|
Kugyō
is the collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre- Meiji eras. The term generally referred to the and court officials and denoted a court rank between First Rank and Third Rank under the ''Ritsuryō'' system, as opposed to the lower court nobility, thus being the collective term for the upper court nobility. However, later on some holders of the Fourth Rank were also included. In 1869, following the Meiji Restoration, the court nobility and daimyo were merged into a new peerage, the ''kazoku''. Overview The ''kugyō'' generally refers to two groups of court officials: * the ''Kō'' (公), comprising the Chancellor of the Realm, the Minister of the Left, and the Minister of the Right; and * the ''Kei'' (卿), comprising the Major Counsellor, the Middle Counsellor, and the Associate Counselors, who held the court rank of Third Rank or higher. History The ''kugyō'' originated from the Three Lords and N ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Naidaijin
The , literally meaning "Inner Minister", was an ancient office in the Japanese Imperial Court. Its role, rank and authority varied throughout the pre- Meiji period of Japanese history, but in general remained as a significant post under the Taihō Code.Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''Annales des empereurs du japon'', p. 425. History Pre-Meiji period The office of ''Naidaijin'' predated the Taihō Code of 701. Fujiwara no Kamatari was the first person appointed to the post in 669. After the appointment of Fujiwara no Michitaka in 989, the office became permanently established, ranking just below that of '' Udaijin'' ("Right Minister") and '' Sadaijin'' ("Left Minister"). Meiji period and after The office developed a different character in the Meiji period. In 1885, the title was reconfigured to mean the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan in the Imperial Court. In that year, the office of prime minister or chief minister of the initial restoration government was the ''Daij ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taifu
''Taifu'' (大夫) was a noble title in Japan, denoting a court rank between First Rank and Fifth Rank under the ''Ritsuryō'' system. It was also commonly used to refer to a holder of Fifth Rank, but also for holders of Fourth and Fifth Rank, to differentiate from holders of First, Second and Third Rank, collectively known as ''kugyō''. History In the ancient Yamato period Japan, the title was used to refer to a close attendant of the Emperor or Okimi. Prior to the Taika Reform in 645, a government official below ''Ōomi'' and ''Ōmuraji'' of the same name was called ''Maetsugimi'', whose duty was to submit matters to the Emperor. According to the ''kushiki-ryō'' of the ''ritsuryō'' law, a ''Taifu'' holds a court rank of Third Rank or higher in the Great Council of State, a court rank of Fourth Rank in a government institution above a bureau, and a court rank of Fifth Rank or higher as a ''shi'' (official in a government department beneath a bureau) or in a ''chūgoku'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Minister Of The Left
The ''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', Kenkyusha Limited, was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the ''sadaijin'' in the context of a central administrative body called the '' Daijō-kan'' (Council of State). This early Daijō-kan was composed of the three ministers—the '' daijō-daijin'' (Chancellor), the ''sadaijin'' and the '' udaijin'' (Minister of the Right).Hall, John Whitney ''et al.'' (1993)''The Cambridge History of Japan'', p. 232./ref> The ''sadaijin'' was the Senior Minister of State, overseeing all functions of government with the '' udaijin'' as his deputy.''Shin-meikai-kokugo-jiten'',Sanseido Co., Ltd. Tokyo 1974 Within the ''Daijō-kan'', the ''sadaijin'' was second only to the '' daijō-daijin'' (the Great Minister, or Chancellor of the Realm) in power and influence. Frequently, a member of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Minister Of The Right
was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the ''udaijin'' in the context of a central administrative body called the ''Daijō-kan'' (Council of State). This early Daijō-kan was composed of the three ministers—the '' daijō-daijin'' (Chancellor), the ''sadaijin'' (Minister of the Left) and the ''udaijin''.Hall, John Whitney ''et al.'' (1993)''The Cambridge History of Japan,'' p. 232./ref> The ''udaijin'' was the Junior Minister of State, overseeing all branches of the ''Daijō-kan''. He would be the deputy of the ''sadaijin''.''Shin-meikai-kokugo-jiten'', Sanseido Co., Ltd., Tokyo 1974 The post of ''udaijin'', along with the rest of the ''Daijō-kan'' structure, gradually lost power over the 10th and 11th centuries, as the Fujiwara came to dominate politics more and more. The system was essentially powerless by the end of the 12t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Imperial Household Agency
The (IHA) is an agency of the government of Japan in charge of state matters concerning the Imperial Family, and also the keeping of the Privy Seal and State Seal of Japan. From around the 8th century AD, up until the Second World War, it was known as the . The Agency is unique among conventional government agencies and ministries, in that it does not directly report to the Prime Minister at the cabinet level, nor is it affected by legislation that establishes it as an Independent Administrative Institution. Organization and functions The IHA is headed by the Director-General of IHA, assisted by the Deputy Director of IHA, appointed by the Cabinet.Imperial Household AgencyOrganization/ref> The main organizational positions within the Agency are: * the Grand Steward's Secretariat * the Board of Chamberlains * the Crown Prince's Household * the Board of Ceremonies * the Archives and Mausolea Department * the Maintenance and Works Department * the Kyoto Office The current ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Imperial House Of Japan
