Promulgation of the Meiji Constitution
- Date
- 11 February 1889
- Category
- Politics & governance
- Region
- Japan
- Era
- Modern
- Significance
On 11 February 1889 Emperor Meiji promulgated the Constitution of the Empire of Japan, presented as a gift bestowed by the sovereign on his subjects.
Drafted under Itō Hirobumi after extensive study of European models—drawing especially on conservative Prussian constitutionalism—it established Japan as a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral Imperial Diet, comprising an elected House of Representatives and an appointed House of Peers, which convened for the first time in 1890. The document guaranteed limited civil liberties and a measure of representative government, yet reserved sweeping authority for the emperor, who was declared 'sacred and inviolable' and retained command of the armed forces, control of foreign policy, and the power to issue ordinances. Real power rested with the oligarchic leadership and, increasingly, the military. Nonetheless the constitution was a landmark: it gave Asia its first modern written constitution and elected national parliament, bolstered Japan's claim to equal standing among the 'civilised' powers, and supported its successful campaign to revise the unequal treaties. It framed Japanese governance until its replacement by the postwar constitution of 1947.
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Empires active in 11 February 1889
- German Empire1871 CE – 1918 CE
- French Colonial Empire (Second)1830 CE – 1962 CE
- Empire of Japan1868 CE – 1947 CE
- Russian Empire1721 CE – 1917 CE
- British Empire1583 CE – 1997 CE
- Qing Dynasty1636 CE – 1912 CE
Related politics & governance events
- The Meiji Restoration1868 (proclamation 3 January 1868)
- New Zealand Becomes First Self-Governing Nation to Grant Women the Vote19 September 1893
- Berlin Conference and the partition of Africa15 November 1884 – 26 February 1885
- The Xinhai Revolution and the fall of the Qing1911–1912 (Wuchang Uprising 10 October 1911; abdication 12 February 1912)
- Sykes-Picot Agreement partitions the Ottoman Middle East16 May 1916
- Russian Revolutions of 1917March & November 1917 (February & October Revolutions, O.S.)
Further reading
The wider story
China's Last Empire: The Great Qing
Readable synthesis of the Qing (Harvard History of Imperial China).
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