Omar Bennett
The Meiji Constitution, enacted in 1889, was the first constitution of modern Japan. It was a response to the Meiji Restoration of 1868, which restored governing power to the Emperor and established a centralised government. The Meiji Constitution provided for a mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, based on the Prusso-German and British models. The Meiji Constitution was characterised by its ambiguity, which allowed for considerable change and interpretation. It established clear limits on the power of the executive branch and the Emperor, and while it guaranteed some civil rights and liberties, these were often subject to limitation by law. The Meiji Constitution was replaced by a new constitution in 1946, following World War II and the Allied Occupation of Japan, which concluded that the Meiji Constitution was flawed and could not support true democracy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Government | Mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy |
| Basis | German and British models |
| Head of State | Emperor |
| Head of Government | Prime Minister |
| Nature of the Emperor's Rule | Active ruler with considerable political power |
| Nature of the Parliament | Weak |
| Voting Rights | Limited |
| Cabinet | Appointed by the Emperor |
| Control Over Army and Navy | Supreme control with the Emperor |
| Nature of the Document | Flexible, ambiguous, self-contradictory |
| Influence | Inspired the 1931 Constitution of Ethiopia |
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What You'll Learn
- The Meiji Constitution was a form of constitutional monarchy
- It was based on Prusso-German and British models
- The Meiji Constitution established an independent judiciary
- It was flexible and ambiguous, allowing undemocratic behaviour
- The Meiji Constitution was replaced by a U.S.-approved constitution after World War II
The Meiji Constitution was a form of constitutional monarchy
The Meiji Constitution, enacted in 1889, was a form of constitutional monarchy. It was Japan's first modern constitution, and it remained in force from 1890 until 1947. The Meiji Restoration of 1868 restored direct political power to the emperor and marked the beginning of a new era of sweeping political and social reform. The Meiji Oligarchs, who wrote the Meiji Constitution, wanted to create a constitution that would define Japan as a capable, modern nation deserving of Western respect while preserving their power.
The Meiji Constitution was based on the Prusso-German model, with some British influence. The emperor was granted supreme power, and the constitution preserved the power of the emperor while providing for a popularly elected parliament that was weak. The emperor 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 Meiji Constitution established clear limits on the power of the executive branch and the emperor, and it created an independent judiciary.
The Meiji Constitution was flexible and ambiguous, leaving the relationship between several major institutions of government undefined. This ambiguity allowed for considerable change but was also criticised for enabling undemocratic patterns of political behaviour. The constitution did not mention the cabinet, which was created in 1885, and this was a major ambiguity in the Meiji constitutional system. The constitution specified that ministers were responsible to the emperor, not the Diet, and this led to a protracted struggle for control of the cabinet between government leaders and elected politicians.
The Meiji Constitution provided for a form of mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, and it was used as a model for the 1931 Constitution of Ethiopia. However, after World War II, the Allies concluded that the constitution was flawed and could never support true democracy. As a result, during the Allied occupation of Japan, the Meiji Constitution was replaced with a new "Postwar Constitution" based on Western-style liberal democracy.
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It was based on Prusso-German and British models
The Meiji Constitution was enacted after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, which restored direct political power to the emperor for the first time in over a millennium. Japan had previously been a ""patchwork" nation under a feudal system, with multiple domains governed separately by lords called "daimyo". The Meiji Constitution provided for a form of mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, based on Prusso-German and British models.
The Meiji Oligarchs, who wrote the Meiji Constitution, had considered the US Constitution, but decided it was too liberal. They also thought the British system gave too much power to Parliament. They chose the Prusso-German model as it best paralleled Japan's situation, particularly regarding the position of the emperor. The Meiji Constitution was thus based on a constitutional monarchy, in which the emperor was an active ruler and wielded considerable political power, shared with an elected Imperial Diet. The Diet primarily dictated domestic policy matters.
The Meiji Constitution established clear limits on the power of the executive branch and the emperor. It also created an independent judiciary and granted 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 leaders of the government and the political parties had to interpret whether the Meiji Constitution could be used to justify authoritarian or liberal-democratic rule.
The Meiji Constitution was flexible, leaving ambiguous the relationship between several major institutions of government. It did not mention the cabinet, which had been created in 1885, and this was one of its major ambiguities. The constitution specified that ministers were responsible to the emperor, not the Diet. The emperor was granted supreme control of the army and navy, and appointed and dismissed military officers. The Meiji Constitution was replaced by a new constitution after World War II, which stated that "sovereign power resides with the people".
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The Meiji Constitution established an independent judiciary
The Meiji Constitution was enacted in 1889, after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, and remained in force until 1947. It was the first constitution of modern Japan, establishing a form of mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy based on Prusso-German and British models. The Meiji Constitution provided for an emperor with considerable political power, including supreme control of the army and navy, and the ability to appoint and dismiss government ministers.
The Meiji Constitution provided for a bicameral parliament, with an elected lower house and an unelected upper house of peers. The lower house was dominated by political parties in the 1920s, but the military exerted control in the 1930s without violating the constitution. The constitution also established clear limits on the power of the executive branch and the emperor, and guaranteed certain civil rights and liberties, although these were often subject to limitation by law. For example, free speech, freedom of association, and freedom of religion were restricted.
