Hiizumi Clan

The Hiizumi Clan (比泉 家, Hiizumi-ka) were a family of humans the leader of which possessed the ability to send and and bring from the Otherworld. The power was eventually split between two twins resulting in the Head Family and Branch Family.

The clan is based in Sakurashinmachi. The current leader and sole member of the clan is Akina Hiizumi.

Head Family
The Head Family (宗家, Sōke) are the members of the Hiizumi clan with the power of tuning and reside in the human world.

Stepping Stone Ceremony
The Stepping Stone Ceremony (飛び石の儀,Tobīshinogi) is a ritual introduced by Oushyuu Hiizumi, that dictates the roles of each generation of the Hiizumi head family. It serves as a means of delaying the merging of world caused by the Nanagou.

Members of the Hiizumi head family name their sons after seasons in cycling order. The cycle goes as Summer (夏,natsu), Autumn(秋,aki), Winter (冬,fuyu) and Spring(春,haru) then repeating. The rule dictates that those with name Natsu or Fuyu may not be the family heads. Those with the name Natsu or Fuyu are tuned by their predecessor Haru or Aki respectively, once their child turns a year old. The Haru and Aki are tuned by each other with the predecessor being tuned by the successor, once the successor's power matures.

For example; if Akina (Aki) were to to have a son, he would be named a variant of Fuyu. Fuyu's son would be named a variant of Haru. When the Haru turns on year old, Akina would have to tune is son, Fuyu.

Makiharu (Haru) acts as Akina's (Aki) predecessor. Akina was forced to tune Makiharu.

Oyakume
The Oyakume (お役目, Oyakume) is the one who inherits the power of tuning. The role of the Oyakume is passed down from generations with their purpose to tune yōkai. The one who succeeds as oyakume is responsible for tuning their predecessor.

Known Members

 * Oushyuu Hiizumi
 * Natsufumi Hiizumi
 * Akiyoshi Hiizumi
 * Chiaki Hiizumi
 * Makiharu Hiizumi
 * Akina Hiizumi

Branch Family
The Branch Family (分家, Bunke) are the members of the Hiizumi clan with the power to cause falling and were tuned by Oushyuu Hiizumi.

Known Members

 * Enjou Hiizumi
 * Hinata
 * Enyou Hiizumi
 * Setsu
 * Engen
 * Enkai
 * Ensa
 * Enjin Hiizumi (Supposedly)

Etymology

 * The surname Hiizumi means "ratio, proportion" (比) (hi) and "fountain, spring" (泉) (izumi).