忘斎*

Criticism Of And Resistance To The Iemoto System

The iemoto system has been described as rigid, expensive, nepotistic, authoritarian and undemocratic. Some groups have chosen to reject the iemoto system. Hiroaki Kikuoka, a shamisen player, created a presidential system for his group, while koto player Michiyo Yagi has rejected both the iemoto system and the traditional style of her instrument, choosing to strike chords.

Japanese World

Iemoto |