-

TAKII KAZUHIRO
TRANS L AfT[) lW D/\VI [) NO[)l [

THE MEIJI CONSTITUTION

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THE MEIJI CONSTITUTION

THE JAPANESE EXPERIENCE OF THE WEST
AND THE SHAPING OF THE MODERN STATE

TAKII KAZUHIRO
TRANSLATED BY DAVID NOBLE

Transliteration of Foreign Words

The Hepburn system of romanization is used for Japanese terms, including the names of
persons and places. Except for familiar place names, long vowels are indicated by macrons.
The older Hepburn practice of using m instead of n before p, b, or m is followed. An apos
trophe is used to distinguish syllable-final n from n at the beginning of a syllable. The
spelling of non-Japanese words that have been incorporated into Japanese reflects the way
these words are pronounced by Japanese speakers.
With regard to Japanese personal names, we have followed the local custom of placing
the family name first.

Photo credit
Jacket and Cover: Photo of Ambassador lwakura and the four vice-ambassadors courtesy
of Okubo Toshihiro and Kume Museum of Art. Meiji Constitution photo courtesy of
National Archives of)apan.
PageT Memorial Picture Gallery, Meiji Shrine.
Page 15: Okubo Toshihiro andKume museum of Arts
Page 86: Rudolf von Gneist Papers in the Family Archives and Papers section of the Secret
Central Archives, Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation.
page 99: Memorial Picture Gallery, Meiji Shrine.
Page 102: KenseiKinenkan (Constitution Memorial Hall).
Page 122: Archives Department, Ministry of the Interior, Czech Republic.
Page 13T National Archives of)apan.
Other photos appear in this book curtesy ofKosansha Ltd.

This book was originally appeared in Japanese, as Bummei shi no naka no Meiji kempo
(Tokyo:Kodansha Ltd., 2003). International House of Japan retains the English-language
translation rights under contract with TakiiKazuhiro and through the courtesy ofKodan
sha Ltd.

2007 International House of)apan

All rights reserved by International House of)apan. No part of this book may be used or
reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except for brief quota
tions in critical articles and reviews.
First English edition published March 2007 by International House of Japan
n-16, Roppongi 5-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-oo32, Japan
Tel: +81-3-3470-9059 Fax: +81 -3-34703170
E-mail: [email protected]
Printed in Japan
ISBN 978-4-924971-20-2
iv

CONTENTS

Vll

Preface to the E nglish E dition

ix

Introduction

C H A P TE R

ONE

The Iwakura Embassy

From the Law of Nations toward a Constitution

r.

The journey Begins

2. Strange Voyage

3 Scenes from the Tour

12

4 The Iwakura Embassy's Perspective on National Institutions

C H A P TE R

Two

Ito Hirobumi's European Research

From Constitution as Law to Constitution as National Structure

r. The Political Crisis of r88r and Ito's Return to Europe
2.

Melancholy in Berlin:
Heavy Weather for the Parliamentary System

3 Resurrection in Vienna: Awakening to "National Structure"

4 Later Research

C H A P TE R

T H R EE

Yamagata Aritomo's European Tour

A Diffe rent Kind of Constitutional Research

r. The Promulgation of the Meiji Constitution
2. Yamagata Aritomo's European Study Tour
3 The Other Constitutional Investigation

C o N CLUSIO N

The Meiji Constitution Seen from Abroad

49
49

vi

CoNTENTS

Afterword

145

Appendix: THE CONSTITUTION OF THE EMPIRE OF JAPAN (MEI)I CONSTITUTION)

1 49

otes

163

Primary Sources

185

Index

187

PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION

Gakumon is one Japanese word that can be used to translate the English
word "science. " Gaku means to study, while mon means to question.
Studying and questioning-is this not a wonderfully apt expression of the
scientific method? A Spanish priest who lived for many years loved this
sense of the word gakumon, and used to say he would like to see it spread
to Europe and America.
On the other hand, there is an English word I cannot help wishing
could be transplanted into Japanese, and that is the word constitution, the
theme of this book. Of course there is already a Japanese translation of
this word. But the word kempi5 in Japanese does not adequately convey
the rich connotations of the English term. Kempa signifies only the legal
document prescribing the fundamental structure of the state; the English
constitution contains a double sense of both the structure and its forma
tion or establishment. In other words, constitution seems to point to a
proces s by which something is created and then becomes subj ect to
ongoing analysis and verification. Like the Japanese word gakumon, it is a
very dynamic concept.
What I hoped to depict in this book was this constitutional dynamism.
I wanted to demonstrate that the Meij i Constitution was not merely a
written document, but the "shape of the nation" of Meij i Japan as it was
formed and transformed by the thought and hopes that people invested in
it. Beyond that, I hoped to write a history of the Meij i Constitution that
would make possible a dialogue with the research in constitutional history
being done in other countries. For understanding that desire, and for
making this English translation of the book possible, I would like to
express my heartfelt thanks to the individuals at the International House
of Japan who were involved in this project, and especially to Mr. Saji
Yasuo, to whom I am indebted for his editorial work, and to the translator,
Mr. David Noble.
Takii Kazuhiro
February 2007

vii

INTRODUCTION

THE MEIJI CONSTITUTION

TH E JAPAN E S E EXPERIENCE OF THE WE ST
AND TH E S HAPING OF TH E M O D E RN STATE

"Imitation should have its limits"

On February n, 1889 (Meiji 22) , the Constitution of the Empire of Japan,
commonly known as the Meij i Constitution, was promulgated. Nitobe
Inaz61 happened to be in Berlin to greet the news of East Asia's first mod
ern constitution.
Not long before, Nitobe had been invited to a dinner party at the home
of a German acquaintance and was drawn into the following dialogue
with one of the German guests concerning the anticipated Japanese
constitution:
"I hear that your country will soon have a constitution."
"Yes, that's what I hear."
" But it's odd that the Japanese constitution should be exactly the same as
the German one."
"No, I don't think it will be exactly the same; I am sure there are some dif
ferences."
"No, it's the same."
And back and forth they went, straight through the meal. Then the
German pressed his point even further:
"Japan is a different land, a different people, with a different history, so it
is strange that its constitution should be the same as Germany's . Imitation
should have its limits. "
"No, no, I think what you are saying i s really not the case."
"No, I am sure it is correct."

lX

iNTRODUCTION

Here, Nitobe seized the initiative and countered by saying:

"Well, I suppose you might say that in the main it is not that different. If
countries with their different histories and peoples and geography each
came up with something completely different, then we probably could not
call it a constitution. Since what we call a constitution is basically some
thing enumerating the rights and duties of the rulers and the ruled, it's
only natural that for the most part the constitution of any single country
is going to resemble that of the others and not be some strange and com
pletely different beast."
But the stubborn German was not about to give up any ground.
"No, there's a limit to resemblance. I am shocked by the fact that Japan's
constitution is copied almost word for word from the German constitu
tion."
At this point, Nitobe abandoned rational discourse and began to respond
emotionally.
" I s that so? If that's the case, then it would seem the German constitution
is just an imitation of the American one. The German constitution simply
changes the words president to Kaiser and republic to Reich and translates
congress as Reichstag and otherwise is just a copy of the American consti
tution. If the Japanese constitution resembles Germany's it is because both
countries learned from the American model, so there's nothing strange
about the fact that they resemble each other is there? "
" N o , that's not true. Germany is a n empire, America is a republic, and
there is an enormous difference between the two.
"As I have just said, that's merely a difference in terminology. I nsofar
as constitutions define rights and duties , there is not a great deal of dif
ference between them. Have you read the American constitution? "
"No, I have never looked a t it. "2
And so on they went, without resolution.
Nitobe himself did not have that clear an idea of the similarities or dif
ferences between the U . S . and German constitutions . H e w as simply

INTRODUCTION

responding in kind to the German's stubbornes s . The wh9le episode

might be dismissed as the sort of wrangle to be avoided at a fashionable
dinner party, except that it raises some interesting points about the Meiji
Constitution.
.

