Genealogy of the Amabe Clan

An Ancient Vertical Genealogy of a Shrine Family

The Genealogy of the Amabe Clan (海部氏系図) is a Heian-period genealogy handed down in the Amabe family, hereditary priests of Kono Shrine in Miyazu, Tango, located in Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture (private collection), which in 1976 was designated a National Treasure.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs records one handscroll, 25.3 centimetres high and 221.2 centimetres long, on five sheets of paper, privately owned.

According to the Agency, it is the genealogy of the priests of Kono Shrine, handed down in the Amabe family as a secret scroll from generation to generation.

Form and Contents

According to the Agency, it preserves the early form of the vertical genealogy: a single pale ink line runs down the centre of sheets joined end to end, with only the founder and his direct descendants placed along it at intervals. It is judged to have been copied in the late ninth century.

The entries fall into three ages: the ancient age from the founder Hikohoakari no Mikoto, the age when the family managed the Ama people, and the age of shrine priests.

What to Look For

The Agency values it highly in Japanese history for showing not only the Amabe family's own history but also how ancient provincial clans, overlooked in official histories, changed over time.

Notice the early vertical form and the single line drawn down its centre.

Visiting the Genealogy of the Amabe Clan

The genealogy is privately owned, and no official information on viewing could be found.