The , also referred to as the Imperial Family or the House of Yamato, comprises those members of the extended family of the reigning Emperor of Japan who undertake official and public duties. Under the present Constitution of Japan, the Emperor is "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people". Other members of the Imperial Family perform ceremonial and social duties, but have no role in the affairs of government. The duties as an Emperor are passed down the line to their male children. This Japanese monarchy is the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world. The Imperial House recognizes 126 monarchs, beginning with Emperor Jimmu (traditionally dated to 11 February 660 BC), and continuing up to the current emperor, Naruhito. However, scholars have agreed that there is no evidence of Jimmu's existence, that the traditional narrative of Japan’s founding is mythical, and that Jimmu is a mythical figure. Historical evidence for the first 25 emperors is mythical ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Government Of Japan
The Government of Japan consists of legislative, executive and judiciary branches and is based on popular sovereignty. The Government runs under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan, adopted in 1947. It is a unitary state, containing forty-seven administrative divisions, with the Emperor as its Head of State. His role is ceremonial and he has no powers related to Government. Instead, it is the Cabinet, comprising the Ministers of State and the Prime Minister, that directs and controls the Government and the civil service. The Cabinet has the executive power and is formed by the Prime Minister, who is the Head of Government. The Prime Minister is nominated by the National Diet and appointed to office by the Emperor. The National Diet is the legislature, the organ of the Legislative branch. It is bicameral, consisting of two houses with the House of Councilors being the upper house, and the House of Representatives being the lower house. Its mem ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis powers. World War II was a total war that directly involved more than 100 million personnel from more than 30 countries. The major participants in the war threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. Aircraft played a major role in the conflict, enabling the strategic bombing of population centres and deploying the only two nuclear weapons ever used in war. World War II was by far the deadliest conflict in human history; it resulted in 70 to 85 million fatalities, mostly among civilians. Tens of millions died due to genocides (including the Holocaust), starvat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Daimyō
were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and nominally to the emperor and the '' kuge''. In the term, means 'large', and stands for , meaning 'private land'. From the ''shugo'' of the Muromachi period through the Sengoku to the ''daimyo'' of the Edo period, the rank had a long and varied history. The backgrounds of ''daimyo'' also varied considerably; while some ''daimyo'' clans, notably the Mōri, Shimazu and Hosokawa, were cadet branches of the Imperial family or were descended from the ''kuge'', other ''daimyo'' were promoted from the ranks of the samurai, notably during the Edo period. ''Daimyo'' often hired samurai to guard their land, and they paid the samurai in land or food as relatively few could afford to pay samurai in money. The ''daimyo'' era ended soon after the Meiji ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kuge
The was a Japanese aristocratic class that dominated the Japanese Imperial Court in Kyoto. The ''kuge'' were important from the establishment of Kyoto as the capital during the Heian period in the late 8th century until the rise of the Kamakura shogunate in the 12th century, at which point it was eclipsed by the bushi. The ''kuge'' still provided a weak court around the Emperor until the Meiji Restoration, when they merged with the daimyō, regaining some of their status in the process, and formed the kazoku (peerage), which lasted until shortly after World War II (1947), when the Japanese peerage system was abolished. Though there is no longer an official status, members of the kuge families remain influential in Japanese society, government, and industry. History ''Kuge'' (from Middle Chinese ''kuwng-kæ'' 公家, "royal family") originally described the Emperor and his court. The meaning of the word changed over time to designate bureaucrats at the court. During the Hei ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meiji Reformation
The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ruling emperors before the Meiji Restoration, the events restored practical abilities and consolidated the political system under the Emperor of Japan. The goals of the restored government were expressed by the new emperor in the Charter Oath. The Restoration led to enormous changes in Japan's political and social structure and spanned both the late Edo period (often called the Bakumatsu) and the beginning of the Meiji era, during which time Japan rapidly industrialized and adopted Western ideas and production methods. Foreign influence The Japanese knew they were behind the Western powers when US Commodore Matthew C. Perry came to Japan in 1853 in large warships with armaments and technology that far outclassed those of Japan, with t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
.jpg "Click for more on -> Kugyō")
