Twelve Level Cap and Rank System

, established in 603 AD, was the first of what would be several similar cap and rank systems established during the Asuka period of Japanese history. It was adapted from similar systems that were already in place in Sui dynasty China, Paekche and Goguryeo. The officials wore silk caps that were decorated with gold and silver, and a feather that indicated the official's rank. The ranks in the twelve level cap and rank system consisted of the greater and the lesser of each of the six Confucian virtues: , , , , and .

The twelve cap system was replaced in 647.

{| cellspacing="0" style="width:290px;background:#FFFFFF; border:1px solid gray"

| style="width:40px;height:30px;background:#FFFFFF;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;color:#000000" | Rank

| style="width:40px;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Kanji

| style="width:70px;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Romaji

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | English

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Color

|}

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| style="width:40px;height:30px;background:#800080;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF" | 1

| style="width:40px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | 大徳

| style="width:70px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Daitoku

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Greater Virtue

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Deep Purple

|}

{| cellspacing="0" style="width:290px;background:#CC99FF; border:1px solid gray"

| style="width:40px;height:30px;background:#CC99FF;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF" | 2

| style="width:40px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | 小徳

| style="width:70px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Shōtoku

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Lesser Virtue

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Light Purple

|}

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| style="width:40px;height:30px;background:#333399;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF" | 3

| style="width:40px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | 大仁

| style="width:70px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Daijin

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Greater Benevolence

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Deep Blue

|}

{| cellspacing="0" style="width:290px;background:#3366FF; border:1px solid gray"

| style="width:40px;height:30px;background:#3366FF;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF" | 4

| style="width:40px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | 小仁

| style="width:70px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Shōjin

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Lesser Benevolence

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Light Blue

|}

{| cellspacing="0" style="width:290px;background:#FF0000; border:1px solid gray"

| style="width:40px;height:30px;background:#FF0000;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF" | 5

| style="width:40px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | 大礼

| style="width:70px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Dairei

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Greater Propriety

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Deep Red

|}

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| style="width:40px;height:30px;background:#FF6600;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF" | 6

| style="width:40px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | 小礼

| style="width:70px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Shōrei

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Lesser Propriety

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Light Red

|}

{| cellspacing="0" style="width:290px;background:#FFFF00; border:1px solid gray"

| style="width:40px;height:30px;background:#FFFF00;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;color:#000000" | 7

| style="width:40px;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | 大信

| style="width:70px;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Daishin

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Greater Sincerity

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Deep Yellow

|}

{| cellspacing="0" style="width:290px;background:#FFFF99; border:1px solid gray"

| style="width:40px;height:30px;background:#FFFF99;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;color:#000000" | 8

| style="width:40px;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | 小信

| style="width:70px;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Shōshin

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Lesser Sincerity

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Light Yellow

|}

{| cellspacing="0" style="width:290px;background:#FFFFFF; border:1px solid gray"

| style="width:40px;height:30px;background:#FFFFFF;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;color:#000000" | 9

| style="width:40px;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | 大義

| style="width:70px;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Daigi

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Greater Justice

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Deep White

|}

{| cellspacing="0" style="width:290px;background:#DDDDDD; border:1px solid gray"

| style="width:40px;height:30px;background:#DDDDDD;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;color:#000000" | 10

| style="width:40px;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | 小義

| style="width:70px;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Shōgi

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Lesser Justice

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Light White

|}

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| style="width:40px;height:30px;background:#000000;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF" | 11

| style="width:40px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | 大智

| style="width:70px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Daichi

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Greater Knowledge

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Deep Black

|}

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| style="width:40px;height:30px;background:#808080;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF" | 12

| style="width:40px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | 小智

| style="width:70px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Shōchi

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Lesser Knowledge

| style="width:140px;font-size:10pt;color:#FFFFFF;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em" | Light Black

|}

References

de:Kan’i jūni kai