Court of Religious Affairs and Festivals

The Court of Religious Affairs and Festivals was a subordinate part of the Ministry of Service, reviewing all matters of religious concern and created every Imperial religious edict. This court dated back to the reign of Hantei Genji and was incorporated into the Ministry of Service during the re-organization and expansion of the Bureaucracy in the fourth and fifth centuries. Run by a Seppun, it was the dumping ground for courtiers or bureaucrats who had displeased their superiors and been condemned to a position of lesser importance. If a suitable Seppun was not available, the court would be placed in the hands of a suitable member of the Kitsu, Isawa, Agasha (later Tamori), or Asahina families.