The image of a secondhand constitution

The first point is the image of the Meiji Constitution as nothing more than
a secondhand version of the German constitution. Even today, the assess
ment of the Meij i Constitution as an authoritarian document following
the German model, with strong and extensive imperial powers supported
by a superficial constitutionalism, holds common currency and is
entrenched in academic circles . Ienaga S aburo , one of the standard
bearers of postwar Japanese historiography, summed up the establish
ment of the Meij i Constitution as "an attempt to control popular thought
with a blend of Confucian and German conservatism," paying no heed to
the various constitutional concepts put forward from among the people
and "drafted in utmost secrecy by a handful of bureaucrats and their
German advisers. " lenaga flatly characterized the document as "the prod
uct of a reaction against the prevailing trend toward the reception and
assimilation of modern constitutional thought beginning in the initial
years of the Meijiera."3
Certainly, as Ienaga states, the domestic opposition the Meij i govern
ment was facing from the Freedom and Popular Rights Movement (Jiyii
Minken Undo) provided an impetus for the Meij i government to seek its
model for constitutional government in Germany and, more specifically,
in Prussia. Contemporary public opinion believed this to be the case, and
in fact, it was a firm and carefully considered government policy.
After the Political Crisis of 1881 (Meij i 14) that resulted in the expulsion
from the government of Okuma Shigenobu and other proponents of
British-style party politics, Inoue Kowashi, the eminence grise behind the
drafting of the Meij i Constitution, proposed that "we should encourage
only Prussian [constitutional] theory . . . and silence the headlong rush
toward the British model."4 It is also well known that after the establish
ment of the Meij i Constitution Japanese legal scholars devoted themselves
almost exclusively to the importation of German constitutional law. So it
is an undeniable reality that the Meij i Constitution bore the heavy stamp
of German influence, and the appraisal of it by Nitobe' s anonymous

Xi

XU

INTRODUCTION

German debating partner is testimony to the fact that this image of the
Meiji Constitution was prevalent internationally even before the constitu
tion was promulgated.
The era of national legal codes
Another point raised by the exchange between Nitobe and the German is
how to interpret Nitobe's counter to the rumor that the Meiji Constitution
was simply an imitation of Germany's. Was Nitobe's retort nothing more
than a wild remark tossed off in the heat of the moment by a young intel
lectual from a developing nation, straining to assert himself on unequal
ground? If we dismiss Nitobe's argument as such, we risk overlooking a
significant aspect of constitutional history.
Nitobe's assertion was that because any document called a constitution
is " something enumerating the rights and duties of the rulers and the
ruled" there should, in essence, be little difference among them. In this,
Nitobe expresses an orthodox interpretation of constitutionalism. The six
teenth article of the French Declaration of the Rights of Man, which in
178 9 raised the curtain on the history of modern constitutionalism, reads,
"A society in which the observance of law is not assured, nor the separa
tion of powers defined, has no constitution at all."
In this sentence, a touchstone of modern constitutionalism is succinctly
expressed. It is a political declaration that no state structure can be con
sidered constitutional if it does not provide for the rights of the people and
a separation among the powers of the state.
Grounded in this ideal, the nations of the West began to enact consti
tutions beginning in the late eighteenth century. They might differ in
whether they adopted a republican or a monarchical form of government,
but insofar as they embraced constitutionalism there was not a great deal
of difference in the basic principle of governance. Rejection of despotism
and acceptance of the overarching principle of guarantees for the rights of
the people was something that all constitutional governments held in
common. Nitobe's argument was right on the mark.
So, was Nitobe's German opponent simply and stubbornly holding to a
position based on ignorance and prejudice? We must also be careful in
coming to this conclusion.
By the time of their conversation, a century had passe d since the
American and French revolutions that inaugurated the era of mode rn

INTRODUCTION

constitutionalism. The universal principle of constitutionalism was not

the only element that had shaped European politics during that time. The
nineteenth century was, above all, an age of nationalism. Amid the reper
cussions of the Napoleonic Wars, national consciousness was awakened
throughout the countries of Western Europe. In the public sphere of pol
itics and economics, the evolution of the nation-state was the hallmark of
the era.
Law was no exception to this trend. One of the leading legal historians
of postwar Germany, Helmut Coing, calls the nineteenth century "the era
of the compilation of national legal codes." According to Coing, this should
be seen as a quite unusual period in the history of European law, one in
which the formulation of legal systems was carried out on the basis of the
individual nation-state, drawing a distinct line of demarcation between
itself and earlier periods , in which the legacy of ancient Roman law had
shaped Europe into a single legal entity. The result was a variety of legal
codes compiled and enacted by individual nations , such as the Code Civil
of France and the Btirgerliches Gesetzbuch of Germany, so that even today
we speak of the French and German civil codes, differentiating these laws
by naming the country of their origin. 5
The same is true of constitutions. In the course of the nineteenth cen
tury, all the European nations enacted constitutions, and it might be noted
that this became a symbol of the political liberation of their citizens. This
was not simply because these constitutions abolished despotism and abso
lutism and guaranteed the enhanced political status of the citizenry. Amid
the rising nationalism of the era, a constitution was a political proclama
tion of the independence of the people domestically and internationally.
Taking this into consideration, if we revisit the dialogue between Nitobe
and the German a further interesting point arises. Underlying the
German's aggressive mocking of the Japanese constitution as a copy of
Germany's was no doubt a sense of superiority rooted in Japan's selection
of the German constitution as a model, and it is not difficult to see Nitobe's
remarks as an attempt to defend the originality of the Japanese constitu
tion. Their exchange may have been no more than trivial political banter,
given that they were discussing a document neither of them had seen, but
in it we get a glimpse of the high value placed on national constitutions by
the educated classes of that era and of the nationalistic fervor with which
these documents were interpreted.

Xiii

XiV

iNTRODUCTION

The subtle nuance of the word constitution

So what is a constitution? When we hear the word, we immediately think
of Japan's prewar and postwar constitutions or the constitution of the
United States; in other words, a document codifying the fundamental laws
of a nation. The debate between Nitobe and his adversary concerned
the nature of this type of legal document. But this understanding is quite
limited if we consider it in terms of the original meaning of the word

constitution.
Look up constitution in an English dictionary, and you will find that the
word also means the composition or structure of something. So in addi
tion to the way in which we normally think of the word, we should be
aware that it also implies the structure and composition of a country's
overall system of governance.
S at6 Koj i is a constitutional scholar who, as a member of the
Administrative Reform Council (1996-98) and Judicial Reform Council
(1999-2001) , has played a leading role in the significant governmental
reforms under way in Japan today. He maintains that at the beginning of
the Meij i period (1868-1912) , constitution was translated into Japanese as
kempo, a compound derived from two Chinese characters meaning laws,
rules, or regulations. As a result, Sat6 says, "when we hear the word kempo
the first thing that comes to mind is a legal document, and the subtle
nuances originally possessed by the word constitution are lost. " He goes
on to say,
This reinforces our tendency to think of constitutional issues in terms of law
and legal language and has hindered our efforts to speak of the shape and form
of our nation in ordinary, everyday terms and to reform it. In other words, what
is important is for us to try to understand the present state of our nation, sketch
out a vision for what we would like it to be, and if there is a gap between the two,
figure out why that is and how to fill it. Whether or not we change the legal
document and its wording is, if you will, the exit, but somehow it has been con
fused with the entrance.

