The Imperial Family

Japanese: 皇室 - こうしつ

A general term for the Emperor and the Imperial Family. In the narrow sense, it means the Imperial Court (the Imperial Family), and in the broad sense, it means the Emperor and his close relatives, but the scope of the Imperial Family varies depending on the period.

The scope of the Imperial Family (Koshin) was determined by the Taiho Code before the Meiji era. According to this, the brothers and sisters of the Emperor, as well as his sons and daughters, were considered to be Shinnou (Prince and Princess), the grandson of the Emperor, the great-grandson of the Emperor (Emperor's Himago), and the great-great-grandson of the Emperor (Emperor's Yashago) were considered to be Kings, and the son of the great-great-grandson, the fifth-generation King, could use the name of King but would not be considered to be Koshin. For women, the titles Naishinno (Princess and Princess) and Jojo were also used. Furthermore, the second, third, and fourth-generation Kings were collectively referred to as Shoo (Lords) in contrast to Princes. Incidentally, it seems that the spouses of Princes and Kings were not recognized as Koshin unless they were Princesses or Queens. This scope of the Imperial Family showed a tendency to expand for a time, but gradually became hollowed out.

[Yuji Odabe]

The Imperial Family under the Constitution of the Empire of Japan

After the Meiji Restoration, a new imperial family system was created with the establishment of the Imperial House Law following the promulgation of the Constitution of the Empire of Japan. In other words, the Imperial House Law of 1889 (Meiji 22) defined the scope of the imperial family as Grand Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager, Empress, Crown Prince, Crown Princess, Grandson of the Emperor, Grandson of the Empress, Princess, King, Queen, and Queen, and from the prince to the great-great-grandson of the Emperor, men were Prince and women were Princess, and from the fifth generation onwards, men were King and women were Queen. Furthermore, the hereditary princely families (Imperial families) that existed before the establishment of the Imperial House Law remained Prince and Princess, and were considered imperial family members.

Under the Constitution of the Empire of Japan, the imperial family was distinguished from ordinary subjects and was given its own property and privileges. In principle, adult male members of the imperial family became members of the army and navy, and were eligible to serve in the House of Peers, and princes sat on the Privy Council. However, because the system of perpetual imperial family status would lead to an excessive number of imperial family members, the Imperial House Law of 1907 was amended to allow kings to establish new families and become members of the nobility (democracy).

Under the Constitution of the Empire of Japan, matters relating to the Imperial Family were separate from state affairs, and the Imperial Diet was not permitted to intervene. The Emperor was in charge of Imperial Family affairs, with the Minister of the Imperial Household providing advice. Laws governing Imperial Family matters included the Imperial House Law, as well as other Imperial Household Ordinances such as the Succession Order and the Imperial Family Ordinance. In principle, normal national laws did not apply to the Imperial Family, and the vast Imperial Family assets, centered on the Imperial property, which was the Emperor's fortune, were separate from national property and not subject to Diet control. The cost of Imperial Family affairs was covered by the Imperial Property as well as a fixed amount of Imperial Family expenses paid from the national treasury. Important matters relating to the Imperial Family were discussed at the Imperial Family Council, which was made up of male members of the Imperial Family over the age of majority.

The Imperial property, consisting of movable and immovable property, was established after the Meiji Restoration. The Meiji government was under pressure to establish an economic foundation for the Imperial family, and between 1884 and 1890, enormous amounts of Imperial property were accumulated. In other words, the government-owned Bank of Japan, Yokohama Specie Bank, and Nippon Yusen Kaisha (Japan Shipping Company) shares were incorporated into the Imperial property, the Sado and Ikuno mines were transferred to the Imperial family, and 3.5 million hectares of forest and wilderness were incorporated into the Imperial property. The Imperial Palace, the Imperial Palace, the Imperial Palace, the various villas, the Imperial estates in Kiso and other areas, and the Shosoin Treasury were all passed down to the Emperor as hereditary properties for all time.

