The Bojo family (坊城家)
Bojo family were kuge (court nobles) with kakaku (family status) of meike (the fourth highest status for court nobles). They were of the Kajuji line of the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan. They are also called Ogawa Bojo. The family business was kidendo (the study of the history) and shozoku (costume). Its kamon (family crest) is Take ni suzume (bamboo and sparrow). Karoku (hereditary stipend) during the Edo Period was 180 koku (approx. 32.5 cubic meters). They held the postion of count.
It is said that this family was founded during the Kamakura Period with Toshisada BOJO, who was a son of Tsunetoshi YOSHIDA, but there is another view that the founder was Toshizane BOJO (grandson of Toshisada), who was the eldest son of Sadasuke BOJO, who in turn was the son of Toshisada. During the last stages of the Sengoku period (period of warring states) (Japan), this family was discontinued for a certain period, but it was reestablished by adopting the third son of Haretoyo KAJUJI, Toshimasa BOJO.
In 1884, the peerage of count was conferred on Toshiaya BOJO. Toshiaya filled various posts including as a member of Kizokuin (the House of Peers), Army Major General and the Governor of Yamagata Prefecture. Toshinaga BOJO filled the posts of jiju (a chamberlain), kotaigo gu no daibu (Master of the Empress Dowager's Household) and the chief priest of Ise-jingu Shrine. Toshitami BOJO filled the posts of teacher and principle of Tokyo metropolitan high schools. Since 1951, he served as a koji (presenter of poems) of the ceremony of the Utakai Hajime (Imperial New Year's Poetry Reading) held in the Imperial court and the chairman of hikokai (a group of descendants of the former nobility who serve the New Year Imperial Poetry Reading Party).
Toshichika BOJO and Toshinaru BOJO also served as koji of the ceremony of the Utakai Hajime.. Toshinaru (architect) became a topic of talk in the media as a possible partner in the marriage of the first Imperial Princess Norinomiya Sayako (present Sayako KURODA) of Akihito.