2026/5/13

Nagisa Reizei, heir apparent to the Reizei household (a family of Kyoto court nobles) and Head Curator of the Reizei Family Shiguretei Library, was invited as a guest lecturer for the "Kyoto Studies A" general education course at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies.

With a lineage that can be traced back to celebrated poet Fujiwara no Teika in the Kamakura Period (1185–1333), the Reizei family is the only remaining family of the kuge aristocracy. During the lecture, Ms. Reizei introduced the family's National Treasure-designated cultural properties as well as their annual celebrations for Doll's Day and the Kikkoten Festival (predecessor to today's Tanabata star festival).
"Whenever you go abroad, the ability to explain your own culture is imperative to achieving true intercultural exchanges. Therefore, I urge you to study Japanese culture," she told students.

During the Q&A session, students posed a variety of candid questions, including inquiries about the origins of the unusual Reizei family name and Ms. Reizei’s thoughts on her role as heir to the Reizei household. She responded thoughtfully and thoroughly to each question.
The lecture provided a rare opportunity for students to gain a deeper appreciation of Kyoto's historical legacy and reaffirm their own cultural identities within international society.

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