Royalty - royal family

The family of the Emperor, formerly called Koshin. In ancient times, clans descended from the Emperor were called Kobetsu, but the system of Koshin was established in the Ritsuryo Code. Under the Ritsuryo Code, Koshin were the blood relatives of the Emperor, including Princes, Princesses, Kings, and Queens, but did not include Grand Empress Dowagers, Empress Dowagers, Empresses, Princesses, and Queens. The fifth-generation son of the Emperor's great-great-grandson was not an Imperial Prince, but was allowed to use the title of King. In 758 (Tenpyo Hoji 2), Emperor Junnin, the second-generation Emperor, ascended to the throne and made his siblings Princes by imperial decree, after which the practice of making them Princes was adopted. Therefore, Imperial Princes, who were originally Princes and Princesses, could not become Princes or Princesses without the proclamation, and even the second-generation Princes and below could become Princes by proclamation. At the end of the Kamakura period, hereditary princely families were established, with each generation receiving the title of prince. Imperial relatives held a privileged status, and princes in particular were considered above the kings and ministers, and were given ranks ranging from Ippon to Shihon, and were appointed to positions such as Minister, Dazai no Sotsu, and Chief Minister of the Eight Ministries. In the early Heian period, a system was created for princes to appoint themselves to certain provinces, and they were appointed as governors of Kazusa, Hitachi, and Kozuke no Kami, and were called Taishu. Later, the Edo Shogunate placed princes under the three ministers of Daijo Daijin, Sa Daijin, and U Daijin. From ancient times to the Middle Ages, unmarried princesses or queens served Ise Shrine and Kamo Shrine for generations, and were called Ise Saiku and Kamo Saiin. In addition, the number of members of the imperial family who entered Buddhism increased, and from the mid-Heian period, princes who became monks were called nuns, and those who were proclaimed princes after becoming monks were called hoshinno. From the Muromachi period, temples where members of the imperial family who became monks entered were called miyamonzeki or bhikkunigosho (amamonzeki), and were given a kind of temple rank. Under the Ritsuryo system, those who were the fourth generation or more of the imperial family were considered to be members of the imperial family, but after the fourth generation of Emperor Bidatsu became Tachibana no Sukune in 736 (Tenpyo 8), there were more cases of people leaving the imperial family status by being given a surname. In 814 (Kōnin 5), Emperor Saga's four sons and four daughters became Minamoto no Ason, becoming the first to be given the surname Minamoto. Later, the number of people who received the surname Minamoto increased to nearly 100, including Emperor Seiwa's Seiwa Genji. In addition, under the Ritsuryo system, daughters of the imperial family were not permitted to marry subjects, but from the early Heian period, third and fourth generations of the imperial family were permitted to marry subjects, and the Fujiwara clan in particular was allowed to marry their second-generation queens in recognition of their achievements.

After the Meiji Restoration, the Imperial Family who had become monks were ordered to return to secular life, and titles such as Imperial Prince's Head Priest were abolished. The Imperial House Law enacted in 1889 (Meiji 22) divided the Imperial Family into Empress, Grand Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager, Crown Prince, Crown Princess, Crown Prince's Grandson, Crown Princess, Imperial Prince, Princess, Princess, King, Princess, and Queen, recognized illegitimate children, and made them permanent members of the Imperial Family, except for those who married off as subjects. Later, in 1907 (Meiji 40), an amendment to the Imperial House Law allowed the fifth generation of the Emperor and below to be demoted to subject status by imperial decree or petition. The Imperial Family had a privileged status outside of subjects, and was regulated by the Imperial House Law and Imperial Household Regulations, and was provided with an Imperial Family allowance. The Imperial Family was eligible to succeed to the throne and become a regent, adult males became members of the House of Peers, and adult princes residing in Tokyo attended Privy Council meetings. Princes and princes were appointed military officers in the army and navy at the age of 18, and the chief priest of Ise Shrine was selected from among the imperial family. The imperial family before the war consisted of four princely families: Katsura, Arisugawa (all of which later became extinct), Kan'in, and Fushimi; the Yamashina, Kaya, Kuni, Nashimoto, Asaka, Higashikuni, Komatsu (later extinct), Kitashirakawa, Takeda, Kacho (later extinct), and Higashifushimi Imperial families, which branched off from Fushiminomiya; and three Imperial families: Chichibu, Takamatsu (both families later became extinct), and Mikasa, which were founded by the son of Emperor Taisho.

In 1947 (Showa 22) after the Second World War, 51 members of 11 Imperial families, excluding the three Imperial families of the Emperor's younger brother, left the Imperial family. The current Imperial House Law, enacted in the same year, states that the Imperial Family consists of the Empress, Grand Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager, Prince, Prince and Princess, Princess Princess, King, Queen, and Queen. The Imperial Family is limited to those of legitimate birth, and the Prince and the Imperial Grandchild of the eldest male line are Prince and Princess, while the descendants of the eldest male line from the third generation onwards are King and Queen. Those who are not members of the Imperial Family cannot become members of the Imperial Family unless they become an Empress or marry a male member of the Imperial Family. The Imperial Family is included in the general public, but has the right to succeed to the throne and become a regent, and is paid an Imperial Family allowance. Unlike ordinary citizens, the Imperial Family is subject to restrictions on the enthronement of an Empress, the marriage of males, and the transfer of property, and is treated as having no right to vote or be elected. The current Imperial Family consists of the Emperor's family, the Emperor Emeritus, the Empress Emerita, the Crown Prince Akishino, the younger brother of the Emperor Emeritus, Prince Mikasa, and Prince Takamado, who separated from Prince Mikasa.

