Mr. Watarai - Wataraiuji

This clan has served as the Negi family of the Geku (Toyouke Daijingu) of Ise Jingu for generations since it was established. In the past, shrine priests such as the Saio, chief priest, chief priest, Negi, Monoimi, Monoimifu, and Uchindo served at the shrine, but the Saio, who was appointed by the imperial princess, and the chief priest and chief priest served by the Onakatomi clan served both the Inner and Outer Shrines, and the Negi and lower ranks served separately alongside the Arakida clan at the Inner Shrine (Kotai Jingu). They held real power in the three Shinto districts of Watarai, Take, and Iino in the early days of the Jingu Shrine, and as the Ritsuryo system collapsed, they increased the number of negi (main priests), which had only been a single member at first, and added many deputy negi (senior priests) to secure the mikuriya (kitchen) and miso (gardens), and from the early Middle Ages they held real power in the management of the shrines. They also avoided syncretism between Shinto and Buddhism, and established their own Shinto theology, creating the so-called Ise Shinto (Watarai Shinto), and produced such learned negi as Yukitada, Tsuneyoshi, and Ieyuki. However, Tsuneyoshi and Ieyuki were connected to the Southern Court, and so they declined along with the Southern Court's decline. With the return of peace in the early modern period, the clan regained its power, and Nobuyoshi emerged to revive Ise Shinto and established the Toyomiyazaki Bunko for the priests of the Outer Shrine. The position of Onshi, which had existed since the Middle Ages, also developed particularly during this period, spreading Ise faith throughout the country. There are records of the clan, such as the Gentoku Soran Watarai Keizu, compiled by Tsunemasa in 1329 (Gentoku 1) at the command of Emperor Godaigo, but the clan flourished and split into many branches, and after being absolved with the abolition of the hereditary system in 1871 (Meiji 4), the head family, the Matsuki family, was granted the title of baron in 1888.

[Junichi Kamata]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

伊勢(いせ)神宮の外宮(げくう)（豊受(とようけ)大神宮）禰宜(ねぎ)家として鎮座以来累代(るいだい)奉仕してきた氏族。神宮では古く斎王(さいおう)、祭主、宮司、禰宜、物忌(ものいみ)、物忌父、内人(うちんど)などの祠職(ししょく)が奉仕してきたが、皇女また王女より任命される斎王、大中臣(おおなかとみ)氏が奉仕した祭主、宮司は内外両宮に奉仕し、禰宜以下はそれぞれ別で内宮（皇大神宮）側の荒木田氏と並び奉仕した。その初め神領、度会、多気(たけ)、飯野(いいの)の3神郡内で実権を握り、律令(りつりょう)体制の崩壊するとともに、その初め一員であった禰宜定員を増し、多くの権(ごん)禰宜も補して御厨(みくりや)、御園(みその)の確保に努め、中世初頭より神宮運営の実権も握り、また神仏習合を避けて独自の神道(しんとう)神学を樹立、いわゆる伊勢神道（度会神道）をおこし、行忠(ゆきただ)、常昌(つねよし)、家行(いえゆき)ら学識優れた禰宜を出した。しかし、常昌、家行らは南朝と結び付いていたため、その衰退とともに衰えた。近世になり太平となるとともにふたたび勢力を盛り返し、延佳(のぶよし)が出て伊勢神道を再興、外宮祠官のために豊宮崎(とよみやざき)文庫を設置した。また中世以降の御師(おんし)職もこの時代にことに発達し、全国に伊勢信仰を広めた。一族について、1329年（元徳1）後醍醐(ごだいご)天皇の命を受け常昌が撰進(せんしん)した『元徳(げんとく)奏覧度会系図』ほかがあるが、繁栄して多くに分かれ、1871年（明治4）世襲制廃止とともに免ぜられたあと、その宗家松木家が88年男爵を授けられた。

［鎌田純一］

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