Kuge
The kuge (公家) was a Japanese aristocratic class which dominated the Japanese court in Kyoto until the rise of the Shogunate in the 12th century at which point it was eclipsed by the daimyo.
It still provided a weak court around the Emperor, and at the Meiji restoration it was merged in 1869 with the daimyo to form a single aristocratic group, the kazoku. The highest members of the kuge class were known as kanpaku, acting as imperial regents; this was restricted to members of the Fujiwara family.
Others associated with the kuge included Buddhist priests, Kyoto cultural patrons, geisha, and actors.
