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Message from the President

理事長あいさつ

The Reizei Family is a family famed for waka, descended from the Fujiwara no Shunzei and Teika, who were the father and son admired as the great poets of the Heian and Kamakura periods. Books kept by the Reizei Family have been handed down during the 800 years since the era of Shunzei and Teika to the present. There are tens of thousands of such books, including five national treasures and 47 important cultural properties. The Reizei Family Residence, also designated as an important cultural property, is the only remaining kuge (court noble) house. As a family famed for waka, we are also preserving and passing on such traditions such as poetry meetings and yearly events.

Against a background of books surviving tumultuous history, the kuge house remaining in full form, and poetry meetings and yearly events being held in the house, Reizei Family Shiguretei Library Incorporated Foundation was established in April 1981 with an aim to inherit and preserve these cultural assets comprehensively and permanently in future years. The foundation became a public interest incorporated foundation in April 2011.

Since its establishment, the foundation has been engaged in the dismantling and repair of the Reizei Family house and the repair and restoration of books, including Meigekki (60 volumes in total), the diary of Teika and a national treasure. We also issued “Reizei Family Shiguretei Library Collection” and have completed the publishing of all 84 volumes of the valuable books handed down to the family.
It is our sincere hope that the foundation can further contribute to the promotion and development of traditional culture. Your continuous support for the foundation is greatly appreciated. Thank you.