Fujiwara Shiki-ke

The Fujiwara Shiki-ke (藤原式家; lit. Fujiwara ceremonials house) was a cadet branch of the Fujiwara clan of Japan.

Fujiwara 藤原 (式家)
Mon: Sagarifuji
Home province	Yamato Province
Parent house	Fujiwara clan
Titles	Various
Founder	Fujiwara no Umakai
Founding year	8th century

History

It was founded by Fujiwara no Umakai,^[1] i.e., one of the four great houses of the Fujiwara, founded by the so-called Fujiwara Four [ja], who were sons of Fujiwara no Fuhito.^[2]

The epithet Shiki-ke (式家) derives from the fact that the founder Umakai held the office of Shikibu-kyō (式部卿), or the head of the Shikibu-shō (式部省; "Ministry of Ceremonial").^[3][4] Thus, Shiki-ke may be translated the "Ceremonials House."^[5]

The other branches were the Fujiwara Nan-ke (the eldest brother Muchimaro's line), Fujiwara Hok-ke (Fusasaki's line), and the Fujiwara Kyō-ke (Fujiwara no Maro's line).^[3]

Umakai's son Hirotsugu [ja] mounted a rebellion named after his name in 740, which ended with suppression and his death, spelling ill-fortune for the Shikike.^[6] The Nanke then gained hegemony again (back from the non-Fujiwara Tachibana no Moroe) until Nakamaro mounted his own uprising.

Shikike came into ascendancy with Fujiwara no Momokawa.^[5] The notorious Fujiwara no Kusuko [ja] who enticed and held sway over Emperor Heizei is also of the Shikike clan.^[7]

See also

• Gosanke