Ingu kyu (院宮給)

Ingu kyu is a nenkan (a right granted as a stipend to members of the Imperial family (including the emperor), consorts of the emperor, some Court nobles, and so forth in order to nominate a person for a certain government post conferred on occasion of an annual installation as a government official) and a nenshaku (a right granted as a stipend to a retired emperor, the mother of the Emperor Dowager, the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and so forth in order to nominate a person for a certain rank on occasions of annual conferments of ranks) given to Daijo tenno (the Retired Emperor) and Sannomiya (empress). It was also called Onkyu or Gokyu (a kind of payment paid to members of the Imperial family) and was separate from kyuden (provided rice field) given to those with rank lower than the Imperial prince. Furthermore, subjects who were conferred Jugo (or Jusango, an honorary rank next to the Emperor, Empress Dowager, and Empress, conferred to both men and women) received treatment accordingly.

Although there are various theories on when Ingu kyu was established, nenkan for Sannomiya came into existence during the era of Emperor Junna, while nenshaku for the Sannomiya, as well as nenkan and nenshaku for In, had already existed in the Kampyo era after "Kampyo-Goyuikai/Kampyo-no-Goyuikai" (a group of precepts for governing) was established and the retired Emperor Uda mentioned what he thought should be the ingu kyu.

One person for Nenshaku (Jugoinoge), one naikan (a government official who resided in Kyoto), one assistant to kokushi (provincial governor), one Sakan (secretary) to kokushi, one Shisho (a person doing miscellaneous duties about documents) were added to the beneficiaries of Ingu kyu, and one nyoshaku was added later on. Those who were granted nenshaku and naikan (kyokan) enjoyed a large income from their position as well from appointees in exchange for recommendations.
This was not the case with ninkyu

When the revenue dropped due to the nation's hard-pressed economy and decline of local governments, however, such measures were taken to add a portion for one person to nenshaku. Still, due to the insufficient revenue, Ingu bunkoku sei (provincial allotment system) was introduced and ikai (Court rank) was raised (up to Jusanmi (Junior Third Rank) for Court nobles during insei period (period of the government by the retired Emperor)).

[Original Japanese]