1.
court noble, court aristocrat
A member of the imperial court nobility in pre-modern Japan. The kuge held positions at the imperial court and were distinguished from the buke (warrior class). Their influence peaked during the Heian period and gradually declined as warrior governments took power.
Usage
公家 is contrasted with 武家 (warrior/samurai class). The 公家 tradition was centered in Kyoto around the imperial court, while 武家 power was based in Kamakura and later Edo.
After the Meiji Restoration, many 公家 families were incorporated into the new 華族 (peerage) system.
The word is sometimes read as こうけ, but くげ is the standard reading.