Nakatomi clan

An ancient clan in charge of the imperial court's rituals. They claim to be descendants of Ameno-Koyane-no-Mikoto. Their surname was Muraji, and later Asomi. According to the "Shinsen Shizoku Hon Keicho" (New clan genealogy) of 906 (Engi 6), the Nakatomi clan was first given the surname Nakatomi during the reign of Emperor Kinmei, Tokiwa no Omuraji, and it is assumed that this clan was created in the 6th century as a new central priesthood following the establishment of the court ritual system of the Yamato royal authority. The name Nakatomi likely means "mediating between gods and humans." The Tokiwa section of the "Sonpi Bunmyaku" and "Onakatomi Clan Genealogy" notes that "Originally they were Urabe," so the prevailing theory is that they were the Urabe clan, whose profession was divination, and in particular the Urabe clan, who worshipped Hitachi Kashima Shrine (Kashima Jingu), which had a deep connection with the Nakatomi clan. The Mononobe clan was originally in charge of the Shinto and religious rites of the Yamato dynasty, but as the Mononobe clan grew into a ruling clan (taking up the post of Omuraji), the Urabe clan, which was subordinate to the Mononobe clan, eventually took over the duties of Shinto and religious rites, and the Nakatomi clan was established. The fact that the Nakatomi clan acted alongside the Mononobe clan as anti-Buddhist factions in the conflict over the acceptance of Buddhism from the reign of Emperor Kinmei to the reign of Emperor Yomei, as seen in the Nihon Shoki, is likely based on this relationship between the two clans. From the reigns of Empress Suiko and Emperor Jomei, the Nakatomi clan participated in the political center as maetsukimi, and their status in the political world rose dramatically with the emergence of Kamatari. In 669 (8th year of Emperor Tenchi), Kamatari was given the Fujiwara clan name, but in 698 (2nd year of Emperor Mommu), the Fujiwara clan name was inherited only by the descendants of his son Fuhito, and the rest of the clan reverted to Nakatomi Ason as a family dedicated to Shinto rituals. After that, from the end of the Nara period to the beginning of the Heian period, many of the clan members were given the surname Oonakatomi Ason.

[Kenkichi Kato]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

宮廷の祭祀(さいし)を担当した古代の氏族。天児屋根命(あめのこやねのみこと)の裔(えい)と称する。連(むらじ)姓、のちに朝臣(あそみ)姓。906年（延喜6）の『新撰氏族本系帳(しんせんしぞくほんけいちょう)』によれば、欽明(きんめい)朝の常磐大連(ときわのおおむらじ)のときに初めて中臣連の姓(かばね)を賜ったとあり、大和(やまと)王権の宮廷祭祀機構の整備に伴い、6世紀代に新たに中央の祭官として誕生した氏と推測される。中臣の名義は「神と人との中を執り持つ」意であろう。『尊卑分脈(そんぴぶんみゃく)』や『大中臣氏(おおなかとみし)系図』の常磐の条に「本(もと)は卜部(うらべ)なり」と注記するので、卜占(ぼくせん)を業とした卜部（占部）氏、それも中臣氏と関係の深い常陸(ひたち)鹿嶋社(かしましゃ)（鹿島神宮）を奉斎した卜部氏とする説が有力である。大和王権の神事・祭祀は本来物部(もののべ)氏が管掌したが、物部氏の執政氏族への成長（大連(おおむらじ)就任）により、やがてその配下の卜部氏が神事・祭祀の職務を分掌し、中臣氏が成立したとみられる。『日本書紀』にみえる欽明朝から用明(ようめい)朝にかけての仏教受容をめぐる対立に、中臣氏が排仏派として物部氏と行動をともにするのも、こうした両氏の関係に基づくものであろう。推古(すいこ)・舒明(じょめい)朝のころから中臣氏は大夫(まえつきみ)として政治の中枢にも参加し、鎌足(かまたり)の出現により政界での地位はさらに飛躍的に上昇した。669年（天智天皇8）鎌足は藤原(ふじわら)の氏を賜ったが、698年（文武天皇2）藤原朝臣の姓は、子の不比等(ふひと)の子孫のみが継承することとなり、他は神事に供する家として中臣朝臣に復した。その後、奈良朝末期から平安朝初期にかけて氏人の多くは大中臣朝臣の姓を賜っている。

［加藤謙吉］

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