Iemoto

Iemoto (Japanese: 家元^?) (lit. "family foundation") is a Japanese term used to refer to the founder or current Grand Master of a certain school of traditional Japanese art. It is used synonymously with the word sōke (宗家^?) when it refers to the family or house that the iemoto is head of and represents.

The word iemoto is also used to describe a system of familial generations in traditional Japanese arts such as tea ceremony (inc. sencha tea ceremony), ikebana, noh, calligraphy, traditional Japanese dance, traditional Japanese music, the Japanese art of incense appreciation (kōdō), and martial arts. Shogi and go once used the iemoto system as well. The iemoto system is characterized by a hierarchical structure and the supreme authority of the iemoto, who has inherited the secret traditions of the school from the previous iemoto.

An iemoto may be addressed by the title Iemoto or O-iemoto, or by the title Sōshō (宗匠^?) or Ō-sensei (大先生^?). In English, "Grand Master" is often the title that is used. The iemoto's main roles are to lead the school and protect its traditions, to be the final authority on matters concerning the school, to issue or approve licenses and certificates and, in some cases, to instruct the most advanced practitioners.

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