Kyôhei (1756-1834) and Shunsui (1746-1816) were the youngest and eldest brothers in the Rai family, both Confucians of the Hiroshima feudal clan in the later Edo era. Kyôhei started to perform Confucian seasonal rites at his own house in 1820; this was four years after the death of Shunsui, the wife of Kyôhei and their second son also being dead at that time. Kyôhei followed the rites procedure conducted by Shunsui. This means that Kyôhei established his own Confucian house separately from that of Shunsui as a branch family, the rites being held ten times in the spring and seven times in the autumn until 1837. There were subsequently two separate Confucian seasonal rites, at the late Shunsui's and Kyôhei's houses, the family members each performing two rites. This created greater exchange and brought about closer bonds in the whole Rai family. The bonds forged between the two successors, Yoichi (the grandson of Shunsui) and Saichirô (the first son of Kyôhei), were particularly important to maintain the family prosperity. The family members of the late Shunsui, as well as their attendants, servants, and close acquaintances joined in the feasts after conducting the rites. Baishi, the widow of Shunsui, provided such ingredients as icefish, ayu (sweet fish), and sweets as offerings for Kyôhei. Two types of fish were designated as offerings by Shunsui, while sweets were mostly provided among the offerings from Baishi.