Omar Bennett
The Meiji Constitution, enacted in 1890, was the constitution of the Empire of Japan. It was proclaimed in 1889 and remained in force until 1947, when it was replaced by a new constitution based on Western-style liberal democracy. The Meiji Constitution was the result of the Meiji Restoration, a political revolution that restored the emperor to power, and it provided for a mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, with the emperor as head of state and the prime minister as the actual head of government. The Meiji Constitution was influenced by Western constitutions, particularly the German and British models, and it established a bicameral parliament with an elected lower house and a prime minister and cabinet appointed by the emperor. The organizational structure of the Diet reflected Prussian and British influences, with a House of Representatives and a House of Peers. The second chapter of the Meiji Constitution, which detailed the rights of citizens, also resembled similar articles in contemporary European and North American constitutions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Organizational structure | Prussian and British influences |
| Second chapter | Resemblance to similar articles in both European and North American constitutions of the day |
| Form of government | Mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy |
| Based on | German and British models |
| Civil rights | Allowed, but subject to limitation by law |
| Voting rights | Limited, with only 1.1% of the population eligible to vote for the Diet; universal manhood suffrage was established in 1925 |
| Bicameral parliament | Yes, with an elected lower house and a prime minister and cabinet appointed by the emperor |
| Power of the executive branch | Limited |
| Judiciary | Independent |
| Influence | Western patterns of development |
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What You'll Learn
- The Meiji Constitution was a mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, similar to the German and British models
- The organizational structure of the Diet reflected Prussian and British influences
- The Meiji Constitution was flexible, allowing for considerable change, like Western constitutions
- The Meiji Constitution was presented as a gift from the Emperor to the people, with the Emperor remaining sovereign, similar to European monarchies
- The Meiji Constitution's second chapter, detailing citizens' rights, resembled similar articles in European and North American constitutions
The Meiji Constitution was a mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, similar to the German and British models
The Meiji Constitution was enacted in 1889, after the Meiji Restoration in 1868. It provided for a form of mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, based on the German and British models. The Meiji oligarchy viewed democracy and republicanism with suspicion and favoured a gradualist approach. The Meiji Constitution was the product of this conservative ideology.
The Meiji Restoration provided Japan with a form of constitutional monarchy based on the Prusso-German model, in which the Emperor was an active ruler and held significant political power over foreign policy and diplomacy, sharing power with an elected Imperial Diet. The Meiji Constitution established clear limits on the power of the executive branch and the Emperor, creating an independent judiciary. The Emperor of Japan, in theory, governed the empire with the advice of his ministers, but in practice, the Emperor was the head of state while the Prime Minister was the actual head of government.
The organizational structure of the Diet reflected both Prussian and British influences. The inclusion of the House of Representatives as the lower house and the House of Peers as the upper house resembled the Prussian Herrenhaus and the British House of Lords. The Meiji Constitution also included a formal Speech from the Throne delivered by the Emperor on Opening Day, similar to the British system. The second chapter of the Meiji Constitution, which detailed the rights of citizens, was also similar to articles in both European and North American constitutions of that time.
The Meiji Constitution was replaced by a new constitution after World War II, which established a parliamentary system of government and reduced the role of the Emperor to a ceremonial position as the symbol of the state.
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The organizational structure of the Diet reflected Prussian and British influences
The Meiji Constitution was the constitution of the Empire of Japan, proclaimed on February 11, 1889, and remained in force from November 29, 1890, until May 2, 1947. The organizational structure of the Diet, or the National Diet of Japan, reflected Prussian and British influences. The Diet was a bicameral parliament with a lower and upper house, resembling the British House of Lords and the Prussian Herrenhaus. The lower house, or the House of Representatives, was elected, while the upper house, or the House of Peers, was appointed by the emperor, along with the prime minister and cabinet. The emperor held supreme control of the army and navy.
The term 'diet' in this context refers to a formal deliberative assembly or legislature. The National Diet of Japan was a new representative assembly that convened on the day the Meiji Constitution came into force. The structure of the Diet was influenced by both Prussian and British models, with the inclusion of two houses, a lower and an upper house, as well as a formal speech from the throne delivered by the emperor on the opening day.
The Meiji Constitution provided for a mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, based on German and British models. The emperor of Japan governed the empire with the advice of his ministers, but in practice, the emperor was the head of state, while the prime minister was the head of government. The prime minister and his cabinet were not necessarily chosen from the elected members of parliament. The constitution also included a chapter detailing the rights of citizens, which resembled similar articles in European and North American constitutions of that time.
The Meiji Constitution was significant in the history of Japan as it defined Japan as a modern nation deserving of Western respect, while also preserving the power of the emperor and the genro (elder statesmen). The constitution was replaced by a new document after World War II, which established a form of Western-style liberal democracy.
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The Meiji Constitution was flexible, allowing for considerable change, like Western constitutions
The Meiji Constitution was flexible, allowing for considerable change, much like Western constitutions. This flexibility was evident in how the Meiji Constitution facilitated a shift away from autocracy in the 1890s, towards a British-style parliamentary democracy in the 1920s, and eventually, a system dominated by the military and influenced by European fascism in the 1930s and during World War II.
