noun
status of a subject; subjecthood
Historical term referring to the legal status of being a subject of the emperor, as opposed to a member of the imperial family. Used in contexts such as 臣籍降下 (しんせきこうか, demotion from imperial to subject status).
戦後、皇族の一部は臣籍に降下した。
After the war, some members of the imperial family were demoted to subject status.
臣籍降下の制度は、現在の皇室典範にも規定されている。
The system of demotion from imperial to subject status is also stipulated in the current Imperial House Law.
Compound of 臣 (しん, 'subject, retainer') and 籍 (せき, 'register, status'). The term originated in the context of the pre-war Japanese imperial system.