The court ranks of Japan, also known in
Japanese as ''ikai'' (位階), are indications of an individual's court rank in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
based on the system of the
state. ''Ikai'' as a system was originally used in the
Ritsuryo system, which was the
political administration system used in
ancient China
The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the '' Book of Documents'' (early chapte ...
, and the indication of the rank of bureaucrats and officials in countries that inherited (class system).
Currently, the Japanese court ranks and titles are now one of the types of honours conferred to those who have held government posts for a long time and to those who have made distinguished achievements. In recent times, most appointments, if not all, are offered posthumously. A recent recipient of such a court rank is the late former
prime minister Shinzo Abe on 8 July 2022, who received Junior First Rank (従一位, ''ju ichi-i'').
Court ranks
Upper ranks
Fourth Rank
Fifth Rank
Sixth Rank
Seventh Rank
Eighth Rank
Initial Rank
Court positions
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''The Tale of Genji'': (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)
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Hereditary titles
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References
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Court ranks