The Meiji Constitution's adaptability was due in part to its ambiguous language regarding the relationships between major governmental institutions, such as the cabinet and the Diet. This ambiguity allowed for a power struggle between government leaders and their opponents, who sought to gain control of the cabinet. The Meiji Constitution also established a mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, with the Emperor as head of state and the Prime Minister as the actual head of government, creating tensions between democratic and authoritarian tendencies.
The Meiji Constitution's flexibility extended to civil rights and civil liberties, which were guaranteed but subject to limitation by law. For example, free speech, freedom of association, and freedom of religion were restricted by laws, and the interpretation of these freedoms was left to government leaders and political parties. The Meiji Constitution's flexibility in this regard allowed for a struggle between authoritarian and liberal-democratic tendencies within the government.
The drafting of the Meiji Constitution was influenced by Western constitutions, particularly those of Prussia and Britain. The organizational structure of the Diet, Japan's new representative assembly, reflected Prussian and British influences, with a lower House of Representatives and an upper House of Peers. The Meiji Constitution's second chapter, detailing citizens' rights, also resembled similar articles in contemporary European and North American constitutions.
The Meiji Constitution's flexibility allowed Japan to navigate a rapidly changing political landscape, both domestically and internationally. However, its ambiguity and the tensions between democratic and authoritarian tendencies ultimately led to its replacement by a new constitution after World War II, which stated that "sovereign power resides with the people."
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The Meiji Constitution was presented as a gift from the Emperor to the people, with the Emperor remaining sovereign, similar to European monarchies
The Meiji Constitution was a constitution of the Empire of Japan, proclaimed in 1889 and enacted in 1890. It remained in force until 1946 or 1947, when it was replaced by a new constitution. The Meiji Constitution was presented as a gift from the Emperor to the people, with the Emperor remaining sovereign, similar to European monarchies.
The Meiji Constitution was the result of the Meiji Restoration, a political revolution that "restored" the Emperor to power." The Meiji reformers brought the Emperor and Shinto, Japan's native religion, to national prominence. The Emperor was considered sacred and inviolable, descended from the sun goddess and the gods who created Japan, and thus semi-divine. The Meiji Constitution established the Emperor as the head of state, with the Prime Minister as the actual head of government. The Emperor's sovereignty was limited by the constitution, which established clear limits on the power of the executive branch and created an independent judiciary.
The organizational structure of the Diet, or parliament, reflected both Prussian and British influences. The Diet consisted of a House of Representatives as the lower house and a House of Peers as the upper house, resembling the British House of Lords and the Prussian Herrenhaus. The second chapter of the Meiji Constitution, which detailed the rights of citizens, also bore a resemblance to similar articles in European and North American constitutions of the time.
The Meiji Constitution provided for a form of mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, based on German and British models. The Emperor governed the empire with the advice of his ministers, and the Prime Minister and Cabinet were not necessarily chosen from the elected members of parliament. The Meiji Constitution was flexible, allowing for considerable change, but was criticized for enabling undemocratic patterns of political behavior. It left ambiguous the relationship between several major institutions of government, such as the cabinet and the Diet.
The Meiji Constitution was replaced after World War II, when the Empire of Japan was deprived of sovereignty by the Allies. The new constitution stated that "sovereign power resides with the people," marking a shift towards a Western-style liberal democracy.
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The Meiji Constitution's second chapter, detailing citizens' rights, resembled similar articles in European and North American constitutions
The Meiji Constitution, enacted in 1890, was the constitution of the Empire of Japan. It was proclaimed in 1889, following the Meiji Restoration in 1868, and remained in force until 1947. The Meiji Constitution was replaced by a new constitution during the Allied Occupation of Japan after World War II.
The Meiji Constitution was the result of Japan's leaders' desire to create a constitution that would define Japan as a modern nation deserving of Western respect. The Meiji leaders created a civic ideology centred around the emperor, who was viewed as a symbol of Japanese culture and historical continuity. The Meiji Constitution established a mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, with the emperor as head of state and the prime minister as the actual head of government.
The second chapter of the Meiji Constitution, which detailed the rights of citizens, resembled similar articles in European and North American constitutions. This chapter established clear limits on the power of the executive branch and the emperor, and it created an independent judiciary. Civil rights and civil liberties were guaranteed, although they were often subject to limitation by law. For example, free speech, freedom of association, and freedom of religion were limited by laws.
The organizational structure of the Diet, or the representative assembly, reflected both Prussian and British influences. The Diet consisted of a lower House of Representatives and an upper House of Peers, resembling the Prussian Herrenhaus and the British House of Lords, respectively. The Meiji Constitution also provided for a form of bicameralism, with the lower house being elected by a small popular electorate defined by wealth.
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Frequently asked questions
The Meiji Constitution was the constitution of the Empire of Japan, proclaimed in 1889 and in force from 1890 to 1947.
The Meiji Constitution established a mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, with the Emperor as head of state and the Prime Minister as the actual head of government.
The Meiji Constitution was influenced by Western models, particularly the German and British systems. It established a bicameral parliament, known as the Diet, with an elected lower house and an appointed upper house, resembling the Prussian and British models. The second chapter of the constitution, which outlined citizens' rights, was also similar to contemporary European and North American constitutions.
After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Japan sought to modernise and define itself as a capable, modern nation deserving of Western respect. The Meiji leaders created a civic ideology centred around the Emperor, using Shinto symbolism to unite the nation in response to Western influences.