Furthermore, from 1890 onwards, a fixed amount of 3 million yen was paid out of the national treasury every year for the Imperial Household, and 20 million yen of the 300 million yen in compensation received in the First Sino-Japanese War was transferred to the Imperial Household Accounts. After the Russo-Japanese War, the amount was increased to 4.5 million yen, and was paid out every year until the end of World War II.

Under the Constitution of the Empire of Japan, the Imperial Family was succeeded by Emperor Meiji Mutsuhito and his wife Haruko (Empress Dowager Shoken), Emperor Taisho Yoshihito and his wife Sadako (Empress Teimei), Emperor Showa Hirohito and his wife Nagako (Empress Kojun), and others. The Imperial Family includes the direct princes (children and siblings of the Emperor), Prince Chichibu Yasuhito, Princess Setsuko, Prince Takamatsu Nobuhito, Princess Kikuko, Prince Mikasa Takahito, and Princess Yuriko. In addition to the direct princes, there are Prince Asaka, Prince Arisugawa, and Prince Kacho. There were 15 Imperial families: Katsuranomiya, Kayanomiya, Kan'innomiya, Kitashirakawanomiya, Kuninomiya, Komatsunomiya, Takedanomiya, Nashimotonomiya, Higashikuninomiya, Higashifushiminomiya, Fushiminomiya, and Yamashinanomiya. Of these, the Katsura and Komatsu families were abolished during the Meiji period, while the Arisugawa and Kacho families were abolished during the Taisho period.

[Yuji Odabe]

The Imperial Family under the Japanese Constitution

After World War II, with the promulgation of the Constitution of Japan, the Emperor became the symbol of the nation. In response to this, the Imperial House Law was revised in February 1947 (Showa 22), and changes were made such that the Imperial Family was limited to legitimate children, that Princes and Princesses could be extended up to the Emperor's grandson, and that the third generation and onwards would be Kings and Queens. All 11 Imperial families, except for the Prince and the Direct Prince of the Emperor's younger brother, were demoted to commoner status, and the scope and privileges of the Imperial Family were reduced. Although the Imperial Family under the Constitution of Japan are part of the nation's people, according to provisions such as the Imperial House Law, they have political privileges such as succession to the throne and appointment as regent, but are restricted by such restrictions as not having the right to vote or be elected and not being able to adopt children.

In other words, the postwar Imperial Family is a collective term for the statuses of Empress, Grand Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager, Prince, Princess, Princess Princess, King, Queen, and Queen. Their status is also flexible, with ordinary citizens being able to become members of the Imperial Family by becoming an Empress (taking on the position of Empress) or by marrying a male member of the Imperial Family. Furthermore, Princesses, Kings, and Queens aged 15 or older can leave their status as members of the Imperial Family at their own will, while Princes, Princesses, Kings, and Queens excluding the Crown Prince and the Crown Prince's Heir can leave their status as members of the Imperial Family if there is a special, unavoidable reason other than their own will, following a resolution by the Imperial Household Council. Furthermore, female members of the Imperial Family will lose their status as members of the Imperial Family if they marry someone other than the Emperor or a member of the Imperial Family (they will be demoted to subject status).

The enormous assets of the Imperial Family before World War II were dissolved by the General Headquarters of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (GHQ) after the war. The total value of the Imperial Family's assets at the end of the war was estimated at about 1.6 billion yen (not including artworks and jewels), and about 3.7 billion yen according to a property survey at the time of the payment of property taxes in March 1946. As a result, about 3.3 billion yen was collected, and the rest belonged to the state. Thus, after the war, the Imperial Family's assets were nationalized, and the Imperial Family's expenses were included in the budget and controlled by the Diet. The Imperial Household Economic Law promulgated in 1947 divided the Imperial Family's expenses into Imperial Court expenses (expenses for ceremonies, etc.), Imperial Court expenses (daily expenses), and Imperial Family expenses (expenses for maintaining dignity), and further prevented the Imperial Family from accumulating wealth or having economic ties with specific individuals. Incidentally, the Imperial Family's expenses in fiscal year 2021 (Reiwa 3) are about 12.4 billion yen.