S ato then quotes with approval Kosaka Masaaki, a specialist in interna

tional politics , who says that as a Japanese term for "the ineptly translated
word constitution . . . . I think Shiba Ryotaro's ' shape of the nation' (kuni no
katachi) is more appropriate. "6

INTRODUCTION

As Sato has observed, if we interpret the concept of a constitution in the

narrower sense implied by the word kempo and conceive of it as a single
codified political text, we lose sight of the "subtle nuances" of the original
word. We should see a constitution as connoting both the systemic aspect
of the nature and mechanisms of national governance and the practical
political aspect of conceiving, deciding upon, and managing that system
of government.
This book takes as its theme the process by which the Meiji Constitution
was formulated. In doing so, it is concerned with more than the constitu
tion in the narrow sense and places particular emphasis on the "shape of
the nation" that was constructed around this central constitutional axis
and that will be referred to here as the Meiji state.
Ancient Rome and Meiji Japan
As I have just indicated, the concern of this book is the formation of the
Meiji state, focusing on the Meiji Constitution. I will approach this topic
from the perspective of cross-cultural contact: the experience of the West
by the leaders of Meiji Japan.
For the countries of East Asia, the nineteenth century was the era of
Western impact. Spurred to action by its collision with Western civiliza
tion, Japan opened itself to the West and under the new Meiji government
launched itself on a program of "civilization and enlightenment. " The
establishment of the constitution may be interpreted in this context. But
was this quintessentially Western concept of constitutional government
something the leaders of Meij i Japan embraced without hesitation? Was
it not instead a grand plan for governing the nation in the midst of a clash
of civilizations , arrived at after much deliberation and implemented with
great caution?
If we think of it in the latter way, we might see the development of the
Meiji state into a constitutional system as a process of encounter and nego
tiation with the principles of Western civilization resulting in their even
tual acceptance and assimilation. The experience of the West has been
chosen as the vantage point of this book to emphasize this process.
In fact, the first half of the Meiji period was one in which the Japanese
study and incorporation of Western thought proceeded at a rapid
pace. Lorenz von Stein ( 1 8 1 5-9 0 ) , the professor of political economy
( Staatswissenchaft) at the University of Vienna who was I to Hirobumi' s

XV

XVI

iNTRODUCTION

mentor in constitutional matters and who became the obj ect of the " S tein
pilgrimage" so popular among Japanese scholars of the mid-Meiji period,
wrote the following:
At present, from their island nation in the Far East, not just young students
but full-fledged adults set out for Europe, intent on studying these lands, their
institutions, and their laws. What is it we embody that inspires them so? There
is probably only one other example in human history that could be compared
with this state of affairs?

The example to which Stein alludes are semihistorical accounts of Rome

in the middle of the fifth century B . C . H aving just made the transition
from a monarchy to a republic, the Romans supposedly sent a mission to
Greece to study national institutions . The rising power of Rome learned
the essence of its civilization from the more advanced Greeks and on that
basis formulated the Law of the Twelve Tables (Lex Duodecim Tabularum) .
According to the third volume of Livy's History of Rome, three Roman
ambassadors-Spurius Postumius Albus , Aulus Manlius, and Publius
Sulpicius Camerinus-were dispatched to Athens with orders to study the
celebrated laws of S olon and the institutions, customs, and laws of the
other Greek states as well.8
Whether or not this Roman mission to the Greeks was truly historical
has been debated. Stein mentions this himself. However, that this histor
ical tale continues to be told is due primarily to its appeal in terms of world
history.9 The three Roman ambassadors took up the torch of classical civ
ilization from the Greeks on behalf of the Romans, and with it the leading
role in world history for what would culminate in the grandeur of the
Roman Empire. It is a story that has fired the imagination of historians,
and it is regrettable that Livy does not provide more detail.
In any case, Stein saw a comparable instance of this transmission of
civilization from Greece to Rome taking place in his own time, between
two peoples situated at opposite ends of the earth. The nation he intro
duces as the new Rome, dispatching its study missions to assimilate the
principles underlying the civilized institutions of Europe, his present-day
Greece, was none other than Meij i Japan. Just as Rome had crafted the
Law of the Twelve Tables on the basis of Greek ins titutions , Japan was

INTRODUCTION

expected to produce a constitution as a result of its study of European insti

tutions.
With these words of Stein's as its point of departure, this book attempts
to depict the history of the creation of the Meij i Constitution in terms of
Japan's assimilation of Western civilization. Or, to put it another way, as
a record of Japan's voyage in search of civilization in the form of consti
tutional government.
The Romans sent three ambassadors to Greece. Here, we will investi
gate three study missions sent by the Meiji state to the Western nations :
the lwakura Embassy of r87r (Meiji 4); Ito Hirobumi's r882 (Meiji 15) mis
sion to Europe to study its constitutions; and Yamagata Aritomo's tour of
Europe in r888 (Meiji 2 1 ) .
The Meiji state in world historical perspective
This book is an attempt to reinterpret the formation of a constitutional
system in Japan not only from the perspective of Japan's domestic history,
but also from that of cross-cultural contact and the comparative history of
civilizations, grounded in the circumstances of the advance of Western
civilization into East Asia.
Traditionally, the history of the Meij i Constitution has been written with
a focus on the power struggle between the popular rights movement and
an oligarchic government dominated by a clique composed of a handful of
men from the domains that forced the collapse of the Tokugawa shogu
nate. This interpretation, evident in the assessment by Ienaga Saburo
referred to earlier, has solidified the image of the Meiji Constitution as
having been imposed from above by a reactionary, authoritarian regime for
the purpose of suppressing the spread of progressive, democratic thought.
This methodological approach, however, fails to grasp Japanese history
from a world historical perspective.
As noted earlier, the nineteenth century was the era of the Western
impact and of nationalism. It was an era in which other cultural spheres
were integrated into a world system centered on Europe and North
America, and one in which the institutions and spirit of the nation-state,
a product of Western Europe, began to permeate international society.
Watching intently as Qing-dynasty China was devoured piecemeal by
the Western powers, Japan made the decision to engage in a program of

XVll

XVlll

INTRODUCTION

nation building modeled on Europe and the United States. The goal that
took shape in the eyes of the Japanese amid this reform of their national
institutions was a J apanese constitution, for the nineteenth century in
Europe was also the age of constitutions. With the two great revolutions in
America and France as impetus, the Western nations came to embrace
constitutionalism and to place constitutions at the heart of their political
systems. A constitution functioned as a symbol of what it meant to be a civ
ilized nation.
Thus, the adoption of constitutionalism became a crucial national goal
for Meij i Japan. By establishing a constitutional government, Japan could
assert its independence as a civilized nation, secure the reform of the
unequal treaties it had signed with the Western nations, and become a
full-fledged member of international society. There was little in the nation
al aspiration for a constitution that separated the government oligarchs
from the popular rights activists . In fact, it is safe to say that the govern
ment leaders, absorbed as they were in the actual administration of
the state and in negotiations with the Western nations, were even more
acutely aware of the task at hand and the stakes involved than were their
opponents outside the government. The leading political figures of the
Meij i period, from Kido Takayoshi and Okubo Toshimichi in the early
years to Ito Hirobumi and Yamagata Aritomo somewhat later, were dis
patched to Europe and America, where they were immersed in the civi
lization of the West. What vision did they shape for the introduction of
constitutional government to Japan as a result of this experience? This is
the question that will be pursued in the discussion that follows.
Today, in response to a call from many quarters to reconsider "the shape
of the nation," Japan is again in the midst of major reforms of its admin
istrative and legal systems. The situation has been likened to "a third open
ing of the country," after the first, in the mid-nineteenth century, and the
second, in the wake of Japan's defeat in World War 1 1 . 1 0 An effort, there
fore, to reconsider from an international perspective the thought and
behavior of our predecessors at the dawn of Japan's constitutional order
should have value in defining the historical and cultural position of
contemporary J apan as it plunges into this maj or transformation of
its national institutions . Keeping this in mind, we will take a detailed,
individual look at the direct experience of the West by the leaders of the
M eiji government. By doing so, we will be able to grasp their view s on

INTRODUCTION

Western civilization and the constitution and their concept of constitu

tional government and thereby gain a foothold in our efforts to situate
the Meiji state in world historical perspective.

XiX

C H A PT E R

0 N E

The Iwakura Embassy

From the Law of Nations
toward a Constitution

1.

