History
As far back as the Heian period (794-1185), there were iemoto-like family lines that were responsible for passing down the secret traditions and orthodox teachings of their particular school of art, but the first appearance of the word iemoto in extant records dates to the end of the 17th century, where it is used in reference to families entitled to have their sons become priests at great temples. Its use in the sense that it is used today, in the realm of traditional Japanese arts, starts to appear in documents in the middle of the 18th century.
The system of iemoto is a manifestation of the ie (家?) or "household" and dōzoku (同族?) or "extended kin" pattern of relationships in Japanese society.
The concept of the "Iemoto System" (家元制度?) was explicated by the historian Matsunosuke Nishiyama in the post-war period to describe the social structures associated with exclusive family control and networks of instructors, a characteristic of the feudal era whose influence on traditional arts is still felt today.
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