The Rokkaku Family (六角家)
The Rokkaku family is a family of court nobles that were established during the Edo Period. The family belongs to the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan, but other Rokkaku families also existed.
The founder of the family was Masumitu ROKKAKU of the Sono family of the Nakamikado line.
The family rank was the House of Urin, and its family business is Japanese Calligraphy and “Kagura” (sacred music and dancing performed at shrines.)
The family was given the title of viscount after the Meiji Restoration.
When Cloistered Imperial Prince Shucho, the third son of Emperor Gomizunoo, became the chief priest of Nikko-zan Rin-noji Temple, Hirokata KARASUMARU, the second son of Mitsuhiro KARASUMARU, accompanied him and did not return to Kyoto.
Later, when Hirokata served the Edo shogunate and became a “koke” (privileged family under Tokugawa Shogunate), he called himself “ROKKAKUIN.”
Then his descendants shortened the name and began to call themselves the “Rokkaku” family. It is also noted that the family was fiercely resisted by local residents including Shozo TANAKA, because the family oppressed them in Shimotsuke Province where they had their "syoryo" (territory) during the end of the Edo period.