Subjects - shinmin

Japanese: 臣民 - しんみん

〘 noun 〙 The people as subjects. The people of a monarchy. Also, under the old constitution, those other than the Emperor, the Imperial Family, and the nobility. ※Shobogenzo (1231-53), Sanbo (Treasures of Respect), "Among the sutras preached by the great master Shakyamuni, the Lotus Sutra is the great king and the great master. All other sutras and teachings are the subjects and relatives of the Lotus Sutra." ※Archive of Armistice - August 14, 1945 (Showa 20) "In consideration of the world situation and the current state of the Empire, I wish to take extraordinary measures to resolve the current situation. I hereby inform you, my loyal subjects." [Glossary] There are few examples in the early modern period, but it began to appear in political writings and essays from the end of the Edo period, and in the Meiji period, against the backdrop of the strengthening of government control, it was widely used as a term in imperial edicts and constitutions. With the reform of the national system immediately after the defeat in World War II, it fell out of general use after 1946.

Source: The Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary About the Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary Information

Japanese:

〘名〙臣としての人民。君主国の人民。また、旧憲法のもとで、天皇、皇・公族以外の者。※正法眼蔵（1231‐53）帰依三宝「大師釈奠所説の諸経のなかには、法華経これ大王なり、大師なり、余経余法は、みなこれ法華経の臣民なり、眷属なり」※停戦の詔書‐昭和二〇年（1945）八月一四日「朕深く世界の大勢と帝国の現状とに鑑み非常の措置を以て時局を収拾せむと欲し茲に忠良なる爾臣民に告ぐ」[語誌]近世までの例は少ないが、幕末より政治に関する著述、論文に登場するのを始め、明治期に入って、政府の統制強化を背景に、詔勅と憲法の用語としてさかんに用いられた。第二次世界大戦敗戦直後の、国家体制の改革にともない、昭和二一年以降一般には用いられなくなった。

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