The Ogimachisanjo Family (正親町三条家)

The Ogimachisanjo family was a branch family of the Sanjo family which was the Kan-in Line of the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan, being a family of court nobles with their social standing being the house of minister. Since the founder of the family, Kinuji OGIMACHISANJO also referred himself as SAGA and SAIKO, this family was also known as SAGA. The Sanjonishi family, their branch family, also had the social standing of the house of minister.

The founder was Kinuji SANJO, the second son of Sanefusa SANJO. Up to the time of the fourth family head Sanemi OGIMACHISANJO, as Dainagon (chief councilor of state) was the highest court rank or government post available, the OGIMACHISANJO family, having become the maternal relative of the Emperor, with FUJIWARA no Hideko (Yorokumon-in), who was the daughter of the fifth family head Kinhide OGIMACHISANJO and Naishi no suke (a court lady of the first rank) to Emperor Kogen of the Northern Court producing Emperor Suko and Emperor Gokogon, was made the house of minister. The rokudaka (stipend) for the OGIMACHISANJO family was approximately 350 koku during the Edo Period.

After the Meiji Restoration, the family was granted the title of Marquis (following the initial title of Count). To distinguish them from Sanetomi SANJO of the Sanjo family, Sanenaru Ogimachi-SANJO changed his surname to SAGA which had previously been used as an alias. Hiro SAGA, the oldest daughter of the twenty-nineth head of the Saga family Saneto SAGA, married Fuketsu AISHINKAKURA who was the brother of Emperor Fugi AISHINKAKURA of the Qing Dynasty for the good of Japan.

OGIMACHISANJO was the longest surname in Japan.

[Original Japanese]