Investiture - Joy

Japanese: 叙位 - じょい

Under the Ritsuryo system of ancient Japan, it referred to the conferment of ranks that indicate the hierarchy of government positions, and was an important task of the Imperial Court along with the appointment of officials to positions below Dainagon ( chief minister of state). Since the Meiji period, it has come to refer to the conferment of ranks through honors. Under the Ritsuryo system, three ranks were conferred: the Nai (inner rank), which was the core of the hierarchy; the Gai (outer rank), which was a collateral rank for local clans and other powerful families; and the Order of Military Merit for military achievements. The methods of conferring ranks were divided into Imperial decree, which conferred ranks of Nai and Gai Fifth Rank or higher, and ranks of the sixth order or higher; Soju , which conferred ranks of Nai and Gai Seventh Rank or higher, and ranks of the seventh order or lower; and Hanju, which conferred ranks of Gai and Nai and Gai First Rank. Imperial decree, which conferred ranks by imperial decree, Soju, which conferred ranks by the Emperor's approval, and Hanju , which was conferred by the Dajokan (the ceremony to confer ranks of dignity for Imperial Princes and Princesses was called Johon ). Of these, the imperial conferment became one of the annual events of the Imperial Court, and in the Heian period, the conferment of ranks for men on January 7th (every year) and for women on January 8th ( every other year) was called "regular conferment" and was distinguished from temporary conferment of ranks on occasions such as ascending to the throne. Since the Kamakura period, conferment of ranks and appointments to positions for samurai was carried out at the request of the shogunate. In the rank system, ministers were divided into 30 ranks starting from Shoichii ( first rank ) and corresponding official positions (official rank equivalent system). However, after the Meiji Restoration, the official rank equivalent system was abolished and the relationship between ranks and official positions was severed, and further, the role of ranks was specialized to honorary purposes by the conferment ordinance promulgated in 1887 (Meiji 20). Ranks were divided into Shoichi (first rank) and Jyujo (eighth rank), resulting in 16 ranks. In 1926 (Taisho 15), the Order on Ranks was promulgated, which succeeded the Conferment Ordinance, and remains in place to this day. However, even after the conferment of medals on surviving persons was resumed in 1964 (Showa 39), which had been suspended after the Second World War, the conferment of medals on surviving persons was not resumed and only the deceased have been conferred medals.

Source: Kodansha Encyclopedia of Medals and Awards

Japanese:

古代日本の律令制度のもとでは、官職の序列を示す位階を授与することをさし、大納言以下の官職を任ずる除目(じもく)とともに、朝廷の重要な仕事となっていた。明治以降は栄典で位を授与することをさすようになった。律令制下では、位階体系の中核をなす内位、地方豪族などが対象の傍系的な外位(げい)、武功に対する勲位の3つが授与された。叙位方式は、内・外五位以上、勲位六等以上を授ける勅授、内八位・外七位以上、勲位七等以下を授ける奏授、外八位と内・外初位(そい)を授ける判授に分かれていた。勅授は天皇の勅旨、奏授は天皇の裁可によってそれぞれ叙位され、判授は太政官が叙位した（親王・内親王の品位(ほんい)を授ける儀式は叙品(じょほん)と呼ばれていた）。このうち勅授は宮廷の年中行事の一つとなり、平安時代には正月7日の男叙位（毎年）と8日の女叙位（隔年）を「例(れい)の叙位」と称し、即位などに際して行われる臨時の叙位と区別していた。鎌倉時代以降、武士の叙位・任官は幕府からの要請で行われた。位階制において諸臣は正一位(しょういちい)以下30階に分けられ、それに官職が対応していた（官位相当制）。しかし明治維新後、官位相当制は廃止されて位階と官職の関係は断たれ、さらに1887年（明治20）公布の叙位条例によって位階は栄典の役割に特化された。位は一位から八位までをそれぞれ正従に分け16階となった。1926年（大正15）には叙位条例を引き継いだ位階令が公布され、現在にいたっている。ただし、1964年（昭和39）に、第二次世界大戦後に停止されていた生存者への叙勲が再開されたあとも、生存者への叙位は再開されず、故人に対する叙位のみが行われている。

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