The Meiji Constitution was replaced by a new constitution after World War II, which established a Western-style liberal democracy with sovereignty vested in the people. The new constitution was enacted as an amendment to the Meiji Constitution to maintain legal continuity.
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It was flexible and ambiguous, allowing undemocratic behaviour
The Meiji Constitution was enacted in 1889, after the Meiji Restoration in 1868. The Meiji Restoration restored direct political power to the emperor and Japan underwent a period of sweeping political and social reform and westernization. The Meiji Constitution was a mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, based on the Prusso-German model. The emperor was an active ruler and held considerable political power over foreign policy and diplomacy, which was shared with an elected Imperial Diet. The Meiji Constitution established clear limits on the power of the executive branch and the emperor.
The Meiji Constitution was flexible and ambiguous, allowing undemocratic behaviour. The constitution was flexible enough to permit considerable change and left the relationship between several major institutions of government ambiguous. The relationship between the cabinet and the Diet was one such ambiguity. The constitution did not mention the cabinet, and it was unclear how members of the cabinet were selected and what the relationship of the cabinet was to the Diet. Government leaders assumed that they would maintain control and that the representatives and peers in the Diet would have no authority over the cabinet. However, government opponents disagreed, and a protracted struggle for control of the cabinet ensued.
The Meiji Constitution was also ambiguous in its wording, leaving it open to interpretation by the leaders of the government and political parties. It was unclear whether the constitution could be used to justify authoritarian or liberal-democratic rule. This struggle between authoritarian and liberal-democratic tendencies dominated the government of the Empire of Japan.
The flexibility of the Meiji Constitution allowed for a shift in power from the emperor to the parliament and the cabinet during the Taisho period. Protests and riots broke out in response to high taxes and inflation, and as a result, the president of the majority party in parliament was appointed prime minister in 1918. Suffrage laws were also loosened, granting universal male suffrage and increasing the voting population. This period, known as the "Taisho Democracy," gave the public and the "common man" a voice in government.
However, the flexibility of the Meiji Constitution also allowed for a shift towards undemocratic behaviour in the 1930s. The military became the most influential political actor and was able to exert control without violating the constitution. The Meiji Constitution was long criticized for allowing undemocratic patterns of political behaviour, and after World War II, the Allies concluded that the constitution was flawed and could never support true democracy. As a result, the Meiji Constitution was replaced by a new document, the postwar Constitution of Japan, which replaced imperial rule with a form of Western-style liberal democracy.
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The Meiji Constitution was replaced by a U.S.-approved constitution after World War II
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. It was enacted after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, which restored direct political power to the emperor for the first time in over a millennium. The Meiji Constitution provided for a form of mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, based on German and British models. The Emperor of Japan had the right to exercise executive authority, and to appoint and dismiss all government officials. He also had the sole right to declare war, make peace, conclude treaties, dissolve the lower house of Diet, and issue Imperial ordinances in place of laws when the Diet was not in session.
The Meiji Constitution established clear limits on the power of the executive branch and the Emperor. It also created an independent judiciary. Civil rights and civil liberties were allowed, although they were subject to limitation by law. Free speech, freedom of association, and freedom of religion were all limited by laws. The Meiji Constitution was flexible enough to permit considerable change, but it was criticised for allowing undemocratic patterns of political behaviour. The constitution was long ambiguous about the relationship between several major institutions of government. For example, at no point did the constitution mention the cabinet, which had been created in 1885.
After World War II, the Meiji Constitution was replaced by a U.S.-approved constitution stating that "sovereign power resides with the people". This new document, the postwar Constitution of Japan, replaced imperial rule with a form of Western-style liberal democracy. The new constitution was enacted as a constitutional amendment per Article 73 of the Meiji Constitution. It received imperial assent on November 3, 1946, and took effect on May 3, 1947.
The U.S.-approved constitution was the result of a radical rewriting of the Meiji Constitution, which the Allied Occupation deemed flawed and incapable of supporting true democracy. The Meiji Constitution had presided over a system that moved from autocracy in the 1890s to a British-style parliamentary democracy in the 1920s, to a system dominated by the military and influenced by European fascism in the 1930s and during World War II.
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Frequently asked questions
The Meiji Constitution was a mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, based on Prusso-German and British models.
The Meiji Constitution provided for 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 promulgated by the emperor in 1889 and came into effect in 1890. It was drafted by the Meiji Oligarchs in response to pressure from the people for more involvement in the government. The draft committee included Japanese officials and foreign advisers, particularly German legal scholars.
The Meiji Constitution was flexible and allowed for considerable change. Initially, power was centralised under the emperor, but over time, there was a shift towards more democratic practices, with the military gaining influence in the 1920s and dominating the political landscape in the 1930s and during World War II.
The Meiji Constitution established Japan as a modern nation and provided a framework for governance. It led to the opening of the first parliamentary government in Asia. However, it was also criticised for its ambiguous wording and for enabling undemocratic practices.
