Board of Ceremonies

The Board of Ceremonies (式部職) is a department of the Imperial Household Agency of Japan. The board is the chief administration charged with ceremonial matters.

History
The history dates back to the Asuka period of the 8th century under the Taihō Code, when the Ministry of Ceremonial Affairs (式部省) was formed. This stayed in existence until the reforms of the Meiji era in 1871, when the ministry was replaced with the Board of Ceremonies (式部局), which was soon renamed Bureau of Ceremonies (式部寮) in 1872. The Ministry of Divinities was abolished, with the bulk of duties moved to the Ministry of Religion (教部省) and the administration of formal ceremonial functions transferred to the Bureau of the Ceremonies. The Bureau of the Ceremonies was initially under the administration of the Great Council of State (太政官), but was transferred to the control of the Imperial Household Ministry in September 1877. The Bureau underwent the current name Shikibu-shōku (式部職) change in October 1884.

Organisation
The board is headed by the Grand Master of the Ceremonies (式部官長). However, the post has historically gone under the name Shikibu no kami (式部頭).

The Grand Master is assisted by two Vice-Grand Masters of the Ceremonies (式部副長). One of them has "purview over ceremonial matters" (儀式総括), while the other has "purview over foreign related matters" (外事総括).

The first Vice-Grand Master has subordinate "officials of ceremonies" (式官) underneath him, variously charged with ceremonial rites, music, and duck netting parties at the duck netting preserves (鴨場).

The other Vice-Grand Master is charged foreign matters, i.e., with assisting in coordinating various court functions held for visiting foreign dignitaries. He is also responsible for such activities as the Imperial Family's State visits to foreign countries.

Music Department


The board's Music Department (楽部) performs both gagaku (雅楽), i.e. ancient court music, and Western classical music.

Wild duck preserves


The hunting parties at the kamoba preserves invites guests to participate in traditional wild-duck netting, where the wildfowl are tagged. The guests invited to the netting are often diplomatic missions and plenipotentiaries from foreign countries, although cabinet members, members of the National Diet, and Supreme Court Justices are extended invitations also.

Grand Masters of Ceremonies
Below is a historic list of grand masters from 1947: