also: くげしゅ
court nobles; courtiers; people of the Imperial Court
Collective term for the kuge, the aristocratic class serving the Imperial Court in pre-modern Japan. Often contrasted with 武家衆 (buke-shū), the warrior class.
See also: 武家衆
The court nobles participated in the ceremonies of the Imperial Court.
During the Warring States period, interaction between the court nobles and the warrior class increased.
Standard kanji spelling for the collective term for court nobles.
Alternate reading; less common than くげしゅう.
Compound of 公家 (kuge, 'court noble') and 衆 (shū, 'group of people'). The reading くげしゅ is a variant, possibly influenced by the on'yomi of 衆.