The term for family in the Medieval Age referred to a kinship group that was mainly composed of the family head who owned the family estate and the family business, trade, record (diary), their house, temple and tools under his reign (control), as well as his wife and children, who were the joint owners; the family itself, as well as the family estate, was succeeded to the descendents.
中世における家門とは、家督を有する当主とその管領（管理）のもとにある家業・家職・家記（日記）・家屋・寺院・道具及びその共有者である当主夫婦・親子を中心とした親族集団を指し、家門そのものも家督とともに継承される性質のものであった。