The Journey Begins

A unique perspective on civilization

On the morning of December 23 , r87r (Meiji 4) , the skies over Yokohama
were clear. lwakura Tomomi, the emperor' s ambassador extraordinary
and plenipotentiary, and a party including vice-ambassadors Kido Taka
yoshi, Okubo Toshimichi, Ito Hirobumi, and Yamaguchi Masuka board
ed the steamship America, which rode at anchor in Yokohama harbor. The
lwakura Embassy was preparing for departure. There were forty-six mem
bers in the official delegation. If students and other members of the
entourage are included, the embassy numbered more than one hundred
individuals, from the highest to the most humble.1
For the next year and a half, until its return to Japan in September r873,
the embassy would make a circuit of the United States and Europe, meet
ing with the heads of state and the leaders of the great powers, and study
ing the cultures and institutions of the Western nations . lwakura, Kido,
and Okubo were Japan's most important leaders at the time, and the fact
that they would together leave their country for such an extended period
was extraordinary.
For what purpose was this embassy dispatched? The reasons usually
given are (r) to make diplomatic courtesy calls on the great powers, (2) to
request a postponement of the negotiations for treaty revision scheduled
for the following year, and (3) to make firsthand observations of Western
civilization. Yet something more fundamental underlay these reasons: the
unique way in which the concept of civilization was understood by the

CHAPTER ONE

Meiji government. The following analysis of the motives for the dispatch
of the Iwakura Embassy is indebted to Takahashi Hidenao, whose research
has raised this important point.2
The document defining the objectives of the Iwakura Embassy was the
"Jiyilsho" ( Statement of Purpose) . It charged the mission with "carrying
out courtesy calls to further enhance our relations of amity in the context
of the recent renovation of our form of government" and "to convey to and
discuss with the governments of the various nations the aims and inten
tions of our government with regard to the subj ect of treaty revision . "
Treaty revision was accorded the top priority. The "Jiyilsho" defines the
issues and policy on treaty revision as follows:
I f we are to revise the existing treaties, this must be based upon the law of
nations . Where the national, civil, commercial, criminal, or customs laws of
our nation differ from the law of nations, they must be altered or revised. To
carry out such alterations or revisions, we must investigate the procedures and
methods involved. 3

In search of Japan's constitution

What were the methods employed to accomplish this goal ? As previously
quoted from the "Jiyilsho," the embassy was to "to convey to and discuss
with the governments of the various nations the aims and intentions of the
government." Its approach was to give the Western nations an unvar
nished report of Japan's current situation and issues in an effort to elicit
from them guidance and techniques for national reform. The "Jiyilsho"
continues :
In these reports and discussions , if w e anticipate the points that they will raise,
and inquire of them what they desire of us, then it is likely that the talks will
proceed smoothly, our message will be conveyed, and they will be moved to
give us considerable guidance and advice. If we accept this guidance and advice
and give it due consideration and deliberation, then it should not be difficult to
persuade them to give us more time (ideally about three years) to actually imple
ment it.4

The idea was to seize the initiative, anticipating what the Western powers
sought from Japan and demonstrating the intent to proceed with reforms

THE iWAKURA EMBASSY

along the lines they indicated. The scenario envisioned was optimistic. It
was hoped that this approach would be followed by constructive discus
sions, the transmission of the know-how the Japanese desired to imple
ment reforms, and a postponement of the impending negotiations on
treaty revision for which Japan was clearly unprepared. This position is
also explicit in the official letter of credence from Emperor Meiji to
President Grant that the ambassadors carried with them:
With this object, we desire to fully disclose to the United States Government the
condition of affairs in our Empire, and to consult upon the means of giving
greater efficiency to our institutions, at present and in the future; and as soon
as the Embassy returns home we will consider about the revision of the treaties
and accomplish what we have expected and intended.5

Pointing to this passage, Takahashi describes the government's intent as

"postponement of the following year's negotiations on treaty revision and
determination of a plan for domestic reform based on consultation with
the Western powers; implementation of these reforms upon the embassy's
return to Japan; and opening of talks on treaty revision."6
In short, the embassy was charged with frankly and openly appealing to
the advanced nations of the West for instruction and with utilizing the
results to formulate a program for the reform of Japan's national institu
tions, thus laying the foundation for treaty renegotiation. In this sense,
there can be no doubt that the Iwakura Embassy was dispatched as a fact
finding mission with regard to Japan's constitution; that is, its national
structure.
Trusting in the law of nations
What is odd is the almost childlike dependence upon the Western nations
displayed by Japan's leaders .
Traditionally, diplomacy involves a mutual probing of intent in a cold
ly calculated game of maneuver and rivalry among nations motivated by
the pursuit of power and dominance. There is, however, no sign of this
from either the Iwakura Embassy or the Meiji government. As Takahashi
puts it, "There was an expectation with regard to the goodwill of the
Western nations much like that a student has toward his teachers. " This

CHAPTER ONE

is clear from the expressions of faith in what is referred to as "the law of

nations" in previously quoted passages.
The law of nations was the contemporary term for international law.
But it expressed a concept that went beyond what we think of today as the
rules of international society based on legal agreements between sover
eign states. At the time, the law of nations was embraced almost as a slo
gan for the new era. It embodied Western civilization and was a national
goal for Meiji Japan to pursue. This naive trust in the law of nations is evi
dent in the "Jiyusho" :
The law o f nations enables the nations o f the earth to maintain their powers of
independence and sovereignty and stand amid the ranks of the other nations
without disturbing the balance of power. It preserves their pledges of mutual
intercourse, and allows them to share equally in the profits of commerce. It
alone makes it possible to contain the power of both strong and weak, and con
trol that of the many and the few, so that the just laws of nature and of man are
served. Thus it may be said that it is specifically because the existence of the law
of nations that an equality of rights among nations exits.?

There is clearly a sense that for Japan, thrust precipitously into an inter
national political arena dominated by the Western powers , the law of
nations offers the sole refuge.
Under the Tokugawa shogunate's policy of national seclusion, Japan
had long conducted its foreign relations according to its own unique
standards. Elsewhere in the surrounding East Asian region, an interna
tional system now known to scholars as the Chinese world order was
generally accepted. China was regarded as the center of civilization, and
in return for delivering tribute to the Chinese emperor, a benevolent
despot, the surrounding nations were granted the right to govern their
territories . In short, China was seen as ruling the world. This arrange
ment, also known as the tribute system, was the fundamental concept of
world order in East Asia.8
I ncursions from the West ended China's hegemony, and ultimately
even Japan had little choice but to bow to Perry's gunboat diplomacy and
open itself to participation in the new paradigm of a Western-dominated
international system. Even this, however, seems to have resulted in the
reemergence in the minds of contemporary Japanese of an older concept

THE [WAKURA EMBASSY

of order in which a host of lesser nations grouped themselves under the

virtuous rule of a great power. At the time of the Iwakura Embassy, the
J apanese implicitly believed in the existence of a new benevolence-the
conduct of politics and foreign policy in accordance with the law of
nations-that would protect them and provide them with "a path for avoid
ing the assaults and depredations" of other countries.
Thus , the law of nations emerged as the embodiment of virtue for
the new age, replacing the earlier notion of a central source of civilization.
The issue for Japan now became how it was to assimilate the "virtue"
demanded by the law of nations. The "J iyilsho" does not hesitate to address
this point:
If one looks back over the recent past and pursues the reason why we were
unable to obtain equality [with regard to the treaties], the inequality stems from
the fact that because of the different nature of our national institutions and
political customs it has been impossible for us to deal with other countries on
the basis of the law of nations, or to accord their nationals the just treatment
and civil rights that are commonly expected. If, in the light of reason, we rec
ognize this situation as unacceptable, then we should study policies for restor
ing equality, which will require alterations and reforms to our national
institutions and political customs.9

