Kadenokoji Aritomi (勘解由小路在富)

Aritomi (or Akitomi) KADENOKOJI (or KAGEYUKOJI) (March 5, 1490-September 14, 1565) was kugyo (a Court noble) and an onmyoji (Master of Yin yang) who lived during the Sengoku Period (Period of Warring States). He was the last family head of the Kadenokoji family in the line of the Kamo clan. His father was Arishige KADENOKOJI, who was Jusanmi Hisangi (Junior Third Court Rank, non-Councilor) and his mother was the daughter of Akisato MACHI. He was first named Arihide.

In 1507, he was appointed to Jugoinoge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade), Hyobu shoyu (junior assistant minister of the Hyobusho Ministry of War). After that, in 1512, he was appointed to reki hakase (master of reki-calendar) and in 1514, he was also appointed to Onmyo no kami (Director of Onmyoryo, or Bureau of Divination). Then, also assuming positions including Sama no kami (Captain of Samaryo, Left Division of Bureau of Horses) and Kunaikyo (Minister of the Sovereign's Household), he remained in the position of Onmyo no kami until 1522 and reki hakase until 1533. During this period, in 1531, he was promoted to Jusanmi (Junior Third Rank). As we can see from the fact that he assumed the position of Kunaikyo from 1522 to 1537, he positively acted not only as an Onmyoji (Master of Yin yang), but also as a close advisor to then current Emperor Gonara. For such achievements, he was promoted to Junii (Junior Second Rank) in 1536, and then to Shonii (Senior Second Rank) in 1551 for the first time in this family line. It is known that, although he went away to Sagami Province counting on Ujitsuna HOJO for help during this period, he was called back to act for Arisue TSUCHIMIKADO, who pulled back in his fief, Tango Province, in 1542 and did not carry out any jobs for Onmyo no kami, to carry out jobs of Onmyo no kami.

Aritomi had an heir, Arimasa KADENOKOJI, and later, he was baptized into the Christian faith and had been studying Western astronomy. As soon as Aritomi knew this, he became enraged and disinherited Arimasa and then, adopted Aritane KADENOKOJI, who was the son of Aritomi's younger brother, Ariyasu KADENOKOJI. However, on November 9, 1554, there was an incident where Aritomi killed Aritane. Although the cause is not known, there was no successor to the Kadenokoji family. As Arimasa, who was the heir, followed Luis Frois in travel for propagation to Saigoku (western part of Japan esp. Kyushu, but ranging as far east as Kinki) and his rank remained unchanged from Jushii (Junior Fourth Rank) this father and son did not settle amicably and Aritomi died.

Under the situations, the Kadenokoji family begged Arisue TSUCHIMIKADO of the Tsuchimikado family (Abe clan), who was a rival, and accepted Aritaka KADENOKOJI, who was a child of Arisue, as the successor. Arisue, however, grabbed onto the Kadenokoji family under the excuse that he was the guardian of Aritaka and, after Aritaka died young, it is told that Arisue forced the Kadenokoji family's extinction saying that he inherited all rights of the Kadenokoji family.

[Original Japanese]