It includes four families of Sanjo (due to the achievement of Sanetomi SANJO), Iwakura (due to the achievement of Tomomi IWAKURA), Shimazu (of the former Kagoshima Domain) and Mori (of the former Choshu Domain), and in addition three more families of Saionji which were later promoted from the rank of Marquis (due to the achievement of Kinmochi SAIONJI), Tokudaiji (due to the achievement of Sanetsune TOKUDAIJI) and Mito-Tokugawa (due to the achievement of Atsuyoshi TOKUGAWA).
三条家（三条実美の功績）、岩倉家（岩倉具視の功績）、島津家（旧鹿児島藩家）、毛利家（旧長州藩家）の4家がこれにあたり、後年侯爵から陞爵した西園寺家（西園寺公望の功績）、徳大寺家（徳大寺実則の功績）、水戸徳川家（徳川篤敬の功績）の3家もこれに含めて考えられる。