Simone Lawson
The Meiji Constitution, adopted in 1889, was the constitution of the Empire of Japan. It was enacted after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, which saw the demise of the Tokugawa shogunate and the return of control to the emperor. The Meiji Constitution provided for a mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, with the emperor as the head of state and the prime minister as the actual head of government. The constitution established clear limits on the power of the executive branch and created an independent judiciary. Civil rights and civil liberties were permitted but could be limited by law. Voting restrictions limited the electorate to about 5% of the adult male population, and universal male suffrage was not established until 1925. The Meiji Constitution was replaced by a new constitution in 1946, which stated that sovereign power resides with the people.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Basis of the constitution | The Meiji Constitution was based on the German and British models of governance. |
| Sovereignty | Sovereignty resided in the person of the Emperor, by virtue of his divine ancestry. |
| Power of the Emperor | The Emperor was the head of state, with supreme control of the army and navy. |
| Power of the Prime Minister | The Prime Minister was the actual head of government and was appointed by the Emperor. |
| Voting rights | Voting restrictions limited the electorate to about 5% of the adult male population. |
| Civil rights | Civil rights and civil liberties were allowed, but they were subject to limitation by law. |
| Judiciary | An independent judiciary was created. |
| Executive power | The power of the executive branch was limited. |
| Bicameral parliament | A bicameral parliament, called the Diet, was established. |
| Cabinet | The Prime Minister and his Cabinet were not necessarily chosen from the elected members of parliament. |
| Taxation | Existing taxes were increased, and new taxes were imposed. |
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What You'll Learn
The Meiji Constitution established a bicameral parliament called the Diet
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. It was enacted after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, which saw the demise of the Tokugawa shogunate (military government) and the return of control of the country to direct imperial rule under Emperor Meiji.
The creation of the Diet was part of the establishment of a parliamentary system in Japan, which was based on the German and British models. The Meiji leaders wanted to create a constitution that would define Japan as a modern nation deserving of Western respect while preserving their own power. They chose the constitution of Imperial Germany (Prussia) as a model, as they believed the U.S. Constitution was too liberal and the British system gave too much power to Parliament.
The Meiji Constitution provided for a form of mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, with the emperor as the head of state and the prime minister as the actual head of government. The emperor was granted supreme control of the army and navy, and the constitution reinforced the emperor's power and divinity. The Diet, therefore, had limited power in practice, and the military became the most influential political actor in the 1920s.
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It was based on the German and British models of government
The Meiji Constitution was the constitution of the Empire of Japan, proclaimed in 1889, and remained in force from 1890 until 1947. It was enacted after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, which saw the final demise of the Tokugawa shogunate (military government) and, at least nominally, returned control of the country to direct imperial rule under Emperor Meiji. The Meiji Constitution was based on the German and British models of government, with the aim of defining Japan as a capable, modern nation deserving of Western respect while preserving the power of its leaders.
The Meiji Constitution established a mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, with the Emperor of Japan governing the empire in theory, while in practice, the Prime Minister was the head of government. The constitution specified that ministers were responsible to the emperor, not the Diet, and that the emperor had supreme control of the army and navy. The Meiji Constitution also established an independent judiciary and clear limits on the power of the executive branch.
The Meiji Oligarchs, as they were referred to, wrote a document called the Charter Oath, which outlined five principles for the role of citizens in the new government. These principles promoted freedom and unity for every person in Japan, but at the same time withheld certain freedoms, such as banning Christianity and prohibiting political parties, rioting, and bearing arms to protest the government.
The Meiji Constitution was flexible and allowed for considerable change. It left ambiguous the relationship between major institutions of government and was criticised for allowing undemocratic patterns of political behaviour. The constitution was replaced by the "Postwar Constitution" during the Allied occupation of Japan after World War II, with a new document stating that "sovereign power resides with the people".
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The Meiji Constitution preserved the power of the emperor
The Meiji Constitution was the constitution of the Empire of Japan, which was proclaimed on February 11, 1889, and remained in force from November 29, 1890, until May 2, 1947. It was enacted after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, which ended the Tokugawa shogunate (military government) and, at least nominally, returned control of the country to direct imperial rule under Emperor Meiji. The Meiji Constitution provided for a form of mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, based on the German and British models.
The Meiji Constitution also gave the emperor supreme control of the army and navy, with the ministers of the army and navy being active-duty officers who were responsible to the emperor. This effectively gave the military services a weapon to destroy a cabinet by having its minister resign. Additionally, the constitution specified that the prime minister and cabinet were appointed by the emperor and were responsible to him, not the Diet. The emperor was advised by a privy council composed of the Meiji genro, who wielded actual power.
