List of Japanese court ranks, positions and hereditary titles
Currently, the Japanese court ranks and titles are among the types of honours conferred to those who have held government posts for a long time and to those who have made distinguished achievements.It is conferred mainly on a very limited number of persons recognized by the Imperial Court as most loyal to the nation during that era.[6] The Fourth Rank is divided into Senior and Junior, and each is subdivided into Upper (上, jō) and Lower (下, ge) Grades.The Initial Rank (初位, sho-i) is divided into Greater (大, dai) and Lesser (少, shō), and each is subdivided into Upper and Lower Grades.The Senior Third Rank (正三位) is posthumously conferred mainly on civilians who are recognized as having done the most for the nation's development, such as founders of large companies and the novelists and artists who represented Japan.[6] In the era when the Ritsuryo system was in place, the official position in the court and ikai of bureaucrats were closely related.Associate Counselors (参議, sangi) required the Senior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade (正四位下, shō shi-i no ge).A hereditary title was conferred by an Emperor on an Imperial family member, a noble, or a clan under the kabane system to signify his political and social status.