Meaning
勅 means imperial edict or imperial command — a formal proclamation issued directly by the Emperor of Japan. These were not requests. A 勅 was legally and spiritually binding on all who received it, with no grounds for refusal.
The character pairs 束 (to bind) with 力 (power). The logic is direct: imperial authority gathered and concentrated into one unbreakable command.
Imperial edicts shaped Japanese law, education, and governance for centuries. Three stand out in the modern era. The 教育勅語 (Imperial Rescript on Education, 1890) defined national ethics and dominated public life until 1945. Before it, the 軍人勅諭 (1882) set the moral code for the military. At the war's end, the 終戦の詔書 (1945) announced Japan's surrender.
勅 has 9 strokes and sits at grade 8 in the Jōyō kanji list. Its JLPT N1 classification reflects how rarely it appears in everyday speech — but open a historical text, academic paper, or pre-war legal document and you will find it often.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
チョク (choku) — The only on'yomi, used consistently across every modern compound involving imperial edicts, appointments, and formal documents.
勅令 (chokurei) — imperial ordinance; a legally binding decree issued in the Emperor's name
勅使 (chokushi) — imperial envoy; dispatched to carry the Emperor's message
勅語 (chokugo) — imperial rescript; a written proclamation issued by the Emperor on matters of national importance
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
勅 has no standard kun'yomi in modern Japanese. Classical texts occasionally used みことのり (mikotonori) — roughly meaning the revered words of an august being — but this reading belongs to specialized literary study. N1 learners should focus entirely on チョク.
Common Words & Compounds
Nearly all compounds built on 勅 relate to imperial authority, official edicts, and formal governance in historical Japan.
Imperial Commands and Declarations
- 勅令 (chokurei) — imperial ordinance; legally binding decrees used extensively in the Meiji and Taishō eras
- 勅命 (chokumei) — imperial command; a direct order from the Emperor carrying the highest possible authority
- 勅語 (chokugo) — imperial rescript; a written proclamation in which the Emperor addresses the nation on a matter of state
- 詔勅 (shōchoku) — collective term covering all categories of formal imperial proclamations and commands
- 勅諚 (chokujō) — imperial rescript; a ceremonial expression of the Emperor's will on a specific matter
Imperial Personnel and Appointments
- 勅使 (chokushi) — imperial envoy; officially dispatched to carry the Emperor's message or represent the throne at a ceremony
- 勅任 (chokuNin) — imperial appointment; the act of the Emperor directly naming a senior official to a position of high trust
Imperial Documents and Cultural Works
- 勅書 (chokusho) — imperial letter; a written communication bearing the Emperor's seal, often addressed to foreign rulers or high officials
- 勅撰 (chokusen) — imperially commissioned compilation; most famously applied to poetry anthologies like the 古今和歌集
- 勅版 (chokuban) — an imperially sponsored edition of a literary or scholarly work
Key Historical Compound
- 教育勅語 (kyōiku chokugo) — the Imperial Rescript on Education (1890); one of the most consequential documents in modern Japanese history, shaping national ethics for over fifty years
Example Sentences
天皇は勅命を下した。
Tennō wa chokumei wo kudashita.
The Emperor issued an imperial command.
明治時代には多くの勅令が発布された。
Meiji jidai ni wa ōku no chokurei ga happu sareta.
Many imperial ordinances were promulgated during the Meiji period.
勅使が京都から江戸へと向かった。
Chokushi ga Kyōto kara Edo e to mukatta.
The imperial envoy traveled from Kyoto to Edo.
教育勅語は1890年に発布された。
Kyōiku Chokugo wa 1890-nen ni happu sareta.
The Imperial Rescript on Education was promulgated in 1890.
詔勅は天皇の意志を直接表すものだ。
Shōchoku wa tennō no ishi wo chokusetsu arawasu mono da.
Imperial edicts directly express the will of the Emperor.
その勅書には国宝級の文化的価値がある。
Sono chokusho ni wa kokuhō-kyū no bunkateki kachi ga aru.
That imperial document has cultural value on par with a national treasure.
勅撰和歌集は天皇の命令で編まれた歌集だ。
Chokusen wakashū wa tennō no meirei de amareta kashū da.
Imperial waka anthologies were poetry collections compiled by the Emperor's command.
歴史の授業で勅令についての資料を読んだ。
Rekishi no jugyō de chokurei ni tsuite no shiryō wo yonda.
I read materials about imperial ordinances in history class.
勅語の内容は当時の社会に大きな影響を与えた。
Chokugo no naiyō wa tōji no shakai ni ōkina eikyō wo ataeta.
The content of the imperial rescript had a significant influence on society at the time.
Memory Tip
Break 勅 into its two parts: 束 (to bind) on the left, 力 (power) on the right. Picture the Emperor rolling all his authority into a sealed scroll — every bit of imperial power bound into one document. That scroll is the 勅. Once unrolled and read aloud, no one dared refuse. Bundle (束) + force (力) = imperial edict (勅).