also: そうか
noun
head of family; head house
Refers to the main family line or its head, especially in traditional contexts like martial arts, tea ceremony, or other hereditary schools.
彼は茶道の宗家の長男です。
He is the eldest son of the head family of the tea ceremony.
noun
sōke; founder of a style; originator
Often used as a title for the founder or grand master of a traditional art, martial art, or school. The term sōke is sometimes used in English to refer to this role.
この流派の宗家は代々、技を伝えてきた。
The sōke of this school has passed down the techniques for generations.
Rarely used reading; it is rarely used kana form.
家元 is often used interchangeably with 宗家 for the head of a traditional school, but 家元 can also refer to the entire system of hereditary succession in arts.
Composed of 宗 (sect, origin) and 家 (house, family). The term originally referred to the main lineage of a clan or religious sect, later extended to the head of traditional arts.