Eishi (guards) (衛士)
衛士 (eishi or eji)
Under the ritsuryo system eishi were soldiers who came up to Kyoto in rotation from gundan (army corps) in various districts as guards of the Imperial Court mainly during the period when gundan were formed in various districts.
Under the ritsuryo system it was a name of a soldier posted in the gundan or a person from gundan in various districts who was posted in rotation in the emonfu (officials section) or the ejifu (guards section) and acted as guards in the Imperial Court.
It also became a name of a group of men of loyalty and courage such as a group of goryo-eji that guarded the Imperial Court at the Bakumatsu (end of the samurai period).
A person who guarded the Ise Jingu Shrine and the Atsuta Shrine.
Refer to 'Jingu-eji.'
An elegant name of an Imperial Palace guard and so on. The term is used mainly in composing waka (Japanese poems).
It is a title, 'Gin no eji,' given to a person who finished 'Gin no Eji Course' in Ginjo Sake Daigaku-ko run by the Japan Ginjo Sake Association.
衛視 (eishi)
A Diet staffer who exercises the police power in the Japanese Diet Building.
Refer to 'Eishi.'