Documents with Commentaries

4-10 Bill for Revision of Imperial Constitution Revised and Passed by the House of Representatives

 Several amendments were made to the government proposal through the deliberations carried out in the House of Representatives and the House of Peers. The main amendments made in the House of Representatives included: clarification of the fundamental principle of sovereignty of the people; the addition of the clause "In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph" to the second paragraph of article 9 regarding the renunciation of war; addition of a paragraph regarding the right to life; addition of new articles regarding requirements for citizenship, tax obligation, national redress, and compensation of prisoners; selection of the prime minister from within the members of the Diet; stipulation that the majority of Ministers of State be members of the Diet; and stipulation that all property of the Imperial Household should belong to the nation. The major amendments made by the House of Peers were to guarantee universal suffrage in the election of public officials, and to stipulate that the Prime Minister and other Ministers of State must be civilians.

 In this report on approval of the amended bill submitted to the plenary session of the House of Representatives by the Special Committee, some of the points amended in the House of Peers were written in by hand. We can see by looking at these materials that the term used to convey the English word "Civilians" was changed from "bukan no shokureki o yushinai mono (people without military experience)" to "bunmin".

Actual Title of Source Hokokusho Teikoku Kenpo Kaiseian (Seifu Teishutsu)
Date August 21, 1946
Document Number Sato Tatsuo Papers: 208
Repository (reproduction)  
Repository National Diet Library
Note  
Actual Title of Source Shugiin Kara Kizokuin ni Sofusareta "Teikoku Kenpo Kaiseian"
Date August 24, 1946
Document Number Yamakawa Tadao Papers Regarding Constitutional Revisions: 2
Repository (reproduction)  
Repository National Diet Library
Note  
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