MacArthur's Japanese ConstitutionThe Japanese constitution as revised by General MacArthur in 1946, while generally regarded to be an outstanding basis for a liberal democracy, is at the same time widely considered to be—in its Japanese form—an document which is alien and incompatible with Japanese culture. Using both linguistics and historical data, Kyoto Inoue argues that despite the inclusion of alien concepts and ideas, this constitution is nonetheless fundamentally a Japanese document that can stand on its own. "This is an important book. . . . This is the most significant work on postwar Japanese constitutional history to appear in the West. It is highly instructive about the century-long process of cultural conflict in the evolution of government and society in modern Japan."—Thomas W. Burkman, Monumenta Nipponica |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
THE MEIJI RESTORATION | 38 |
THE ROLE OF THE CONSTITUTION | 68 |
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND THE SEPARATION | 104 |
THE EMPEROR | 160 |
INDIVIDUAL DIGNITY AND EQUALITY OF THE SEXES | 221 |
CONCLUSION | 266 |
UEKI EMORI DRAFT CONSTITUTION OF THE GREAT JAPAN | 333 |
| 349 | |
Common terms and phrases
Americans Article 22 Ashida asked bakufu believe Cabinet clause command committee Confucian consent Consti Constitution of Japan court debate democratic Diet members discussion document draft elected Emperor English version equality established expression family system freedom of religion government's guaranteed hohitsu House of Councillors House of Peers House of Representatives househead household ibid idea illocutionary force imperial included individual dignity institutions interpretation issue Itō Japa Japan Japanese Constitution Japanese family Japanese government Japanese version Jinja Shinto jogen Kades Kanamori Kempō Kizoku-in kokumin MacArthur Matsumoto meaning Meiji Constitution ment National Diet nese Nihon officials organization party person phrase political popular sovereignty position Prime Minister principles religious education responsibility rights and liberties role ruler Satō Sato Tatsuo SCAP sense sentence separation of religion sexes Shinto Shintoism shōnin shrines Shūgi-in social sovereignty resides Supreme Tanaka tion Tokugawa Tokyo traditional translation tution U.S. Constitution word