Keizu Sanyō (系図纂要) is a large compendium of genealogies compiled at the end of the Edo period. It reorganizes earlier genealogies such as the Sonpi Bunmyaku and extends them to the years just before the Meiji Restoration, and has been described as the Sonpi Bunmyaku of the late Edo period.
Japanese names are given in Japanese order (family name first).
Overview
| Title | Keizu Sanyō (系図纂要) |
|---|---|
| Period | Late Edo period; the latest content dates to 1856–1857 (Ansei 3–4), and the work is thought to have been completed around then |
| Compiler | Thought to be Iida Tadahiko (飯田忠彦), author of the Dai Nihon Yashi |
| Size | 102 volumes (103 books) |
| Original | Cabinet Library (Naikaku Bunko); a transcription is held by the Historiographical Institute, the University of Tokyo |
Background and Contents
The work is based on genealogies gathered for the compilation of the Dai Nihon Shi by the Mito domain, which were reorganized with the Sonpi Bunmyaku and other earlier works. It centers on the imperial princely houses and the Fujiwara, Sugawara, Ki, Taira and Minamoto lineages, and also includes daimyo, major shogunal retainers, court nobles and Shinto priestly houses, bringing their lines down to the end of the Edo period. In total it records 777 houses under 60 clan names, including the names of children. For each house, an abridged chart is followed by a detailed main genealogy in which variant accounts are noted within the text.
Characteristics
The work contains lines after the Kansei era that are found in few other compilations. Because it reproduces its sources faithfully, connections that families asserted between their lines and well-known genealogies appear as they were submitted.
Editions
A printed edition supervised by Hōgetsu Keigo and Iwasawa Yoshihiko was published by Meicho Shuppan in 18 volumes (1973–1977), followed by a new edition in 33 volumes (1990–1999; 30 volumes plus 3 supplementary volumes, with indexes of clan names, death years, personal names, and Buddhist names and titles).
Notes for Researchers
Where an entry gives variant accounts, record which account you are citing. Compare each line with other genealogies, temple records and family documents.
Related
See the list of Japanese genealogy collections for other major works.
