Kikutei family (菊亭家)
The Kikutei family were kuge (court nobles) with kakaku (family status) of seigake (the second highest family status for court nobles). They were a branch of the Saionji family in the Kanin line of the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan. The Family business was biwa (Japanese lute).
Karoku (hereditary stipend) during the Edo Period was 1,355.8 koku (approx. 244.6 cubic meters) and, in 1645, 300 koku (approx. 54.1 cubic meters) was added to increase to 1,655.8 koku (approx. 298.7 cubic meters) (This exceeded 1,500 koku [approx. 270.6 cubic meters] of the Takatsukasa family, which was Sekke [line of regents and advisers].)
Its kamon (family crest) is the mitsukaede (three maples).
Marquis
It was founded by Kanesue IMADEGAWA (Kanesue KIKUTEI), who was Udaijin (minister of the right) and the fourth son of Sanekane SAIONJI, Daijo-daijin (grand minister of state), in the last days of the Kamakura Period. He named himself Imadegawa from the address and, as he liked chrysanthemums (kiku), a large number of chrysanthemums were planted in his mansion and people called him kikunotei and he named himself Kikutei. Harusue KIKUTEI in the Azuchi-Momoyama Period and the early part of the Edo Period assumed the position of Udaijin and he was famous for having suggested the appointment to Kanpaku (chief adviser to the Emperor) to Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI and worked as a promoter and coordinator in the imperial court.
After the Meiji Restoration, Imadegawa was changed to use another name, Kikutei, to be used as his family name.
Kikutei bunko (Kikutei library)
Documents handed down in the family were stored in Kyoto and Senshu Universities as 'Kikutei bunko.'