noun
imperial subject
Historical term for a subject of the Empire of Japan, used in legal and political contexts before 1947.
戦前の日本では、人々は帝国臣民とされていた。
In prewar Japan, people were considered imperial subjects.
国民 is the modern term for 'citizen' or 'national', while 帝国臣民 specifically refers to subjects under the imperial system.
Compound of 帝国 (empire) and 臣民 (subject). The term reflects the prewar Japanese legal concept of subjects under the Emperor.