The Grand Steward's Secretariat (長官官房, Chōkan-kanbō) is the head department of the Imperial Household Agency of Japan.
History
The origins of the structure of the Imperial Household can be traced back to the reign of Emperor Monmu, with the organisation of the government structure in 701 AD.
Prince Naruhito, in May 2004, criticized the then-grand steward, Toshio Yuasa, for putting pressure on Masako Owada, Naruhito's wife, to bear a male child. At a press conference, Naruhito said that his wife had "completely exhausted herself" trying to adapt to royal life, and added "there were developments that denied Masako's career (up to our marriage) as well as her personality".
Organisation
The grand steward (長官, Chōkan) is the head of the secretariat, and is responsible for managing the part of the household staff who are omote (おもて), or "outside the house"; these employees serve as drivers, cooks, gardeners, or administrative officials.
The secretariat is composed of these divisions:
- Secretariat
- General Affairs
- Imperial Princes' Household Affairs
- Accounting
- Supplies
- Hospital of the Imperial Household
Grand stewards
| Number | Name | Term of office | Ex-service | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand stewards of the Imperial Household Office | ||||
| 1 | Yoshitami Matsudaira | 3 May 1947 – 5 June 1948 | Imperial Household Ministry | |
| 2 | Michiji Tajima | 5 June 1948 – 31 May 1949 | Civilian | cont. |
| Grand stewards of the Imperial Household Agency | ||||
| 1 | Michiji Tajima | 1 June 1949 – 16 December 1953 | Civilian | |
| 2 | Takeshi Usami | 16 December 1953 – 26 May 1978 | Home Ministry | |
| 3 | Tomohiko Tomita | 26 May 1978 – 14 June 1988 | National Police Agency | |
| 4 | Shōichi Fujimori | 14 June 1988 – 19 January 1996 | Ministry of Welfare, Environment Agency | |
| 5 | Sadame Kamakura | 19 January 1996 – 2 April 2001 | National Police Agency | |
| 6 | Toshio Yuasa | 2 April 2001 – 1 April 2005 | Ministry of Home Affairs | |
| 7 | Shingo Haketa | 1 April 2005 – 1 June 2012 | Ministry of Health | |
| 8 | Noriyuki Kazaoka | 1 June 2012 – 26 September 2016 | Ministry of Construction | |
| 9 | Shin'ichirō Yamamoto [ja] | 26 September 2016 – 17 Dec 2019 | Ministry of Home Affairs | |
| 10 | Yasuhiko Nishimura [ja] | 17 Dec 2019 – present | National Police Agency | |
References
- History of the Imperial Household Agency Archived 15 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine at the Imperial Household Agency official site
- ^ Frederick, Jim (28 August 2006). "The Future of Japan's Monarchy", Time Asia.
- "Imperial family exposed to media speculation in 2004", Japan Policy and Politics, 10 January 2005
- "Crown prince back in Japan, will not meet press", Japan Policy and Politics, 24 May 2004
External links
- Imperial Household Agency | Grand Steward's Secretariat
- Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), "Statement by the Grand Steward of the Imperial Household". 1 December 2001.