While the Meiji Constitution preserved the power of the emperor, it also provided for a popularly elected parliament, although with limited voting restrictions. The Meiji Constitution was flexible and permitted considerable change, but it was also criticised for allowing undemocratic patterns of political behaviour. Overall, the Meiji Constitution helped to define Japan as a capable, modern nation deserving of Western respect while preserving the power of the emperor.
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It provided for a popularly elected parliament
The Meiji Constitution, adopted in 1889, was the constitution of the Empire of Japan. It was enacted after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, which saw the demise of the Tokugawa shogunate (military government) and the return of control of the country to direct imperial rule under Emperor Meiji. The Meiji Constitution provided for a form of mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, modelled after the German and British systems.
The Meiji Constitution established a bicameral parliament, called the Diet or Imperial Diet, which was to be elected through a limited voting franchise. The franchise was restricted to about 5% of the adult male population initially, with only 1.1% of the population eligible to vote for the Diet. However, these voting restrictions were loosened over the next 25 years, eventually resulting in universal male suffrage.
The Meiji Constitution provided for a popularly elected parliament, although the Prime Minister and his Cabinet were not necessarily chosen from the elected members of parliament. The constitution specified that the ministers were responsible to the Emperor, not the Diet, and that the Emperor was to govern with the advice of his ministers. The Emperor was granted supreme control of the army and navy, and the constitution reinforced his divine status and sovereignty.
The Meiji Constitution was flexible and permitted considerable change, but it was also criticised for allowing undemocratic patterns of political behaviour. It established clear limits on the power of the executive branch and created an independent judiciary. Civil rights and civil liberties were recognised, but they were subject to limitation by law. Free speech, freedom of association, and freedom of religion were restricted by laws, and certain freedoms, such as the right to bear arms, were withheld.
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The constitution allowed for civil rights and civil liberties
The Meiji Constitution was the constitution of the Empire of Japan, proclaimed on February 11, 1889, and remained in force between November 29, 1890, until May 2, 1947. The Meiji Constitution allowed for civil rights and civil liberties, although these were subject to limitations by law.
The Meiji Constitution established a bicameral parliament, the Diet, with an elected lower house and a prime minister and cabinet appointed by the emperor. The emperor was granted supreme control of the army and navy. The Meiji Constitution was flexible enough to permit considerable change, and it left the relationship between several major institutions of government ambiguous. This ambiguity led to criticism that it allowed undemocratic patterns of political behaviour.
The Meiji Constitution was enacted after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, which brought about the demise of the Tokugawa shogunate (military government) and ended the Edo (Tokugawa) period (1603–1867). The Meiji Restoration was a political revolution that ended, at least nominally, the rule of the emperor and brought about significant political, economic, and social change. The Meiji Constitution was the result of pressures from the Japanese people, who wanted a more democratic form of government. The Meiji Oligarchs, as they were known, wrote a document called the Charter Oath, which outlined five principles for the role of citizens in the new government. These principles were worded to promote freedom and unity for all Japanese citizens, but the Oligarchs also withheld certain freedoms, such as banning Christianity and prohibiting political parties.
The Meiji Constitution was based on the constitution of Imperial Germany (Prussia), chosen because it balanced power between the emperor and Parliament. The Meiji Constitution preserved the power of the emperor, who was the head of state, while providing for a popularly elected Parliament. The constitution also established clear limits on the power of the executive branch and the emperor, and it created an independent judiciary. However, the constitution did not establish universal manhood suffrage, and only 1.1% of the population was eligible to vote for the Diet.
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Frequently asked questions
The Meiji Constitution was the constitution of the Empire of Japan. It was proclaimed in 1889 and remained in force from 1890 until 1947.
The Meiji Constitution established a mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, with the Emperor of Japan governing the empire in theory, but with the Prime Minister as the actual head of government. It also established an elected lower house of parliament, and a prime minister and cabinet appointed by the emperor.
The Meiji Constitution allowed civil rights and civil liberties, although these were subject to limitation by law. Free speech, freedom of association, and freedom of religion were all limited by laws.
The Meiji Constitution withheld certain freedoms, including banning Christianity and prohibiting political parties, rioting, and bearing arms to protest the government.
The Meiji Constitution established clear limits on the power of the executive branch and the Emperor, and created an independent judiciary. It also left the relationship between several major institutions of government ambiguous, which allowed for undemocratic patterns of political behaviour.
