noun
Refers to the person who inherits the family headship and estate, especially in pre-modern Japan.
彼は家督を継いで、一族の長となった。
He succeeded as heir and became the head of the family.
noun
family estate; inheritance
The property, wealth, and rights passed down to the heir; often used in historical contexts.
家督を相続するには、さまざまな義務が伴った。
Inheriting the family estate came with various obligations.
noun
headship of a family
Historical term for the position or status of being the family head, including authority over the household.
江戸時代には、家督は長男が継ぐのが一般的だった。
In the Edo period, the headship of the family was typically inherited by the eldest son.
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.