hereditary social class (1869-1947)
Historical term for the class system used in Japan from 1869 to 1947, which included categories such as 華族 (peerage), 士族 (former samurai), and 平民 (commoners).
The hereditary social classes of the Meiji period included the peerage, former samurai, and commoners.
From 族 (family, tribe, class) and 称 (name, designation). The term was used historically to refer to the hereditary social class designations in Japan.