During the Meiji period, in 1875, awarding of the medals for merit and the medals (next year, the medals were changed to the decoration) was instituted by virtue of the Grand Council Proclamation and the medals for merit were established to indicate the grade of the decoration from the First Order of Merit to the Eighth Order of Merit; and in 1876, the Supreme Order was established as the highest medal for merit by virtue of the imperial edict.
明治時代に入り、1875年（明治8年）に太政官布告に基づく勲等・賞牌（賞牌は翌年勲章に改称）の制度ができ、勲章の等級として勲等（勲一等から勲八等まで）が制定され、次いで翌1876年（明治9年）に詔書に基づく大勲位が、最上位の勲等として制定された。