Malcolm Rivera
The Meiji Constitution, proclaimed in 1889 and enacted in 1890, was the constitution of the Empire of Japan. It was established after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, which aimed to restore governing power to the emperor and create a cohesive centralised government. The Meiji Constitution was influenced by the German and British models, resulting in a mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy. The Meiji Constitution was replaced by the Postwar Constitution in 1946, following the conclusion that the document was flawed and could not support true democracy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Promulgation | 1889 |
| Date of Enactment | 1890 |
| Type of Government | Mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy |
| System of Monarchy | Constitutional monarchy |
| Influence | Prussian and British models |
| Head of State | Emperor |
| Head of Government | Prime Minister |
| Voting Rights | Limited franchise |
| Powers of the Emperor | Legislative, executive, and military powers |
| Powers of the Prime Minister | Actual head of government |
| Powers of the Diet | Approval of all laws |
| Powers of the Cabinet | Unspecified in the Constitution |
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What You'll Learn
To define Japan as a modern nation
The Meiji Constitution was written to define Japan as a modern nation, establishing it as a formidable, progressive nation worthy of Western respect. This was achieved through a period of sweeping political and social reform and Westernisation.
The Meiji Constitution was enacted in 1890 and established a mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, with the Emperor as the head of state and the Prime Minister as the head of government. The Emperor was granted supreme control of the army and navy, and the power to declare war, make peace, and conclude treaties. The Meiji Constitution also established clear limits on the power of the executive branch and the Emperor, with the Prime Minister and his Cabinet not necessarily chosen from the elected members of parliament.
The Meiji Constitution replaced the previous feudal system, which had been a ""patchwork" nation governed by separate lords. The Meiji Restoration of 1868 restored governing power to the Emperor, establishing a centralised government and reinforcing the idea of a new era with the relocation of the capital from Kyoto to Tokyo.
The Meiji Constitution was influenced by Western models, with the leaders of the Meiji government researching various forms of constitutional government. They rejected the US Constitution as too liberal, and the French and Spanish models as tending towards despotism. The Meiji Constitution was ultimately based on the Prusso-German and British models, resulting in a vaguely structured constitutional monarchy that preserved the power of the Emperor and provided for a popularly elected Parliament.
The Meiji Constitution was flexible, allowing for considerable change, and was ambiguous in its wording, leaving the relationship between several major institutions of government undefined. This ambiguity led to a struggle between democratic and authoritarian tendencies, with the interpretation of the Constitution left to the leaders of the government and political parties.
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To balance power between the emperor and parliament
The Meiji Constitution was proclaimed in 1889 and enacted in 1890. It was Japan's first written constitution, and it replaced a feudal system of multiple domains governed separately by lords. The Meiji Constitution established a mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, with the Emperor as head of state and the Prime Minister as head of government.
The Meiji Constitution was designed to balance power between the Emperor and Parliament. The Emperor was the sovereign, but his powers were limited by the constitution. He was granted supreme control of the army and navy, and he exercised legislative power with the consent of the Imperial Diet, a bicameral parliament with an elected lower house. The Diet primarily dictated domestic policy matters and was given substantial power since it had to approve all laws. The Meiji Constitution also established clear limits on the power of the executive branch, and the Prime Minister and his Cabinet were not necessarily chosen from the elected members of Parliament.
The Meiji Constitution was influenced by the Prusso-German and British models of constitutional monarchy. The leaders of the Meiji government researched various forms of constitutional government before adopting the German model, as they believed the US Constitution was too liberal and the British system gave too much power to Parliament. The Meiji Constitution was also designed to define Japan as a capable, modern nation deserving of Western respect while preserving the power of its leaders.
The Meiji Constitution was flexible and allowed for considerable change, but it was also ambiguous and self-contradictory, leaving the relationship between major government institutions unclear. This ambiguity led to a protracted struggle for control of the cabinet between government leaders and elected politicians. The Meiji Constitution was replaced by the "`Postwar Constitution'" after World War II, as it was believed that the document could never support true democracy.
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To restore governing power to the emperor
The Meiji Constitution was written to restore governing power to the Emperor of Japan. Before the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Japan was a "patchwork" nation under a feudal system, with multiple domains governed separately by lords called "daimyo". Although there was an emperor, there was no cohesive governing body. The Meiji Restoration, therefore, sought to establish a centralised government, with the emperor at its head.
The Meiji Constitution, proclaimed in 1889 and enacted in 1890, established a mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, with the emperor as head of state and the prime minister as head of government. The emperor was granted supreme control of the army and navy, and the power to declare war, make peace, and conclude treaties. The constitution also gave the emperor the power to convoke, open, close, prorogue, and dissolve the Imperial Diet, or parliament. The Diet was a bicameral parliament with an elected lower house and a prime minister and cabinet appointed by the emperor.
