The Ayanokoji Family (綾小路家)
The Ayanokoji family was a member of Genji Tosho Genji (Minamoto clan members who are court nobles above a certain rank), descendants of Uda-Genji (Minamoto clan). Its patriarch was Nobuari AYANOKOJI (Shonii - Senior Second Rank), Chunagon (vice-councilor of state) (1269 - 1324), a descendant of Sadaijin (Minister of the Left) MINAMOTO no Masanobu. Incidentally, his older brother was the patriarch of the Niwata family, Tsunesuke NIWATA (Shonii, Chunagon) (1241 - year of death unknown).
The family rank was the House of Urin. The highest court rank originally appointed was Chunagon. The family ended after Toshikazu AYANOKOJI (Shonii, Chunagon) (1451 - 1518) from the Sengoku Period (Period of Warring States) (Japan). In 1613, Takaari AYANOKOJI (Shosanmi - Senior Third Rank), Sangi - Councilor) (1595 - 1644) joined the family from the Gojo family, and the family name was revived. After Toshimune AYANOKOJI (1690 - 1770), the highest court position appointed was Dainagon (chief councilor of state).
The knowledge of eikyoku (a type of old Japanese song), wagon (Japanese harp), so (a long Japanese zither with thirteen strings) and fue (Japanese flute) among gagaku (ancient Japanese court dance and music) was passed down in the Ayanokoji family instead of the Niwata family. Since then, the family served the Imperial Court as the gagaku master.
Their hereditary stipend during the Edo period was 200 koku. The family status after the Meiji period was viscount.