Onmyo hakase (Doctor of onmyo) (陰陽博士)
Onmyo hakase was a teaching position created at the Onmyoryo (Bureau of Divination) under the Ritsuryo system (a system of centralized government based on the ritsuryo code). Onmyo hakase was responsible for training each of his students to be Onmyoji (Master of Yin yang). The position was available to one person (though different numbers are asserted by various scholars). The rank was equivalent to Shoshichiinoge (Senior Seventh Rank, Lower Grade).
The first reference to Onmyo hakase appeared in "Nihonshoki" (Chronicles of Japan) in its paragraph about the Empress Jito in 692. Some scholars believe the position was available to multiple people. It is because two Onmyo hakase, OTSU no Obito and TSUMORI no Toru, appeared in "Shoku Nihongi" (Chronicle of Japan Continued) in its entry about the year 721. Onmyo hakase was responsible for training ten onmyo no sho (students of onmyo). In 730, in a bid to enhance the Onmyoryo, scholarships were given to three of the onmyo no sho as onmyo tokugyo no sho (onmyo students). Accordingly, successors to Onmyoji and Onmyo hakase were chosen from among the three. Onmyo hakase was later granted 39,668 square meters of shikiden (official rice fields). The textbooks they used were books classified as Shibu-gogyo, such as "Shinsen Onmyosho," "Kotei kingi kyo," "Gogyo Taigi," "Zhou Yi" (I Ching (Book of Changes)) and "Nangi." From the Nara period to the early Heian period, the position was hereditary in the Otsu, Yuge and Shigeoka clans. During the mid-Heian period, the task was handed down to the clans such as Koremune, Abe and Kamo. After the late Heian period, the position became hereditary in the Abe and Kamo clans.