Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 4.djvu/57

 or permanently, and as that might mean a great deal, the rules required that these ladies should be taken from the families of the Kyōtō Court nobles (Kuge) solely, and if possible from the houses of Konoye and Ichijo. Hence, when a vacancy occurred in the ranks of the Joro, and when no daughter of either the Konoye or the Ichijo was available, it became necessary that these houses should select and adopt some one from the family of another Kuge. Next to the "Senior Dames" came seven "Elders" (O-toshi-yori) whose duties were very extensive. They opened all letters coming to the Court, they paid visits, as representatives of the Shōgun and the Midaidokoro, to the mausolea at Shiba and Uyeno and to the shrine at Momiji-yama, they superintended the distribution of provisions, and they gave out all presents and allowances to the ladies of lesser degree. Only women of great ability and strength of character could fill the post of Toshi-yori, and the seven "Elders" exercised great influence at Court, whereas the three "Seniors," though nominally of higher rank, possessed much less power. Immediately below them were two "Middle Elders" (Chiu-doshi-yori), whose chief business was to inspect the provisions for the Court before and after cooking, and generally to assist the "Elders." It was necessary that the "Elders" should belong to one of the Three Families, Go-sankyo, Toyasu, Shimizu or Hitotsubashi, unless they came in the train of the