noun
ox-drawn coach; imperial carriage
A traditional ox-drawn carriage used by the imperial family and high-ranking nobles in the Heian period. Now mainly a historical or cultural term.
京都の時代祭では、御所車が練り歩く。
At Kyoto's Jidai Matsuri, ox-drawn coaches parade through the streets.
絵巻物には、貴族が乗る御所車が描
The picture scroll depicts an ox-drawn carriage ridden by nobles.
牛車 is a more general term for ox-drawn cart or carriage, while 御所車 specifically refers to the ornate carriages used by the imperial court.
Compound of 御所 (imperial palace) and 車 (carriage). The term refers to the ox-drawn carriages used by the imperial family and court nobles.