Furthermore, in 1947, the Imperial House Council was established as an institution to deliberate important matters related to the Imperial Household, and the Imperial House Economic Council was established as an institution to deliberate important matters related to the Imperial Household economy. The Imperial House Council deliberates on matters such as changes to the order of succession to the throne, the establishment of an empress, marriages of male members of the Imperial Family, retirement from Imperial status, and the decision on a regent. It is composed of 10 members in total, including the Prime Minister as chairman, two members of the Imperial Family, the Speaker and Vice Speaker of both Houses of the House of Representatives, the Grand Master of the Imperial Household Agency, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and one judge. The Imperial House Economic Council deliberates on matters such as accounting for Imperial Household expenses as stipulated in the Imperial Household Economic Law, the transfer of Imperial Household assets, and is composed of eight members, including the Prime Minister as chairman, the Speaker and Vice Speaker of both Houses of the House of Representatives, the Minister of Finance, the Grand Master of the Imperial Household Agency, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Currently, the Imperial Court, centered around Emperor Naruhito, consists of Empress Masako and her eldest daughter, Tononomiya Aiko, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. In June 1990, the Imperial Family married Prince Ayanomiya Fumihito, the younger brother of Emperor Naruhito, to become Prince Akishino, and has Princess Kiko, his second daughter Kako, and his eldest son Hisahito. Other members of the family include Prince Hitachi Masahito, the younger brother of Emperor Akihito, his wife Hanako, wife Yuriko of the late Prince Mikasa Takahito, the younger brother of Emperor Showa, Princess Nobuko of the late Prince Mikasa Tomohito, and Princess Hisako of the late Prince Takamado Norihito. The Chichibunomiya family, the younger brother of Emperor Showa, was abolished when Princess Setsuko passed away on August 25, 1995, and the Takamatsunomiya family was abolished when Princess Kikuko passed away on December 18, 2004. In addition, Prince Akihito's eldest daughter, Princess Nori Sayako, left her royal status on November 15, 2005, and Prince Akishino's eldest daughter, Princess Mako, left her royal status on October 26, 2021.

The Imperial Family does not have family names or family registers, and matters related to their status are recorded in the Imperial Lineage Chart. The Imperial Lineage Chart consists of the Daitofu (Great Lineage Chart) for the Emperor and Empress, and the Kozokufu (Imperial Family Chart) for the Imperial Family. The original is kept by the Imperial Household Agency Archives and Mausolea Department, and a copy is kept by the Ministry of Justice.

[Yuji Odabe]

[References] | Imperial House Law | Imperial Household Property | Imperial Family

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

天皇と皇族の総称。狭義には内廷（天皇一家）、広義には天皇とその近親である皇族を意味するが、皇族の範囲は時期によって異なる。

　皇族（皇親）の範囲は、明治以前は大宝令(たいほうりょう)によって定められた。それによれば、天皇の兄弟姉妹および皇子、皇女を親王(しんのう)とし、皇孫、皇曽孫(こうそうそん)（天皇のひまご）、皇玄孫(こうげんそん)（天皇のやしゃご）を王、皇玄孫の子たる五世王は王名を称することはできるが皇親の範囲に入らないと定めた。女子については内親王(ないしんのう)、女王の称も用いた。また、二、三、四世王を親王に対して諸王と総称した。ちなみに親王、王の配偶者は、内親王、女王でない限り皇親とは認められなかったようである。この皇族の範囲は、一時拡張の傾向を示したが、徐々に空洞化した。

［小田部雄次］

大日本帝国憲法下の皇室

明治維新後、大日本帝国憲法公布に伴う皇室典範の制定により、新たな皇族制度が生まれた。つまり、1889年（明治22）の皇室典範は、皇族の範囲を、太皇太后(たいこうたいごう)、皇太后、皇后、皇太子、皇太子妃(ひ)、皇太孫、皇太孫妃、内親王、王、王妃、女王とし、皇子より皇玄孫に至るまでは男を親王、女を内親王、五世以下は男を王、女を女王とした。なお、皇室典範制定以前からの世襲親王家（宮家）は、そのまま親王とし、皇族にした。

