詔勅

• Reading: しょうちょく
• Romaji: shōchoku
• Kanji breakdown: 詔 (shō) — imperial proclamation; 勅 (choku) — imperial command
• Pronunciation: /ɕoː.tɕo.kɯ/

Meaning

Imperial edict; imperial rescript. A formal proclamation or command issued in the name of the emperor.

A formal noun referring to official communications from the Emperor, including 詔 (formal edicts to the nation) and 勅 (commands to officials). Under the Meiji Constitution, imperial rescripts carried the force of law; the most famous is the 教育勅語 (Imperial Rescript on Education, 1890). Under the postwar constitution, the emperor's formal acts are purely ceremonial.

Examples

1. 明治天皇は近代化を推進する詔勅を発した。 Emperor Meiji issued imperial rescripts promoting modernisation.
2. 終戦の詔勅がラジオで読み上げられ、国民は静かに耳を傾けた。 The imperial rescript announcing the end of the war was read aloud on the radio, and the people listened in silence.
3. 詔勅の形式と内容は時代とともに大きく変化してきた。 The form and content of imperial rescripts changed greatly over the course of history.

Usage Guide

Context: imperial history, constitutional law, Meiji era studies

Tone: formal

Origin & History

A combination of 詔 (shō) meaning 'imperial proclamation to all people' and 勅 (choku) meaning 'imperial command to officials.' Together they encompass the full range of imperial edicts.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji–Showa

Generation: Historians and legal scholars

Social background: Academic