Taifu

''Taifu'' (大夫) was a noble title in Japan, denoting a court rank between First Rank and Fifth Rank under the ''Ritsuryō'' system. It was also commonly used to refer to a holder of Fifth Rank, but also for holders of Fourth and Fifth Rank, to differentiate from holders of First, Second and Third Rank, collectively known as ''kugyō''.

History

In the ancient Yamato period Japan, the title was used to refer to a close attendant of the Emperor or Okimi. Prior to the Taika Reform in 645, a government official below ''Ōomi'' and ''Ōmuraji'' of the same name was called ''Maetsugimi'', whose duty was to submit matters to the Emperor.

According to the ''kushiki-ryō'' of the ''ritsuryō'' law, a ''Taifu'' holds a court rank of Third Rank or higher in the Great Council of State, a court rank of Fourth Rank in a government institution above a bureau, and a court rank of Fifth Rank or higher as a ''shi'' (official in a government department beneath a bureau) or in a ''chūgoku'' (a province of the second highest rank) or lower.

Although ''Taifu'' is the collective honorary title denoting a court rank between First Rank and Fifth Rank, holders of high-ranking court ranks above Third Rank were referred to as ''kugyō'', and thus ''Taifu'' became commonly used for holders of Fourth and Fifth Rank. As ''Taifu'' is an honorary title, the title was in heavy use for the holders of Fifth Rank, which ultimately led to ''Taifu'' colloquially becoming synonymous with Fifth Rank.

Despite Fifth Rank being the lowest rank for peerage, for regional samurai with no illustrious lineage, conferring a peerage and being awarded the title of ''Taifu'' was glorious.

In the Edo period, the top-ranking samurai officials and advisors, ''karō'', were called ''taifu''. A similar title seen in ancient Zhou China as an official rank called 大夫 (''dàfū''), which ranked below 卿 (''qīng'') and above 士 (''shì''), was taken from the Zhou Chinese system, and of which the Japanized form ''taifu'' was used for the ''hatamoto''.

At the Ise Grand Shrine, the deputy senior priest, ''gonnegi'', holding the court rank of Fifth Rank is called ''Taifu''.

Pronunciation

Although the kana form of the title is "''taifu''", in modern Japanese the pronunciation would be "''tayū''".

The government office of the same name (but pronounced ''daibu'') referred to the director of a government agency (''shiki'') or a government office (''bō''), such as High Steward of the Right Capital District (''Ukyō no Daibu'') and Director of the Crown Prince's Quarters (''Tōgū no Daibu''). This pronunciation was to differentiate from the Vice-Minister of the eight ministries with the same pronunciation but different ''kanji'' writing form (大輔).

Other usages

As Fifth Rank was seen as the entrance to peerage for the commoners and low-ranking samurai alike, it became a popular word for a distinguished person. As a result, many respectable figures in entertainment such as leading actors, entertainers, priests and prostitutes began to be dubbed with this title.

For example, in kabuki theater, the leading female role actor (''tateoyama'') is referred to as ''tayū'', and in '' sarugaku'' theater, the leader of a troupe is called ''tayū''. In Shinto, a priest who practices rituals through performing arts is called ''tayū''. In ''jōruri'' narrative music, the singer is called ''tayū''. Among government permitted prostitutes, the highest rank, ''matsu'', was also called ''tayū''.

In the modern times, similar usage of ''tayū'' exists in Japanese street performance, ''kadozuke'' (performance at the gate of a house), and ''manzai''.

See also

* ''Kugyō''
* '' Omi''
* Scholar-official (China)

References

{{Reflist

Japanese historical terms
Titles
Japanese nobility