The document clearly and unequivocally states that Japan is not being
treated as an equal by the Western nations because Japan is still ill pre
pared to deal with other countries on the basis of international law and
that to put itself in the position to do so Japan must carry out fundamen
tal governmental and political reform. Once more, we can see in this pas
sage the unconditional trust being placed in the law of nations .
The standards of European civilization
What was the virtue embodied in the law of nations ? In a word, civilization.
International law and a nation's eligibility for participation in it were pred
icated on what was termed "the standards of the civilized nations . " Of
course, the civilization being spoken ofhere was European civilization, so
to enj oy the benefits of the law of nations a nation had to be recognized as
civilized by European standards.10

CHAPTER ONE

An influential textbook of international law from the period, James

Lorimer's The Institutes ofthe Law of Nations, states that, "as a political phe
nomenon, humanity in its present condition divides itself into three
concentric zones or spheres-that of civilized humanity, that of barbarous
humanity, and that of savage humanity. " Lorimer argues that "it is with the
first of these spheres alone that the international jurist has directly to deal.
. . . He is not bound to apply the positive law of nations to savages, or even
to barbarians , as such. " 1 1 According to Lorimer the sphere of civilized
humanity extended to "all the existing States of Europe, with their colonial
dependencies , in so far as they are peopled by persons of European birth
or descent; and to the States of North and South America . . . "; the sphere
of barbarous humanity "to Turkey in Europe and in Asia, and to the old
historical States of Asia which have not become European dependencies
viz. , to Persia and other separate States of Central Asia, to China, Siam,
and Japan" ; the sphere of the savage "to the residue of mankind."
In this Eurocentric model, the only nations subj ect to international law
are those inheriting the mantle of European civilization. Another con
temporary treatise on international law makes plain that for other coun
tries to be eligible for the application of international law and for equal
treatment alongside the European nations, "they must do something,"12
i.e., remake themselves in line with European standards.
The significance of the Iwakura Embassy must be understood within
this historical context. The embassy is frequently described as a voyage in
search of "the shape of the nation . " 1 3 It is important to note, however, that
powerful forces demanded that this " shape" be acceptable to European
civilization.
2.

Strange Voyage

Under Western eyes

With the voyage of the Iwakura Embassy, the Meiji state set course for the
shores of Western civilization. At 1 o : o o a.m. on December 23, 1871,
Iwakura Tomomi, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, board
ed a steam launch that would convey him to the ship to the accompani
ment of a nineteen-gun salute. The rest of the mission members would
soon follow. A painting by Yamaguchi Hoshun vividly conveys the scene
(see illustration on opposite page). Iwakura is flanked by vice-ambass adors

THE IWAKURA EMBASSY

Kido Takayoshi and Okubo

Toshimichi. In contrast to lwa
kura, who is in traditional court
dress, Kido and Okubo are attired
in Western-style suits . That the
head of the delegation chose tra
ditional attire might be read as
a minor display of spirit vis-a
vis the Western nations on the
part of Japan's new government,
which was formed under the
banner osei fukko (the restoration
of imperial rule and a return to
antiquity) . And, in fact, before
the official departure ceremonies
a religious ceremony was held at
the Ministry of Rites (Jingisho) to "Ambassador Iwakura Dispatched to Europe and
America" by Yamaguchi Hoshun
pray for the safe travels and success of the mission. Politics in
J apan still had a sacred dimension quite apart from European standards
of civilization, in which government was matsurigoto, a sacred sphere
involving the observance of proper rites and ritual. The contrast between
Iwakura and Kido and Okubo displays the j anus-faced quality of the new
Meiji government, which looked simultaneously toward civilization and
antiquity.
Even so, throughout their j ourney the members of the embassy sought
to conceal Japanese traditions in favor of observing the etiquette of civi
lization. Not long after departing Yokohama, Iwakura assembled them
and issued the following instructions :
Civilized manners are displayed in our ordinary behavior and gestures, and if
even a minor point is missed, major embarrassment often results. In your con
tacts with foreigners you must not forget this. The ranking members of this
mission have been selected by each of the ministries of our government, and
many of the students are of noble families. You will all be models of our nation;
the foreigners on board will be watching you and will see in you the reflection
of our nation's honor. All of you should be aware from the outset that this

CHAPTER ONE

means the words and actions of even a single individual are of no small con
sequence. 1 4

Iwakura here hints at his anxiety as the leader of such a large entourage.
One of his solutions to this problem was to divide the embassy's mem
bers into smaller groups whose members were ordered to keep an eye on
each other.
This may seem excessive on lwakura' s part, but he had in fact been
ordered to take exactly these precautions. Before his departure, Iwakura
was handed a set of official instructions from the government informing
him that his duties were to communicate Japan's position and policies, to
work to benefit its interests, and to spread its prestige throughout the
world. It also told him what he later would tell his charges, that since any
misstep could damage Japan's position, and invite disaster or bring shame
upon the nation, he was to pay careful attention to smallest details of his
speech, behavior, and deportment. "The ambassador's behavior-whether
walking, standing, sitting, or lying down-is being watched intently by the
people of every nation" who, he was told, are trying to gauge Japan's
"national character. " 15
lwakura's subsequent instructions to the other members of the embassy
thus were merely an extension of the discipline that he was required to
impose on himself. The members of the embassy as a whole had to know
that while theirs was an inspection tour of the West they-and the
J apanese nation-would likewise be continually under the scrutiny of
Western civilization.
Slack discipline amid the rank and file
Whereas the ocean voyage of the lwakura Embassy began amid an air of
tension for Iwakura and its other leaders, the atmosphere among its less
er members was, if anything, unconstrained. This contrast was apparent
during the boarding of the vessel. lwakura boarded with dignity to the
pomp of an artillery salute. The rank and file that followed, however, put
on an embarrassing display, vying with each other to see who could clam
ber aboard first.
Sasaki Takayuki, accompanying the embassy as the commissioner from
the Ministry of Justice, wrote that while the ambassador and vice-ambas
sadors had looked splendid, the other members of the emb assy, inclu ding

THE !WAKURA EMBASSY

the commissioners (rij ikan) dispatched as representatives of the various

ministries of the new government, "competed with each other to see who
would be first aboard, creating a confusion that was amusing, yet also
pathetic, and quite an embarrassing spectacle to have foreigners behold."
Sasaki adds, " I could not help grumbling a bit myself."16 For the embassy's
leaders, ordered to be acutely aware that the eyes of civilization would be
upon them throughout their journey, this must have been an inauspicious
beginning. All members of the embassy were thereafter required to learn
Western etiquette-table manners, personal grooming, and so on-as the
voyage progressed.
Yet many of the embassy's members were seasoned veterans of the
upheavals attending the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate, some of whom
fancied themselves modern versions of the folk hero Momotaro, setting
forth for the Isle of Demons. 1 7 So it would have been surprising if every
one had submitted without complaint to Western customs. The struggle,
in fact, between discipline and license produced a number of unusual
episodes on board ship, a few of which I will relate here.
The impaled beefsteak
Among the personnel accompanying the embassy was Hiraga Yoshitada.
He was a former samurai from the domain of Fukuoka in Chikuzen who
had been sent by his domain to study in America in 1867, on the eve of the
Meiji Restoration. He joined the Iwakura Embassy in the entourage of
Sasaki Takayuki, and seems to have been generally disliked for the
Western airs he put on. But Hiraga won favor with Iwakura, and an
episode ensued in which he distributed a leaflet on Western table man
ners to the embassy's members and attempted to instruct them in the eti
quette of Western dining. Written out of a concern that the embassy's
"deportment and manners were crude and might invite the contempt of
Westerners, " the leaflet dispensed such advice as "speak quietly when giv
ing orders to the waiters" and "do not slurp your soup or make noises with
your spoon."
The embassy had been dispatched from a society in which the voices of
u nrest remained unstilled, despite the restoration of imperial rule. Among
its members were many who had devoted themselves to antiforeign agi
tation during the last years of the shogunate, and who had yet to rid them
selves of such prejudices . Given the character of the embassy, it is not