　大日本帝国憲法の下で、皇族は一般臣民とは区別され、固有の財産と特権が与えられた。成年の皇族男子は原則として陸海軍人となり、貴族院議員の資格をもち、親王は枢密院会議に列した。もっとも永世皇族主義では皇族が増えすぎるので、1907年の皇室典範増補により、王は新たに家をおこして華族となることができるようにした（臣籍降下）。

　大日本帝国憲法下では、皇室に関する事項は国務から区別され、帝国議会が関与することは許されなかった。皇室事務は天皇が総攬(そうらん)し、宮内大臣がこれを輔弼(ほひつ)した。皇室事項を規律する法としては、皇室典範をはじめとし、登極令、皇室親族令などの皇室令が制定された。皇室には原則的に通常の国の法令は適用されず、天皇の財産たる御料を中心とした膨大な皇室財産も国有財産から区別され、議会の統制を受けなかった。皇室事務費用は国庫より支出される定額の皇室経費のほか、御料財産によってまかなわれた。皇室関係の重要事項は、成年以上の皇族男子で組織する皇族会議で審議された。

　動産・不動産からなる皇室財産は、明治維新以後に設定された。明治政府は皇室の経済的基礎を確立する必要に迫られ、1884年から1890年にかけて莫大(ばくだい)な皇室財産が蓄積された。つまり、政府所有の日本銀行、横浜正金銀行、日本郵船会社株の皇室財産への編入、佐渡(さど)、生野(いくの)両鉱山の皇室への移譲、350万町歩(ちょうぶ)の山林原野の皇室財産編入などが行われた。宮城、皇居、御所、各離宮、木曽その他の御料地、正倉院(しょうそういん)宝庫などは、世伝御料として天皇に永世に伝えられるものとなった。

　さらに1890年以降は、定額300万円の皇室費が毎年国庫より支出され、日清戦争で獲得した償金約3億円のうち2000万円が皇室会計に繰り入れられた。また皇室費は、日露戦争後、450万円に増額され、第二次世界大戦終戦まで毎年支出された。

　なお、大日本帝国憲法下における天皇家は、明治天皇睦仁(むつひと)、同妃美子(はるこ)（昭憲皇太后(しょうけんこうたいごう)）、大正天皇嘉仁(よしひと)、同妃節子(さだこ)（貞明皇后(ていめいこうごう)）、昭和天皇裕仁(ひろひと)、同妃良子(ながこ)（香淳皇后(こうじゅんこうごう)）らによって継承された。皇族は、直宮(じきみや)（天皇の子や兄弟姉妹）である秩父宮雍仁(ちちぶのみややすひと)、同妃勢津子(せつこ)、高松宮宣仁(たかまつのみやのぶひと)、同妃喜久子(きくこ)、三笠宮崇仁(みかさのみやたかひと)、同妃百合子(ゆりこ)らがおり、直宮以外には、朝香宮(あさかのみや)、有栖川宮(ありすがわのみや)、華頂宮(かちょうのみや)、桂宮(かつらのみや)、賀陽宮(かやのみや)、閑院宮(かんいんのみや)、北白川宮(きたしらかわのみや)、久邇宮(くにのみや)、小松宮(こまつのみや)、竹田宮(たけだのみや)、梨本宮(なしもとのみや)、東久邇宮(ひがしくにのみや)、東伏見宮(ひがしふしみのみや)、伏見宮(ふしみのみや)、山階宮(やましなのみや)の15宮家があった。そのうち桂と小松の2宮家が明治年間に、有栖川と華頂の2宮家が大正年間に、それぞれ断絶などで廃された。

［小田部雄次］

日本国憲法下の皇室

第二次世界大戦後、日本国憲法の公布で天皇は国家の象徴となった。これに伴い1947年（昭和22）2月、皇室典範が改正され、皇族は嫡出子に限り、親王、内親王は皇孫まで、三世以下は王、女王とするなどの変更が行われた。そして、皇子、皇弟の直宮以外のすべての11宮家は臣籍に降下し、皇族の範囲と特権は縮小した。日本国憲法下の皇族は、国民の一部ではあるが、皇室典範などの規定により、皇位継承、摂政(せっしょう)就任などの政治的特権があり、選挙権、被選挙権がなく、養子をすることができないなどの制約がある。

