TheGrand Steward's Secretariat (長官官房,Chōkan-kanbō) is the head department of theImperial Household Agency of Japan.
The origins of the structure of the Imperial Household can be traced back to the reign ofEmperorMonmu, with the organisation of the government structure in 701AD.[1]
Prince Naruhito, in May 2004, criticized the then-grand steward, Toshio Yuasa, for putting pressure onMasako 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][4]
The grand steward (長官,Chōkan) is the head of the secretariat, and is responsible for managing the part of the household staff who areomote (おもて), or "outside the house"; these employees serve asdrivers,cooks,gardeners, or administrative officials.[2]
The secretariat is composed of these divisions:
| Number | Name | Term of office | Ex-service | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand stewards of the Imperial Household Office | ||||
| 1 | Yoshitami Matsudaira | 3 May 1947 – 5 June 1948 | Imperial Household Ministry | |
| 2 | Michiji Tajima | 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 | Takeshi Usami | 16 December 1953 – 26 May 1978 | Home Ministry | |
| 3 | Tomohiko Tomita | 26 May 1978 – 14 June 1988 | National Police Agency | |
| 4 | Shōichi Fujimori | 14 June 1988 – 19 January 1996 | Ministry of Welfare,Environment Agency | |
| 5 | Sadame Kamakura | 19 January 1996 – 2 April 2001 | National Police Agency | |
| 6 | Toshio Yuasa | 2 April 2001 – 1 April 2005 | Ministry of Home Affairs | |
| 7 | Shingo Haketa | 1 April 2005 – 1 June 2012 | Ministry of Health | |
| 8 | Noriyuki Kazaoka | 1 June 2012 – 26 September 2016 | Ministry of Construction | |
| 9 | Shin'ichirō Yamamoto [ja] | 26 September 2016 – 17 Dec 2019 | Ministry of Home Affairs | |
| 10 | Yasuhiko Nishimura [ja] | 17 Dec 2019 – present | National Police Agency | |