Refers to the person who inherits the family headship and estate, especially in pre-modern Japan.
family estate; inheritance
The property, wealth, and rights passed down to the heir; often used in historical contexts.
headship of a family
Historical term for the position or status of being the family head, including authority over the household.
He succeeded as heir and became the head of the family.
Inheriting the family estate came with various obligations.
In the Edo period, the headship of the family was typically inherited by the eldest son.
succession to family headship
From Middle Chinese-derived elements 家 (house/family) and 督 (supervise/lead). The term was adopted into Japanese to denote the headship and inheritance system of the ie (家) family structure.