noun
Imperial countenance; face of the Emperor
Honorific term for the face of the Japanese Emperor. Used in formal or historical contexts; not for ordinary people.
拝謁の際、竜顔を拝した。
At the audience, I was granted the honor of seeing the Imperial countenance.
Traditional kanji form using 龍; also valid but less common in modern Japanese.
Compound of 竜 (dragon, a symbol of the Emperor) and 顔 (face). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it follows a pattern of honorific terms using 竜 for imperial matters.