10

CHAPTER ONE

difficult to imagine why some instruction with regard to behavior seemed

necessary.
Embassy members with some knowledge of the West, from the secre
taries (shokikan) on down, "passed it off with a smile as old news. " But the
majority of the party greeted it with "derision or anger." At breakfast on the
morning following the pamphlet' s dissemination, an amazing scene
unfolded that Kume Kunitake recalled in later years:
That morning, Okauchi [Shigetoshi] , seated across from me, made a show of
eating his soup-rattling his spoon, noisily grabbing the bowl with both hands,
slurping down its contents, and smacking his lips-and then bellowed instruc
tions to the waiter. Murata Shimpachi, who was sitting beside him, looked on
with a smirk, and when a large beefsteak in the American style was brought to
the table, he grabbed his fork in his right hand, speared the steak as if it were
a roast yam, brought it to his mouth and tore into it.18

Following this, in Kume's words, "a variety of other rudenesses were per
formed," clearly as a "demonstration" for the benefit of Hiraga.
But was this merely a childish rebellion against someone with greater
experience of the West? Japan's new government may have adopted "civ
ilization and enlightenment" as its watchwords, but for the members of
the embassy known as the incorrigibles (gankoron) , who remained attached
to the antiforeign heroics of the recent past, this display of rudeness in the
mess hall was not merely a personal dig at Hiraga. It was also a spirited
reaction against "civilization" that was a legacy of their political activism.
The button incident
After table manners came_personal grooming. Here, too, Kume has left us
a very interesting reminiscence of what came to be known as Ito's Shitty
Speech. A crude title, perhaps, but for the new Japan, launched on its voy
age to the civilized world, apparently an "urgent message."
From the morning after we departed Yokohama, a gradually increasing num
ber of black buttons began to appear on the floor of the ship's lavatory, like
so many scabs, and eventually someone relieved himself outside the urinal.
From the Japanese paper that had been placed over the result, it was deduced
that the culprit was Japanese. Urged by the ship's captain to issue a warning,

THE i WAKU RA EMBASSY

Vice-Ambassador Ito assembled the members o f the embassy o n deck and

delivered an address imploring them not to stain the honor of Japan in such a
fashion-which everyone mocked as "Ito's Shitty Speech_"19

Behind this rather comic incident, however, were serious issues that had
their origins in the radical changes in customs and manners taking place
in Japan_ Kume explains this as follows:
Where Westerners use buttons, Asians use cords. Some members of the
embassy were not well acquainted with the use of fly buttons. At that time,
Western clothing was just becoming fashionable, and as J apanese are quite
handy by nature, they were able to turn out high-quality Western-style clothing;
but at first they fumbled with the buttons, especially the undoing and doing up
of trouser buttons . It is said that about this time an important government min
ister attended the imperial audience on New Year's Day in formal Western
attire with the buttons on his trousers undone, which to his mortification and
shame he did not discover until he returned home and began to undress.
Particularly when time was of the essence, buttons were difficult to manage,
and unable to hold back any longer, some ripped off the buttons in their haste,
or relieved themselves before they managed to make it all they way into the
lavatory. If one imagines their distress and urgency, one really should not
laugh.20

The image of torn-offbuttons scattered across the toilet floor certainly does
invite laughter today. For the men of the time, though, who already had
squeezed uncomfortably into this unaccustomed garb, the buttons were
extremely vexing. The leaders of the embassy must have been acutely
embarrassed to be cautioned by the ship's captain on so delicate an issue
shortly after leaving port. Aware that the eyes of civilization would con
stantly be upon them, this was for them certainly no laughing matter.
The mock trial
Nagano Keijir6, who accompanied the embassy as a second secretary, had
been a member of the Tokugawa shogunate's first embassy to the United
States in r 8 6 o . He was well-liked in America, where he was nicknamed
Tommy and where he even had a polka written about and named after
him.21 Nagano had been especially popular with the ladies during his U . S .

II

12

CHAPTER ONE

visit, and as the voyage got underway flirted with one of the female
J apanese students accompanying the embassy, attempting to give her
dance lessons under the pretext of teaching her Western social skills . The
young woman became quite upset at his advances, went straight to Okubo
to complain, and quite a tempest ensued.
Okubo delegated Ito Hirobumi to handle the matter. Ito decided to hold
a shipboard mock trial, with himself as the judge, to deal with Nagano.
Nagano probably thought he was doing little more than killing time on
the long sea voyage by making a pass at the young woman, but there were
plenty of other bored voyagers, and soon the ship was abuzz with news of
his actions .
Ito seized the opportunity to set up his kangaroo court as an effort to
"learn from Western forms by imitating them. "22 And so a minor flirtation
was turned into a major shipboard event, with Nagano and the female stu
dent dragged embarrassingly before everyone on board to be judged.
Sasaki Takayuki, who detested Ito, wrote in his diary that putting this
nonsense on public view was humiliating not only for Nagano and the
young woman but for the entire embassy. Sasaki voiced his objections but
was talked down with assertions that this was common practice among
Europeans and Americans . He nonetheles s felt that precisely because
Japan was a country "that had just set its steps on the path of civilization"
it should refrain from such monkey-see, monkey-do antics as this mock
trial.23 He felt especially strongly about not doing so at sea, far from Japan,
with Westerners present and watching intently as the proceedings
unfolded. No matter how bored they all might be, his conviction was that
such nonsense was unbefitting an embassy warned that the eyes of civi
lization were upon it. This quasi-lynching was certain to sully the reputa
tion of Japan's ambassadors.
S asaki's anger was not without grounds . Yet at the same time, it is
amusing that despite its intimidating power, the concept of civilization
was still being apprehended in terms of such nai:ve imitation.

3 Scenes from the Tour

Buying Western clothing
The embassy arrived in San Francisco on January 1 5 , 1 8 7 2 . This was the
beginning of a tour of inspection of the United States and E urope that

THE I WAKURA EMBASSY

would continue for a year and a half until the embassy's return to Japan
in the autumn of 1873 . The embassy would spend half a year in the United
States, four months in Britain, two in France, one in Germany, and two
weeks in Russia. It also would briefly visit Belgium, Holland, Denmark,
Sweden, Italy, and Austria-an official Grand Tour of almost incredible
proportions .
The members of the embassy had already put on quite a show aboard
ship on the way to America, and the rest of their j ourney was eventful as
well. Let's glance briefly at the embassy' s leading figures : Iwakura, Ito,
Okubo, and Kido.
Given the awe with which the Western nations were regarded, it is easy
to imagine how much more awed the embassy's members were when they
finally set foot on American soil. Free of their shipboard confinement, they
beheld the vastness of America, that stronghold of the West, spread out
before them as far as they could see.
On board ship, the ever-present notion of civilization had generated a
tense dynamic. The embassy's leaders expended considerable anxious
energy on such trappings of civilization as clothing and table manners and
other aspects ofWestern etiquette and deportment. Meanwhile, there was
among the rank-and-file members a wild and uncouth element resisting
the Western civilization of Japan. Once, however, the embassy had land
ed on actual "civilized" soil, and its members found themselves alone amid
the Western camp, exposed on all sides to the gaze of civilization, even
the roughest among them seemed to lose resistance to Western ways .
Upon their arrival in San Francisco, they were welcomed from every
quarter and invited to a succession of banquets, plays, and other enter
tainments. According to Kido Takayoshi, "We were more than a little sur
prised at the lavish welcome given us by the people, for it appears that at
this port alone nearly $ w o , o o o was spent on the reception given to the
J apanese embassy."24
Given a welcome far warmer and more enthusiastic than they had antic
ipated, the members of the embassy hurried off to buy "semiformal attire"
soon after landing. It had been decided before the embassy left Japan that
traditional Japanese court dress would be worn for formal state functions .
For privately sponsored social events and appearances a t other, more-inti
mate public venues, though, this must have seemed a bit excessive. Even
as their ship neared America, Kido remarked that "it is likely that wearing