[Shigeyoshi Murakami]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

天皇の一族で、古くは皇親と称した。古代には、天皇から出た氏族は皇別と称したが、律令(りつりょう)で皇親の制が確立した。律令制の皇親は、天皇の血族の親王(しんのう)、内親王(ないしんのう)、王、女王で、太皇太后(たいこうたいごう)、皇太后、皇后、親王妃(しんのうひ)、王妃は含まれない。皇玄孫の子の五世王は、皇親ではないが、王号を許された。758年（天平宝字2）二世王であった淳仁(じゅんにん)天皇が皇位につき、詔(しょう)して兄弟姉妹を親王として以後、親王宣下(せんげ)が例となった。そのため、本来、親王・内親王である皇親も、宣下がなければ親王・内親王とならず、二世王以下でも宣下により親王となることになった。鎌倉末期には、代々、親王宣下を受ける世襲親王家が成立した。皇親は特権的身分で、とくに親王は、諸王、諸臣の上とされ、位階は一品(いっぽん)から四品(しほん)に至る品(ほん)に叙せられ、官は大臣、大宰帥(だざいのそつ)、八省の卿(きょう)などの長官に任ぜられた。平安初期には、親王任国の制がつくられて、上総(かずさ)、常陸(ひたち)、上野守(こうずけのかみ)に任ぜられ、太守(たいしゅ)と称した。のち江戸幕府は、親王を太政(だいじょう)大臣、左(さ)大臣、右(う)大臣の三公の下とした。古代から中世にかけて、未婚の皇女または女王は、代々、伊勢(いせ)神宮と賀茂(かも)社に奉仕し、伊勢斎宮(さいくう)、賀茂斎院とよばれた。また皇親で仏門に入る者が増え、平安中期から、親王で出家した者を入道親王、出家後に親王宣下を受けた者を法親王(ほうしんのう)と称した。室町時代から、出家した皇親が入室した寺院を宮門跡(みやもんぜき)、比丘尼(びくに)御所（尼(あま)門跡）とよび、一種の寺格となった。律令制では、四世以上を皇親としたが、736年（天平8）敏達(びだつ)天皇の四世王が橘宿禰(たちばなのすくね)となって以後、賜姓(しせい)降下で皇親の身分を離れる例が増えた。814年（弘仁5）嵯峨(さが)天皇の4皇子、4皇女が源朝臣(みなもとのあそん)となり、賜姓源氏の最初となった。のち賜姓源氏は、清和(せいわ)天皇から出た清和源氏など100人近くに及んだ。また律令制では、皇親の女子は臣下に嫁することを許されなかったが、平安初期から三世、四世女王の臣籍降嫁が許され、とくに藤原氏には、その功により二世女王の降嫁が認められた。

　明治維新後、出家した皇族は還俗(げんぞく)を命ぜられ、宮門跡などの称は廃止された。1889年（明治22）制定の「皇室典範」は、皇族を、皇后、太皇太后、皇太后、皇太子、同妃、皇太孫、同妃、親王、同妃、内親王、王、同妃、女王とし、庶出を認め、臣籍降嫁以外は、永世の皇族とした。のち1907年（明治40）「皇室典範」の増補で、五世以下の王に、勅旨または請願による臣籍降下が認められた。皇族は、臣民の外にある特権的身分で、「皇室典範」と皇室法規によって規律され、皇族費を支給された。皇族は皇位継承と摂政(せっしょう)就任の資格をもち、成年男子は貴族院議員となり、在京の成人親王は枢密院会議に列席した。親王、王は、18歳で原則として陸海軍武官に任ぜられ、また皇族から伊勢神宮の祭主が選ばれた。戦前の皇族には、桂(かつら)、有栖川(ありすがわ)（以上はのち断絶）、閑院(かんいん)、伏見(ふしみ)の4親王家、伏見宮から分かれた山階(やましな)、賀陽(かや)、久邇(くに)、梨本(なしもと)、朝香(あさか)、東久邇(ひがしくに)、小松（のち断絶）、北白川、竹田、華頂(かちょう)（のち断絶）、東伏見の各宮家と、大正天皇の皇子が創立した秩父(ちちぶ)、高松（両家はのち断絶）、三笠(みかさ)の3宮家があった。

　第二次世界大戦後の1947年（昭和22）、皇弟の3宮家以外の11宮家51名が皇籍を離脱した。同年制定された現行の「皇室典範」は、皇后、太皇太后、皇太后、親王、親王妃、内親王、王、王妃、女王を皇族としている。皇族は嫡出に限り、皇子と嫡男系の皇孫は親王・内親王、三世以下の嫡男系の子孫は王・女王とする。皇族でない者は、皇后となる場合と皇族男子と結婚する場合以外は皇族となることはできない。皇族は国民に含まれるが、皇位継承と摂政就任の権利をもち、皇族費を支給される。皇族は、一般の国民と異なり、立后、男子の婚姻、財産の授受に制約があり、選挙権・被選挙権をもたないものとして取り扱われる。皇太子、皇太孫を除く満15年以上の皇族は、皇室会議の議により皇籍を離脱することができ、また天皇と皇族男子以外の者と結婚した皇族女子は皇族の身分を離れる。現在の皇族は、天皇の家族と、上皇、上皇后、皇嗣(こうし)の秋篠宮(あきしののみや)、上皇の弟の常陸宮(ひたちのみや)、三笠宮と、三笠宮から分かれた高円宮(たかまどのみや)である。

［村上重良］

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