 A Saionji family is known to have existed in Edo period (1600–1868) Kyoto, as producers of "biwa".Saionji Saneharu was made Minister of the Left ("Sadaijin"), and gained influence and some financial support through connections to the Hosokawa and Nagaoka clans.Towards the end of the Edo period, Saionji Kinmochi was adopted into the family from the closely related Tokudaiji branch of the Fujiwara clan.