List of Japanese court ranks, positions and hereditary titles
Contents
1 Court ranks
1.1 Upper ranks
1.2 Fourth Rank
1.3 Fifth Rank
1.4 Sixth Rank
1.5 Seventh Rank
1.6 Eighth Rank
1.7 Initial Rank
2 Court positions
3 Hereditary titles
4 References
Court ranks
Upper ranks
| English translation | Japanese text | Romanized Japanese | Selected recipients | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior First Rank | 正一位 | shō ichi-i | Tokugawa Ieyasu (1617), Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1915), Oda Nobunaga (1917), Tokugawa Iemitsu (1651), Tokugawa Hidetada (1632), Kusunoki Masashige (1880), Nitta Yoshisada (1882), Shimazu Nariakira (1901), Konoe Tadahiro (1904), Lady Saigō (1628) | |
| Junior First Rank | 従一位 | ju ichi-i | Taira no Kiyomori (1167), Tōgō Heihachirō (1934), Eisaku Satō (1975), Oeyo (1626), Tokugawa Yoshinobu (1888), Shimazu no Shigehime (wife of Tokugawa Ienari) (1792), Maeda Toshiie (1599), Keisho-in (mother of shōgun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi) (1702), Takatsukasa Nobuko (wife of shōgun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi) (1702), Iso no Miya Tomoko (wife of shōgun Tokugawa Ieharu (1783) | |
| Senior Second Rank | 正二位 | shō ni-i | Minamoto no Yoritomo (1189), Toyotomi Hideyori (1602), Nogi Maresuke (1916), Tokugawa Yoshinobu (1866 removed and later restored in 1880 ), Shimazu Hisamitsu (1879), Konoe Tadahiro (1824) | |
| Junior Second Rank | 従二位 | ju ni-i | Hōjō Masako (1218), Uesugi Kenshin (1908), Date Masamune (1918), Mori Ōgai (1922), Toyotomi Hidenaga (1587), Hideki Yukawa (1981), Tokugawa Muneharu | |
| Senior Third Rank | 正三位 | shō san-mi | Isoroku Yamamoto (1943), Kōnosuke Matsushita (1989), Soichiro Honda (1991), Akio Morita (1999) | |
| Junior Third Rank | 従三位 | ju san-mi | Akira Kurosawa (1998), Hisaya Morishige (2009), Isuzu Yamada (2012), Tenshoin (1858), Tokugawa Munetake, Katō Kiyomasa (1910), Asa no Miya Akiko (1658) |
Fourth Rank
| English translation | Japanese text | Romanized Japanese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade | 正四位上 | shō shi-i no jō | |
| Senior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade | 正四位下 | shō shi-i no ge | |
| Junior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade | 従四位上 | ju shi-i no jō | |
| Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade | 従四位下 | ju shi-i no ge | Taira no Tadamori |
Fifth Rank
| English translation | Japanese text | Romanized Japanese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Fifth Rank, Upper Grade | 正五位上 | shō go-i no jō | |
| Senior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade | 正五位下 | shō go-i no ge | Kusunoki Masashige was promoted |
| Junior Fifth Rank, Upper Grade | 従五位上 | ju go-i no jō | Sanada Nobuyuki (1591) |
| Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade | 従五位下 | ju go-i no ge | Hojo Ujinao (1575), Hayashi Narinaga (1588) |
Sixth Rank
| English translation | Japanese text | Romanized Japanese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Sixth Rank, Upper Grade | 正六位上 | shō roku-i no jō | Kōrō Sasaki (1978) |
| Senior Sixth Rank, Lower Grade | 正六位下 | shō roku-i no ge | |
| Junior Sixth Rank, Upper Grade | 従六位上 | ju roku-i no jō | |
| Junior Sixth Rank, Lower Grade | 従六位下 | ju roku-i no ge |
Seventh Rank
| English translation | Japanese text | Romanized Japanese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Seventh Rank, Upper Grade | 正七位上 | shō shichi-i no jō | |
| Senior Seventh Rank, Lower Grade | 正七位下 | shō shichi-i no ge | |
| Junior Seventh Rank, Upper Grade | 従七位上 | ju shichi-i no jō | |
| Junior Seventh Rank, Lower Grade | 従七位下 | ju shichi-i no ge |
Eighth Rank
| English translation | Japanese text | Romanized Japanese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Eighth Rank, Upper Grade | 正八位上 | shō hachi-i no jō | |
| Senior Eighth Rank, Lower Grade | 正八位下 | shō hachi-i no ge | |
| Junior Eighth Rank, Upper Grade | 従八位上 | ju hachi-i no jō | |
| Junior Eighth Rank, Lower Grade | 従八位下 | ju hachi-i no ge |
Initial Rank
| English translation | Japanese text | Romanized Japanese | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Initial Rank, Upper Grade | 大初位上 | dai sho-i no jō | |
| Greater Initial Rank, Lower Grade | 大初位下 | dai sho-i no ge | |
| Lesser Initial Rank, Upper Grade | 少初位上 | shō sho-i no jō | |
| Lesser Initial Rank, Lower Grade | 少初位下 | shō sho-i no ge |
Court positions
- Councilor (参議, sangi)
- Lieutenant of the Right Division of Inner Palace Guards (右近衛将監, ukon'e no shōgen)
- Lieutenant of the Left Division of Inner Palace Guards (左近衛将監, sakon'e no shōgen)
- Chamberlain (蔵人, kurōdo)[1]
- Provisional Assistant Master of the Left Military Guard (左兵衛権佐, sahyō'e gon no suke)
- Assistant Chamberlain (次侍従, ji-jijū)
- Provisional Minor Captain of the Left Division of Inner Palace Guards (左近衛権少将, sakon'e gon no shōshō)
- Captain of the Right Division of the Bureau of Horses (右馬頭, migi no uma no kami)
- Provisional Middle Captain of the Right Division of Inner Palace Guards (右近衛権中将, ukon'e no gon no chūjō)
- Provisional Governor (権守, gon no kami)
- Head Chamberlain (蔵人頭, kurōdo no tō, or kurōdo no kami)
- Assistant Head of Left Military Guards (左兵衛佐, sahyōe no suke)
- Senior Counselor (大納言, dainagon)
- Provisional Senior Counselor (権大納言, gon-dainagon)
- Controller of the Left (左大弁, sadaiben)
- Imperial Tutor or Reader (侍読, jidoku)
- Palace Assistant (中宮亮, chūgū-no-suke)
- Grand Empress (皇太后, kōtaigō)
Hereditary titles
Mahito (真人)
Ason (朝臣)
Sukune (宿禰)
Imiki (忌寸)
Michinoshi (道師)
Omi (臣)
Muraji (連)
Inagi (稲置)
Tomo no Miyatsuko (伴造)
Momoamariyaso no Tomo (百八十部)
Kuni no miyatsuko (国造)
Agatanushi (県主)
References
^ The Tale of Genji: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)