　つまり、戦後の皇族は、皇后、太皇太后、皇太后、親王、親王妃、内親王、王、王妃、女王の身分の総称である。その身分も可動的で、一般国民は、立后(りっこう)（皇后の地位につくこと）や皇族男子との婚姻により皇族になれる。また、15歳以上の内親王、王、女王はその意思により、皇太子、皇太孫を除く親王、内親王、王、女王は、その意思によるほかにやむをえない特別の事由があるとき、皇室会議の議決を経て皇族の身分を離脱できる。なお、皇族女子は天皇、皇族以外の者と婚姻したとき皇族の身分を離れる（臣籍降下）。

　第二次世界大戦前の莫大な皇室財産は、戦後、連合国最高司令官総司令部（GHQ）によって解体された。終戦時の皇室財産総額は、総司令部発表で約16億円（美術品、宝石類を含まない）、1946年3月の財産税納付時の財産調査によれば約37億円と評価された。この結果、約33億円が徴収され、残りは国に帰属した。こうして戦後は、皇室財産は国有化され、皇室費用は予算に計上されて国会に統制された。1947年公布の皇室経済法は、皇室費用を宮廷費（儀式などの費用）、内廷費（日常費用）、皇族費（品位保持の費用）に区分し、さらに皇室の蓄財や特定者との経済的結合を防止している。ちなみに、2021年度（令和3）における皇室費は、約124億円である。

　さらに、1947年、皇室関係の重要事項を審議する機関として皇室会議が置かれ、皇室経済に関する重要事項を審議する機関として皇室経済会議が設置された。皇室会議は、皇位継承の順序の変更、立后、皇族男子の婚姻、皇族の身分の離脱、摂政の決定などを審議する。構成員は、内閣総理大臣を議長とし、皇族2人、衆参両院の正副議長、宮内庁長官、最高裁判所長官と同裁判官1人の計10人である。皇室経済会議は、皇室経済法に定められた皇室費の経理、皇室財産の授受などを審議し、構成員は、内閣総理大臣を議長とし、衆参両院の正副議長、財務大臣、宮内庁長官、会計検査院長の8人である。

　現在、徳仁(なるひと)天皇を中心とする内廷は、雅子(まさこ)皇后と長女敬宮愛子(としのみやあいこ)、明仁(あきひと)上皇と美智子(みちこ)上皇后である。皇族は、1990年（平成2）6月に浩宮（徳仁天皇）の弟である礼宮文仁(あやのみやふみひと)が結婚して秋篠宮(あきしののみや)となり、同妃紀子(きこ)と次女佳子(かこ)、長男悠仁(ひさひと)がいる。そのほか、明仁上皇の弟である常陸宮正仁(ひたちのみやまさひと)、同妃華子(はなこ)、昭和天皇の弟である故三笠宮崇仁の妃百合子、三笠宮の男子である故三笠宮寛仁(ともひと)の妃信子(のぶこ)、故高円宮憲仁(たかまどのみやのりひと)の妃久子(ひさこ)らで構成される。昭和天皇の弟であった秩父宮家は同妃勢津子の1995年8月25日の逝去により、高松宮家は同妃喜久子が2004年（平成16）12月18日に逝去して廃された。また、明仁の長女の紀宮清子(のりのみやさやこ)は2005年11月15日、秋篠宮の長女の眞子(まこ)は2021年10月26日、結婚により皇族の身分を離れた。

　なお、皇室に苗字(みょうじ)や戸籍はなく、身分に関する事項は皇統譜(こうとうふ)に記載される。皇統譜には、天皇皇后に関する大統譜(だいとうふ)と、皇族に関する皇族譜があり、正本は宮内庁書陵部、副本は法務省が保管している。

［小田部雄次］

[参照項目] | 皇室典範 | 皇室用財産 | 皇族

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