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The structure and size of the Imperial Family changed after WWII. Before that time, there were numerous imperial princes and princesses, many of whom belonged to the Imperial Family's cadet or collateral branches. After the war, the occupying allies wanted to reduce the Imperial Family's size, partly to limit the amount of money that they would receive from the government. The result was the 1947 Imperial Household Law which narrowed the legal definition of the Imperial Family. Under its terms, only the legitimate descendants of an emperor in the legitimate male line had imperial status. The result was that only the immediate family of Emperor Hirohito (or Showa) and his three brothers had imperial status. Everyone else, especially those in the junior, collateral branches of the Imperial Family, would lose their imperial rank and become ordinary tax-paying citizens. Neither they nor their children were part of the Imperial Family anymore. The 1947 Imperial Household law also stated that any females who married outside of the family lost their imperial rank; both they and their descendants would become tax-paying commoners without any imperial privileges or rights.
Of course, former aristocratic families' descendants remain proud of their heritage and keep archives for their genealogy.
The newborn prince is the only one who is entitled to carry on the Imperial family tradition. (Boy, will he have a hard time finding a marriage partner!)
The Japanese copied the European nobility system during the Meiji Restoration (there isn't much they haven't managed to copy one way or another), but this system was abolished by the Americans after WWII because they were jealous of having no nobility themselves.
Koushaku (公爵) : Duke/Prince
Koushaku (侯爵) : Marquess
Hakushaku : Earl/Count
Shishaku : Viscount
Danshaku : Baron
Naitoshaku : Knight
I think quite a lot of Japanese families claim roots to a samurai or a noble.
epigene said:These titles of nobility were used only from the Meiji Period until they were scrapped by the Allied Powers following WWII.
AFAIK, there were only 5 titles and "naitoshaku" is not one of them. Also, "naito-shaku" is more commonly known as "kishi"(騎士)and is used only to refer to the British title of "knight" used in the UK.
Nobility from Meiji to the end of WWII was called "Kazoku" (華族).
The 華 of 華族 means "Chinese". What is the connection with China ?
No, it is not even if they are cousin.One question,is it a taboo to marrying someone with same family name in Japanese culture ?
Cousins are allowed to marry under Japanese law, having the same surname is not a serious problem unless they are closely related.In the ancient and feudal days, such intermarriages happened in noble families for political purposes.