CHAPTER ONE

formal Japanese dress every time we appear in public is going to become

unbearable," and it was decided, as per his suggestion, to wear "the formal
dress that is customary in foreign countries . "25
"Cramped and uncomfortable"
So it was that the members of the embassy decided to buy Western outfits
to supplement their Japanese ceremonial dress. As Sasaki Takayuki wrote
in his diary:
At the time we left Japan, it was understood that we would use Japanese dress
on formal occasions, and all of the members of the embassy brought theirs,
but do not have Western dress suits. Embarrassing, but what can be done ? 26

Sasaki describes the Western tailcoat as "ungainly clothing like a haori

with the sides cut away," but writes that "since no one had brought one,
we had to rush to buy them. " Sasaki's irritation at being forced to abandon
his traditional attire for such an "ungainly" Western garment is obvious .
H i s diary continues :
Since the shoes are also big and quite ugly to Japanese eyes, everyone bought
small ones. They are cramped, hurt the feet, and are quite uncomfortable. 2 7

Buttons, leather shoes, suit coats-Western attire certainly has an overall

constraining effect on the body quite different from the looseness of tra
ditional Japanese dress. But annoyed as they might be by the discomforts
of "civilization," the members of the mission had to adopt its ways. Soon,
Western suits would become the mission's uniform, even for Ambassador
Iwakura.
Iwakura gives up Japanese dress
There is a photograph that is almost always displayed whenever the
Iwakura Embassy is mentioned. It shows the ambassador extraordinary
and plenipotentiary lwakura Tomomi surrounded by his four vice
ambassadors (see page r s ) . It is said to have been taken not long after they
arrived in San Francisco, and it is interesting to note the way lwakura is
dressed.28 As in the Yamaguchi Hoshun painting mentioned earlier,
Iwakura's vice-ambassadors are in formal Western attire , whereas Iwakura

THE iWAKURA EMBASSY

is in Japanese dress and traditional hairstyle and has relaxed deeply into
his chair, the very embodiment of the Meij i ideal of "Japanese spirit,
Western learning" (wakon yosai) .
After about a month in America, however, lwakura, too, abandoned
Japanese for Western clothing. Sasaki's diary gives this account:
At some point, Ambassador Iwa
kura also cut his hair short and
changed from what he had been
wearing into Western clothes . I
don't know whether this repre
sents "enlightenment" or if he's
just caught the American mania.
S omeone said that some of the
aides had ingratiated themselves
with Ambassador Iwakura' s son,
who had spent some time study
ing abroad, and convinced him to

Ambassador Iwakura and the four viceambas

sadors (from left: Kido Takayoshi, Yamaguchi
Masuka, Iwakura Tomomi, Ito Hirobumi,
Okubo Toshimichi) .

speak directly with the ambassador, telling him that ifhe did not adopt the Western style he would be looked
down upon by the foreigners, and thus it came about that he cut his hair and
changed his clothing. From my habitually conservative point of view, this seems
like a miscalculation. In light of current trends it may be all well and good to
cut one's hair and wear a suit. But it is one thing for the vice-ambassadors , who
made the decision to do this before they left Japan, and quite another for the
ambassador, who alone among them continued to dress in the Japanese style
during the voyage across the Pacific and even after we had landed. Changing
in mid-course like this seems quite imprudent. If he had cut his hair and
changed his attire after completing the tour abroad and returning home, it
would not present such an issue in terms of his dignity.29

Sasaki's writing grows increasingly bitter. He adds that in a foreign land

it is vital to behave circumspectly; that influential people in foreign coun
tries , noting Iwakura' s lack of gravitas , probably felt they had Japan's
measure and were laughing up their sleeves. Sasaki concludes tartly
that the term "civilization and enlightenment" does not simply mean imi
tating anything and everything other people do.

IS

16

CHAPTER ONE

In truth, practically everyone in the

embassy, including S asaki, was probably
equally guilty of rushing off the boat in a
mad scramble to buy foreign clothes. Clearly,
though, Sasaki had hoped that at least Iwa
kura, as ambas sador plenipotentiary and
head of the mission, would show a little more
national pride by continuing to wear his
country's traditional dress. 30
As for the "aides" that Sasaki denounces ,
i t is probably safe t o assume from other
remarks in the Sasaki diary that this refers to Iwakura attired and groomed in
Ito Hirobumi and his associates. Sasaki was the Western manner, as depicted
in the October 12, 1872, edition of
convinced that Ito and others, infatuated with the Illustrated London News.
Westernization, had conned Iwakura into so
precipitously abandoning his traditional clothing and replacing it with
Western attire.
If this is the case, then the photograph mentioned earlier is significant.
It is almost as if the four vice-ambassadors have surrounded the tradi
tionally attired Iwakura to coax him into Western dress. Indeed, the pho
tograph reveals that Iwakura is already wearing Western shoes. Soon this
Westernization will extend to the rest of his body. We can only wonder
what he thought at personally experiencing the discomfort of civilization
and enlightenment for the first time.
The constitution as clothing
The Western-style suit, tailored to emphasize the contours of the body,
can be applied conceptually to the shape of the nation, the central theme
of this book. Western constitutionalism and the rule of law clothe and con
strain the body of the state in legal statutes . In this regard, Kume
Kunitake's reflections on Western dress are worthy of attention:
Westerners like things to be neatly defined, while Orientals prefer them to be
looser. For example, Westerners delight in the smallest detail, and their cloth
ing is carefully fitted from head to toe, while Oriental clothing is flowing and
roomy. This difference in character might be thought of as an aesthetic pref
erence in terms of what to put in and what to leave out; Westerners take

THE lWAKURA EMBASSY

pleasure in detailed and realistic depiction of the human form, while Orientals
depict an unnatural nature in the name of elegance and refinement, savoring
paintings in which the number of brush strokes has been reduced to the nec
essary minimum. Perhaps we can understand this as arising from some mys
terious effect of the differing environments in which the artists live.ll

Kume sought an explanation for the differences between Oriental and

Western civilizations in a divergence of aesthetic practice; that is to say, in
the contrasting methods and spirit each brought to the act of creation.
Against the Western emphasis on detailed pictorial realism, he seems to
view the mystery of the East as residing in elegant ambiguity.
If we apply this way of thinking to national institutions, then just as
Western clothing is carefully tailored to the form of the human body so,
too, is the nation shaped by the clothing of its laws. The nation, once an
ephemeral ideal, gains definition through the workings of legislation to
emerge as an entity with form and function. Annoyed by his new and
uncomfortable Western suit, could Iwakura have possibly imagined the
constitution that would eventually clothe his nation in this way?
in his glory
Ito Hirobumi was by far the liveliest of the embassy' s leaders . Unlike
Iwakura, Kido, and Okubo, he had experience abroad. He was valuable
because he was considered an equal by the former shogunal retainers and
Western experts he had accompanied on the first Japanese embassy to the
United States and thus was able to exert influence over them. We have
seen something of this in his being asked by Okubo to sort out the uproar
over Nagano Keijiro's dalliance with the female student.
It is clear from the rather childish episode of the mock court, however,
that Ito's speech and behavior could just as equally antagonize. The self
styled conservative Sasaki constantly records his irritation with Ito:
Ito

During the voyage across the Pacific the behavior of the secretaries and others
was remarkably ill-mannered, but I was also shocked by Ito, whose talents
apparently exempt him from having to comport himself in a fashion appropri
ate to a vice-ambassador. But this is the way of the world at present, where such
manners are practiced, and gaining the upper handY

18

CHAPTER ONE

We can only imagine the show Ito must have put on. The embassy was a
kind of national pageant, and it is likely that Ito saw it as his once-in-a-life
time chance to perform on a grand stage-especially since the embassy's
other leaders knew little about the world beyond Japan. The dispatch of
the embassy, moreover, had been due in part due to a proposal from Ito.
From November r87o to May r87r, Ito had been in the United States to
gather information on its economic system. In a position paper sent back
to Japan he proposed that a mission be sent to the United States and
Europe to prepare for the upcoming treaty revision negotiations in r872. 33
This idea eventually developed into the Iwakura Embassy. So Ito, return
ing to America in a group that was the very embodiment of contemporary
J apan and its aspirations, must also have secretly felt that he was the
embassy's true leader.
Ito's ebullience is conveyed in his famous " Rising Sun" speech.34 At a
welcoming reception on December 14 , a week after the embassy had
arrived in San Francisco, Ito rose and addressed his American hosts. He
began by emphasizing the rapid progress made since the opening of
Japan, and continued as follows:
Japan cannot claim originality as yet, but it will aim to exercise practical wisdom
by adopting the advantages, and avoiding the errors, taught her by the history
of those enlightened nations whose experience is her teacher.

