太政官

• Reading: だじょうかん
• Romaji: Dajō-kan
• Kanji breakdown: 太 (dai/tai/futo) — great, supreme; 政 (sei/matsurigoto) — governance, administration; 官 (kan) — government office, official
• Pronunciation: /da.dʑoː.kaɴ/

Meaning

Grand Council of State. The supreme governing body of Japan from the Nara period through to 1885, when it was replaced by the modern cabinet system.

The 太政官 was the highest administrative organ under the Ritsuryō (律令) system of government. It was revived during the early Meiji period (1868–1885) as the primary executive body before the establishment of the cabinet (内閣) under Itō Hirobumi. The Grand Minister of State (太政大臣) was its highest office. Primarily a historical and academic term today.

Examples

1. 太政官は律令制において最高の行政機関として機能した。 The Grand Council of State functioned as the highest administrative organ under the Ritsuryō system.
2. 明治初期、太政官布告によって多くの近代的制度が導入された。 In the early Meiji period, many modern institutions were introduced through Grand Council of State proclamations.
3. 1885年の内閣制度発足により太政官は廃止された。 The Grand Council of State was abolished with the establishment of the cabinet system in 1885.

Usage Guide

Context: history, Japanese government, Meiji era, academia

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 太政 (great governance; 太 = great, 政 = governance) and 官 (government office, official). The supreme organ of state governance in the ancient Japanese system.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient–Meiji

Generation: All ages (historical context)

Social background: Universal