The is the head department of the Imperial Household Agency of Japan.
The origins of the structure of the Imperial Household can be traced back to the reign of Emperor Monmu, with the organisation of the government structure in 701 AD.[1]
Prince Naruhito, in May 2004, criticized the then-grand steward, Toshio Yuasa, for putting pressure on Masako Owada, Naruhito's wife, to bear a male child. At a press conference, Naruhito said that his wife had "completely exhausted herself" trying to adapt to royal life, and added "there were developments that denied Masako's career (up to our marriage) as well as her personality".[2] [3]
The is the head of the secretariat, and is responsible for managing the part of the household staff who are, or "outside the house"; these employees serve as drivers, cooks, gardeners, or administrative officials.[4]
The secretariat is composed of these divisions:
| Grand stewards of the Imperial Household Office | |||||
| 1 | 3 May 1947 – 5 June 1948 | Imperial Household Ministry | |||
| 2 | 5 June 1948 – 31 May 1949 | Civilian | cont. | ||
| Grand stewards of the Imperial Household Agency | |||||
| 1 | Michiji Tajima | 1 June 1949 – 16 December 1953 | Civilian | ||
| 2 | 16 December 1953 – 26 May 1978 | Home Ministry | |||
| 3 | 26 May 1978 – 14 June 1988 | National Police Agency | |||
| 4 | 14 June 1988 – 19 January 1996 | Ministry of Welfare, Environment Agency | |||
| 5 | 19 January 1996 – 2 April 2001 | National Police Agency | |||
| 6 | 2 April 2001 – 1 April 2005 | Ministry of Home Affairs | |||
| 7 | Shingo Haketa | 1 April 2005 – 1 June 2012 | Ministry of Health | ||
| 8 | 1 June 2012 – 26 September 2016 | Ministry of Construction | |||
| 9 | 26 September 2016 – present | Ministry of Home Affairs | |||