The Meiji Constitution was the result of a period of heated debate over the idea of a written constitution. The Meiji oligarchy, a conservative group, viewed anything resembling democracy or republicanism with suspicion and favoured a gradual approach to change. They rejected the US Constitution as too liberal and the French and Spanish models as tending towards despotism. Eventually, they chose the constitution of Imperial Germany (Prussia) as a model, as it allowed them to preserve the power of the emperor while providing for a popularly elected parliament that was weak.
The Meiji Constitution was flexible and allowed for considerable change. It was ambiguous in wording and self-contradictory in many places, leaving the relationship between several major institutions of government undefined. This allowed for a wide range of interpretations, and the document was used to justify both authoritarian and liberal-democratic rule. Over time, the Meiji Constitution presided over a system that moved away from autocracy in the 1890s, to a nearly British-style parliamentary democracy in the 1920s, to a system dominated by the military and strongly influenced by European fascism in the 1930s and during World War II.
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To establish a bicameral parliament
The Meiji Constitution was written to establish a bicameral parliament, or the Imperial Diet, with an elected lower house and a prime minister and cabinet appointed by the emperor. The Meiji Constitution, proclaimed in 1889 and enacted in 1890, established a mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, with the emperor as head of state and the prime minister as head of government.
The Meiji Constitution replaced Japan's previous feudal system, which lacked a cohesive governing body, with a centralised government. The Meiji Restoration of 1868 restored direct political power to the emperor, who was now the sovereign ruler, and established the country's first parliamentary government. The Meiji Oligarchs, who wrote the Meiji Constitution, wanted to preserve the power of the emperor while also providing for a popularly elected parliament.
The Meiji Constitution was based on the Prusso-German model of constitutional monarchy, which the Meiji Oligarchs felt struck the right balance between democracy and authoritarianism. The constitution provided for an elected lower house of representatives and an upper house of peers, with the prime minister and cabinet not necessarily chosen from the elected members of parliament. The emperor maintained supreme command of the army and navy, as well as control over foreign policy and diplomacy, while the Diet primarily dictated domestic policy matters.
The Meiji Constitution was flexible and allowed for considerable change, including the expansion of voting rights over time. However, it was also criticised for its ambiguous wording, which left the relationship between several major institutions of government undefined and allowed for undemocratic patterns of political behaviour to emerge.
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To allow civil rights and liberties
The Meiji Constitution, proclaimed in 1889 and enacted in 1890, was the constitution of the Empire of Japan. It was established after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, which restored direct political power to the emperor and aimed to define Japan as a capable, modern nation deserving of Western respect. 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 Meiji Constitution allowed for certain civil rights and liberties, although they were often subject to limitation by law. For example, free speech, freedom of association, and freedom of religion were all limited by laws. The Constitution also established clear limits on the power of the executive branch and the Emperor, and it provided for a popularly elected Parliament, although the power of this Parliament was weak.
The Meiji Constitution was influenced by the desire to balance power between the Emperor and Parliament, and it was based on the Prusso-German model of constitutional monarchy. The leaders who drafted the Constitution wanted to follow Western patterns of development while also preserving the power of the Emperor and the conservative Meiji oligarchy, who viewed anything resembling democracy or republicanism with suspicion.
The Meiji Constitution was also notable for its ambiguity and self-contradictory wording, which left the interpretation of its meaning up to the leaders of the government and political parties. This ambiguity allowed for considerable change and flexibility, but it also meant that the Constitution could be used to justify authoritarian or liberal-democratic rule. The struggle between these tendencies dominated the government of the Empire of Japan.
Overall, the Meiji Constitution allowed for some civil rights and liberties, but they were often limited by law and the power of the Emperor and executive branch. The Constitution's ambiguity also allowed for a certain amount of flexibility and change, but it ultimately could not support true democracy, leading to its replacement after World War II.
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Frequently asked questions
The Meiji Constitution was written to define Japan as a modern nation deserving of Western respect while preserving the power of the Emperor.
The Meiji Constitution established a mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, with the Emperor as head of state and the Prime Minister as head of government.
The Meiji Constitution provided for a bicameral parliament (the Diet), with an elected lower house and an upper house of peers. It also granted the Emperor supreme command of the army and navy, and the power to declare war, make peace, and conclude treaties.
The Meiji Constitution was written in 1888, proclaimed in 1889, and enacted in 1890.
The Meiji Constitution was criticised for its ambiguous wording, self-contradictions, and for allowing undemocratic patterns of political behaviour. It also limited several freedoms, including free speech, freedom of association, and freedom of religion.
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