imperial loyalist; loyalist to the emperor
Historical term for someone loyal to the Japanese emperor, especially during the Bakumatsu and early Meiji periods. Often used in political or historical contexts.
He was known as an imperial loyalist and supported the emperor during the turbulent Bakumatsu period.
The imperial loyalists worked hard to establish the new government.
尊王家 also means 'imperial loyalist' and is closely related to the 尊王攘夷 (sonnō jōi) movement. 勤王家 emphasizes active service (勤) to the emperor, while 尊王家 emphasizes reverence (尊).
Standard kanji spelling for 'imperial loyalist'.
Variant spelling using 皇 (emperor) instead of 王 (king); less common but attested.
Compound of 勤 (kin, 'service') + 王 (ō, 'king') + 家 (ka, 'person'). Refers to a person who serves the emperor. The variant 勤皇家 uses 皇 (kō, 'emperor') instead of 王.