華族(かぞく)

かぞく
noun
the peerage (1869–1947); peer
historysociety
1. the Japanese peerage (1869–1947); a peer
The hereditary nobility created in the Meiji era from the former court nobles and feudal lords, later joined by statesmen and others honored for service. It was abolished under the postwar constitution in 1947.
祖父(そふ)は華族(かぞく)だった。
My grandfather was a peer.
華族(かぞく)の屋敷(やしき)が今(いま)も残(のこ)っている。
A peer's mansion still stands today.
戦後(せんご)、華族(かぞく)制度(せいど)は廃止(はいし)された。
After the war, the peerage system was abolished.

From 1884 the peers held five ranks: 公爵(こうしゃく) (prince or duke), 侯爵(こうしゃく) (marquis), 伯爵(はくしゃく) (count), 子爵(ししゃく) (viscount), and 男爵(だんしゃく) (baron). Peers sat in the House of Peers (貴族院(きぞくいん)) of the prewar Diet.

Common collocations

Watch out

  • 家族(かぞく): family — the everyday word with the same reading; 華族(かぞく) appears only in historical contexts
general
Added 2026.10.10 21:20 · Revised 2026.10.10 21:23
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