Nobility - Family

It mainly refers to the privileged aristocracy after the Meiji period. Before the Meiji period, it was another name for the Seigake, a family with a rank second only to the Sekke of the Kugyo. After the return of the domains and people to the Emperor in June 1869 (Meiji 2), the traditional titles of Kugyo and Shokō were abolished and all were made into kazoku, and a new social hierarchy was established. At that time, the number of kazoku was 427. With the abolition of the feudal domains in 1871, the governors of the former feudal domains became Tokyo-resident nobles, and the distinction between samurai and kuge nobles disappeared. Then, rules were established for the treatment of the imperial family and the nobility, and they were instructed to be teachers of the people, above the four classes of people, and their stipends were also paid by the government. In June 1874, the Kazoku Kaikan was established to unite and foster friendship among the nobility, but after the abolition of the feudal domains, the nobility lost their real political power, and in 1877, Gakushuin was opened to educate their children. In 1884, the Peerage Law was enacted, which added politicians, military personnel, government officials, and businessmen who were considered to have been of merit to the nation to the ranks of the peerage in addition to the existing peerage. The titles were divided into five levels: Duke, Marquis, Count, Baron, and Baron. The nobles were ranked according to their traditional lineage, while the former feudal lords were ranked according to their former land holdings. The Merited Peerage were mostly from clan factions such as Satsuma and Choshu, and were awarded high ranks. Hirobumi Ito and others made great efforts to enact the Peerage Law, but with the opening of the National Diet approaching, there was a plan to make the peerage members members of the House of Peers, and for that purpose it was necessary to create a new Merited Peerage. With the enactment of the Meiji Constitution and the House of Peers Law, it was stipulated that all princes, marquises, counts, and barons would become members of the House of Peers by mutual election, and new political privileges were granted to them. Other privileges of the peerage included the hereditary succession of titles to the heir to the family headship, the Peerage Hereditary Property Law, and the establishment of the Peerage Bank, the 15th National Bank, for special protection and management of the peerage's assets. The peerage was also considered to have the duty of acting as a "guard against the Imperial Family," and marriages between peerage members and their children required the permission of the Minister of the Imperial Household. Furthermore, conferment and promotion of titles were granted in recognition of distinguished service, especially in the event of war. The peerage system was abolished by the Constitution of Japan in 1947 (Showa 22).

[Masaru Sasaki]

"The History of the Peerage Hall" (1966), compiled and published by the Kasumi Kaikan Incorporated Association

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治以降の特権的貴族層を主としていう。明治以前は公卿(くぎょう)の摂家に次ぐ家格である清華家(せいがけ)の別称である。1869年（明治2）6月版籍奉還後、従来の公卿、諸侯の称を廃してすべて華族とし、新しい身分階層を設けた。このときの華族数は427家。1871年廃藩によって旧諸侯の藩知事は東京居住の華族となり、武家、公家(くげ)の華族の別がなくなった。そして皇族華族取扱規則を定めるとともに、四民の上にたち、国民の師表たることを諭達され、また家禄(かろく)も政府から支給されることになった。1874年6月には華族内部の団結と交友のため華族会館が創立されたが、廃藩後政治的実権を失った華族層の覚醒(かくせい)を促す意味もあり、子弟教育のために、1877年学習院を開校した。1884年に華族令が制定され、これにより従来の華族に加えて、国家に勲功のあったとされる政治家、軍人、官吏、実業家などが新たに華族の列に加えられた。爵位は、公、侯、伯、子、男の5段階に分かれているが、公家は旧来の家柄、旧諸侯は旧領石高をほぼ基準としてランクづけられ、勲功華族は薩長(さっちょう)など藩閥出身者が多く、しかも高位に叙爵された。華族令の制定には伊藤博文(いとうひろぶみ)らの尽力があったが、国会開設を控えて、華族を貴族院議員とする構想があり、そのためにも勲功新華族の創立が必要とされたのであった。明治憲法と貴族院令の制定により、公侯爵全員、および伯子男爵は互選で貴族院議員となると定められ、新たに政治的特権が付与された。そのほか華族の特権としては、家督相続人の爵位の世襲制、「華族世襲財産法」や華族銀行たる第十五国立銀行の創立による華族財産の特別保護と管理がある。また華族は「皇室の藩屏(はんぺい)」たるべき任にあるとされ、華族とその子弟の婚姻も宮内大臣の許可を要した。なお叙爵や昇爵は、勲功のあるごとに、とくに戦争ごとに行われた。1947年（昭和22）日本国憲法によって華族制度は廃止された。

［佐々木克］

『社団法人霞会館編・刊『華族会館史』（1966）』

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