家いえ元もと

い

え

も

と

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

head of a traditional school; iemoto; head family of a school

Refers to the hereditary head or grand master of a traditional Japanese art school (e.g., tea ceremony, flower arrangement, dance, music). Also used for the head family itself. The term iemoto is often used in English contexts discussing Japanese arts.

彼かの女じょは茶さ道どうの家いえ元もとの娘むすめです。
She is the daughter of the head of a tea ceremony school.
家いえ元もと制せい度どは日に本ほんの伝でん統とう芸げい能のうで重じゅう要ような役やく割わりを果はたしている。
The iemoto system plays an important role in traditional Japanese performing arts.

See all 6 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉が家いえ元もとを継つぐfor someone to succeed to the position of iemoto
彼かの女じょは父ちちの跡あとを継ついで茶さ道どうの家いえ元もとを継ついだ。
She succeeded her father as the iemoto of the tea ceremony school.
〈人ひと〉が家いえ元もとになるfor someone to become the head of a traditional school
長ちょう男なんが二に十じゅう代だい目めの家いえ元もとになった。
The eldest son became the 20th-generation iemoto.

Kanji

家house, home, family
元beginning, former time, origin

Related words

宗そう家け
宗家 also means the head family of a school, but it is used more broadly for martial arts or clan lineages, whereas 家元 is specifically tied to traditional arts like tea ceremony and flower arrangement.
本ほん家け
家元 specifically refers to the head or founder of a school of traditional art, while 本家 is broader and can refer to any main family or original source.

Don't confuse with

師し範はん
師範 is a certified instructor licensed to teach a traditional art, while 家元 is the single hereditary head who leads the entire school.

Counted with

代だい目め
nth generation; nth person to hold a position

Built from

家いえ+元もと

Etymology

Compound of 家 (ie, 'house, family') and 元 (moto, 'origin, source'). The term emerged in the Edo period to denote the hereditary head of a school of traditional arts.