Soke
宗家
The head of a traditional Japanese school where leadership is usually inherited. He decides on the school's teaching and on awarding the highest certificates.
Quick Facts
Term typeTitle and rank
LanguageJapanese
Formnoun
Pronunciation[soh-keh]
Alternative Nameshead of the school
Readings and romanizations
Reading (kana)そうけ
Hepburn romanizationsōke
Word breakdown
宗sōmain, original
家kehouse, family
Definition
Soke (宗家) literally means “main family”. In Japan it denotes the head of a traditional school, be it tea ceremony, flower arranging or a martial art. Leadership is traditionally passed down in the family or to a chosen student, a system called iemoto. In the martial arts the title is used mainly in the old koryu schools. The soke is responsible for preserving the teaching and may award the highest certificate, menkyo kaiden, confirming the transmission of the school's whole teaching.