Warrior class (士族)
The warrior class was a status given to hatamoto (a direct vassal of the shogun) and high-ranking warriors of the Edo period after the Meiji Restoration. The status of those belonging to this class was described as 'the warrior class' in "Jinshin-koseki" (family registries in Jinshin). It was indicated in the family registries until the Civil Code was amended and the family system was abolished after World War II.
Summary
After the return of lands and people to the emperor in 1869, the status of those belonging to the clan was classified into the peerage (Chihanji such as a former daimyo (Japanese territorial lord) and the Tokugawa Shogun family), the warrior class (hatamoto (a direct vassal of the shogun), a feudal retainer of domain, and upper-ranking goshi (country samurai)), low-ranking samurai called sotsuzoku (keihai (a person of low rank) such as ashigaru (common foot soldier) and doshin (a police constable)). The warrior class was indicated in Jinshin-koseki (family registries in Jinshin) complied in 1872. According to a tally compiled at that time, the warrior class accounts for 3.9% of the total population.
In 1884 when a title was introduced to the peerage, Tomomi IWAKURA and others considered establishing a title for the warrior class. However, a title for the warrior class could not be established due to the complexity of adding another title to Gotoshaku (a five-rank peerage system), and through efforts made by genkun (the statesmen who contributed in the Meiji Restoration) who wanted to be treated as the peerage, like Court nobles and daimyo (Japanese territorial lords). Those who rendered distinguished service in the Meiji Restoration were raised to the Nobility of Merit (new nobility) from the warrior class (the peerage was privileged to become a member of the House of Peers through mutual vote).
From the Meiji period to the early Showa period, families through successive generations ｗere recorded in the same family register, including all the brothers, sisters, spouses, their children and grandchildren of those families over about four generations. Even after men got married, all the families of brothers were recorded in the same family register. Sisters who married into another's family were segregated from family registers, but never men. Segregation from family registers was limited to somewhat special occasions, and family registers usually recorded large families. Even if one was born to warrior-class parents, he or she was demoted to Heimin (a commoner) after being segregated from their family register. This also applied to the peerage. Takashi HARA, who became a Commoner Prime Minister in the Taisho period, came from a family of high-ranking warriors. Because the head of a family was exempt from conscription, he was segregated from the family register, became the head of a family and was admitted as a commoner.
Disorganization of the warrior class
The samurai class was obliged to participate in battle until the Edo period. On the other hand, samurai received horoku (salary), i.e. karoku (hereditary stipend), from his lord, and had privileges such as Myojitaito (the right to bear a surname and to wear a sword). These old privileges posed an impediment to the Meiji Government's policies like the equality of all people and modernization. The warrior class started to belong to the government due to the return of lands and people to the emperor in 1869. Because the supply of chitsuroku (hereditary stipend) to the warrior class was a serious financial burden, and a sense of feudalistic entitlement was detrimental to the establishment of the national army, the disorganization of the warrior class was a political issue.
Universal conscription was established through the enactment of conscription in 1873, and a decree banning the wearing of swords was issued in 1876. Chitsuroku-shobun (the Abolition Measure of Hereditary Stipend) was implemented in stages to abolish karoku (hereditary stipend). All people, not only those in the warrior class and affluent merchants and farmers, were allowed to have their surnames regardless of their titles (Kokumin kaisei). In addition, marriage between men and women of different classes and occupations started to be allowed.
The disorganization of the warrior class generated a large number of unemployed people. There were some who started working for the government and government agencies, or who became military men or teachers, but there were many who became impoverished without work. Those who started an unfamiliar business and failed in the business were ridiculed because of Shizoku no shoho (the former-samurai way of business). As government relief measures, Shizoku jusan was implemented to get them into the workforce. However, there were many that failed to succeed except ex-legionaries who moved to Hokkaido. Seikanron (a debate on the subjugation of Korea) advocated by Takamori SAIGO also intended to provide relief for unemployed former samurai. However, Saigo was defeated in a political fight, and retired from public life. Shizoku no hanran (a revolt by families or persons with samurai ancestors) was instigated by families or persons who were the ancestors of samurai and complained about the new government's policies in various parts of the country after the issue of a decree banning the wearing of swords, until 1877 when Seinan War, a revolt by families or persons with samurai ancestors in Satsuma, occurred. In addition, the Freedom and People's Rights Movement (also called Shizokuminken) was initiated mostly by fuhei shizoku (dissatisfied former samurai).
The description of the warrior class (warrior class of XX Prefecture) remained in resumes and social registers. They had somewhat honorable implications, and there also remained a tendency for pride in family lineage.
There were also many cases where gravestones read, 'Here lies samurai of XX Prefecture.'
The practice of describing one's status in family registers was abolished in 1914, and it was determined not to describe one's status after World War II when the Family Registration Law was amended, but the description of the status remained in original family registers. Because of this, when obtaining an official copy of the family register until around 1975, one was able to see the description of the warrior class.