Kanin-ryu (a linage of court noble of a branch one of the Fujiwara clique) (閑院流)
Kanin-ryu was a linage of kuge (court noble) of a branch of the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan including the Sanjo Family, the Saionji Family, or the Tokudaiji family. The family came into power by gaining maternal relatives in the insei period (during the period of the government by the retired emperor).
Kanin-ryu was originated from FUJIWARA no Kinsue, Kanin minister, an uncle of FUJIWARA no Michinaga. Kanin was originally the residence of FUJIWARA no Fuyutsugu who formed the basis of the Northern House's prosperity, before it was inherited and lived by Kinsue, then it was also used as a satodairi (a temporary palace) from the end of the Heian period to the early Kamakura period.
Although his daughter whom he made judai (an Imperial Consort's bridal entry into court) had no Imperial princes and princesses, Kinsue held the post of Naidaijin (Minister of the Palace) for a long time under the administration of Michinaga to support the Michinaga's government then he was promoted to Daijo-daijin (Grand minister of state) in his last days after appointed to Udaijin (Minister of the Right).
He started to dominate the power as a maternal relative of the emperor for generations from around when FUJIWARA no Moshi, the daughter of FUJIWARA no Kinnari, the third, became an adopted daughter of FUJIWARA no Yoshinobu and married Emperor Gosanjo to have the child, the Emperor Shirakawa. That is, FUJIWARA no Ishi, the daughter of FUJIWARA no Sanesue, the fourth, became the biological mother of Emperor Toba and FUJIWARA no Shoshi, the daughter of FUJIWARA no Kinzane, the fifth, became the biological mother of Emperor Sutoku and Emperor Goshirakawa.
When Emperor Toba ascended the throne, Kinzane took lightly FUJIWARA no Tadazane, young family head of Sekkan-ke (line of regents and advisers) and argued that he himself who had been at the position of maternal father of the young Emperor should have assumed the post of Sessho (regent to the emperor), but he was scoffed at by MINAMOTO no Toshiaki, Chief of the Office of the Retired Emperor Shirakawa, reproving that 'the man who had served for four emperors as Shodaibu (aristocracy lower than court nobles) still tried to seek the post of Sekkan (regent and adviser).'
In the generation of Kinzane's children, the family split into three major families of Sanjo, Saionji, and Tokudaiji.
In the Fujiwara clan of the Kanin-ryu, four families as Sanjo, Saionji, Tokudaiji, and Kikutei, a branch family of the Saionji family, becoming the Seiga family, the next Kakaku (family status) rank after Sekke, and two families as Ogimachisanjo and Sanjonishi, both were branch of the Sanjo family, becoming the Daijin family (the house of minister), the rank after the Seiga family, had influence among court nobles, and they were blessed with prosperity along with 19 other families such as the Urin family. There are some exception but it was the family's custom to alternately use the Chinese characters '公' and '実' in the names of the head of the families. 季' was also used as tsuji (distinctive character used in the names of all people belonging to a single clan or lineage).