He then characterized the embassy's aspirations :

As ambassadors and as men, our greatest hope is to return from this mission
laden with results valuable to our beloved country and calculated to advance
permanently her material and intellectual condition. While in duty bound to
protect the rights and privileges of our people, we shall aim to increase our
commerce, and, by a corresponding increase of our productions, hope to cre
ate a healthy basis for this greater activity.
As distinguished citizens of a great commercial nation, prepared for busi
ness, desirous of participating in the new commercial era now dawning auspi
ciously upon the Pacific, Japan offers you her hearty co-operation.

Ito concluded the speech with the rhetorical flourish by which it came to
be known:

THE iWAKURA EMBASSY

The red disk in the center of our national flag shall no longer appear like a
wafer over a sealed empire, but henceforth be in fact what it is designed to be,
the noble emblem of the rising sun, moving onward and upward amid the
enlightened nations of the world.

It is not difficult to imagine Ito, proudly displaying his command of

English, basking in glory. Sasaki noted that since the other ambassadors
"were not conversant in the language, " they had lost the authority they
possessed at home, and it was Ito who wielded power as a result of his
fluent translation and reading abilities. S asaki, given his dislike for Ito,
was apprehensive: "This is a most dangerous state of affairs; my heart is
filled with concern." A month later, Sasaki was reviling Ito, whose embrace
of radical Westernization had extended to advocating freedom of religion,
as a "rude upstart who forgets the hard work of the government ministers
back home and wields in its place a shallow Japanese cunning. "35
Many instances of Ito's speech and actions , as we've seen, provoked
Sasaki's indignation. But what seems really to have bothered Sasaki was
the extent to which I to made himself the central figure in the embassy and
behaved more or less as he pleased.
Ito, we are told, was "spending absurd amounts of money and living it
up."36 Numerous anecdotes have survived regarding his extravagances :
smoking a n entire box o f expensive cigars b y himself i n five days; wearing
a hat that cost more than 15 ryo (a gold coin of considerable value at the
time); and so onY There is even a story that he set a match to the dress of
a nightclub dancer, saying that he wanted to see whether the chiffon she
was wearing would burn. 38 Ito was running riot, and his reckless behav
ior on "civilized" soil belied his affectation of Western manners and gives
us a glimpse of his true colors.
"This is a calamity!"
Before long, reality would put a damper on Ito's revelry. The embassy
arrived in Washington on January 2 1 , r872, and commenced discussions
of treaty revision on February 3 Its goal was modest-merely a post
ponement of the scheduled renegotiation of the treaty. Heartened,
however, by the warmth of their reception, the ambassadors overestimat
ed the Americans ' goodwill and began to think they might achieve an
immediate and favorable revision of the unequal treaty with the United

20

CHAPTER ONE

States. When Secretary of State Hamilton Fish pointed out that they lacked
the credentials certifying their plenipotentiary powers to enter into such
negotiations , they were undeterred. Okubo and Ito, who was already claim
ing that "the prospects are splendid for bringing off a revision of the
treaties," returned to Japan to obtain the necessary documents.39 What the
excited Japanese did not realize was that the Americans' display of good
will hid ulterior motives , as shown in the research of Shimomura Fujio
and I shii Takashi.40
Japan interpreted the American willingness to sit down at the negotiat
ing table as a major step toward ending extraterritoriality and restoring
Japan's tariff autonomy. But what the U . S . had in mind was "the imme
diate conclusion of a new treaty with Japan aimed at expanding its own
interests."41 Specifically, in return for making certain concessions regard
ing Japan's legal rights vis a vis foreign countries and the tariff issue,
America would seek freedom of travel for Americans within Japan's inte
rior; guarantees on the rights of Americans to conduct business with
Japanese; permission for U . S . vessels to call at ports not yet opened to for
eign shipping, ostensibly for coaling; and authorization for Americans to
acquire real estate in Japan.
An even bigger issue was the nonreciprocal most favored nation clause
contained in every treaty Japan had negotiated with Western nations. This
clause automatically extended any advantageous agreement Japan had con
cluded with one country to all of the other countries it had signed treaties
with. " I f," as British charge d'affaires Francis Adams noted, "the United
States won a number of concessions from Japan as a condition for lower
ing import and raising export duties, we [the British] would, thanks to the
most favored nation clause, not only be able to demand the same conces
sions but also be able to refuse renegotiation of the treaty."42
The mechanics of this clause were explained to Iwakura and Kido by
German ambassador to Japan Max von Brandt, who was in Washington at
the time, and by Ozaki Saburo, a J apanese student in London who had
rushed to Washington. Iwakura was puzzled by the unfamiliar term "non
reciprocal most favored nation clause. " When its meaning was made clear
to him, he is said to have shouted, "This is a calamity!"43 As I shii remarks,
Iwakura was learning a harsh lesson in the realities of diplomacy. In the
end, on June 17, 1872, the very day that Okubo and Ito returned from

THE IWAKURA EMBASSY

Tokyo with diplomatic credentials, the embassy decided to suspend treaty

negotiations.
Failure
The foregoing displays the diplomatic ineptitude of the Iwakura Embassy.
Much of the blame lay with Ito. As we have seen, during his earlier visit
to the United States, Ito proposed an effort to regain tariff autonomy and
promote Japanese domestic industry and urged that a mission be dis
patched to America and Europe to secure the necessary treaty revisions.
Ito's ultimate goal, as clear from his " Rising Sun" speech, was to position
Japan as a modern commercial nation and an important constituent of a
Pacific trade zone centered on the United States.
Blinded by the American goodwill offensive, the Japanese had over
looked the nonreciprocal most favored nation clauses at the core of the
unequal treaties. Far from achieving Japan's autonomy as a trading nation,
they would have courted disaster had they persisted in negotiating
with the Americans. Opening the interior of their country to foreign resi
dence and trade and permitting foreign use of unopened ports would have
invited a surge of foreign capital into Japan, rendering Japan attractive
prey for imperialism.
Worse, American hints at a willingness to restore Japan's tariff auton
omy in line with Ito's thinking were, in fact, duplicitous. The Americans
would disguise the preservation of existing tariff agreements through the
ruse of minor rate adjustm ents; they had no intention of restoring Japan's
tariff autonomy. For Ito, this was a humiliating failure.
irritated Kido
Ito's and Okubo's absence to secure plenipotentiary credentials brought
the embassy to a halt in America for four months, from February to
June r872. The pause led to reflection and, ultimately, to recrimination,
directed at Ito. It was Kido Takayoshi who led the charge. Given that the
result of the embassy's time in America was a failure akin to the mountain
laboring and bringing forth a mouse, criticism of Ito's rashness is under
standable.
From virtually the moment that Ito and Okubo had been dispatched to
secure negotiating credentials for the embassy, Kido had been apprehen
sive about treaty revision. Ito had managed to cajole the ambassadors into

An

21

22

CHAPTER ONE

immediately entering negotiations. But in his absence, the time to think

led them to foresee the possible benefits as pathetically small. Kido felt
what was being proposed were "all things which the foreigners will delight
in having" : the opening of several new ports, the right of foreigners to trav
el the interior of the country within certain specified conditions, and the
expansion of the areas open to foreign residence in Japan. "When I exam
ine our course," Kido wrote, " I regret that we relied on Ito and Charge
d' Affairs Mori [Arinori] who know a bit about foreign lands, without hold
ing thorough discussion of the Imperial instructions two or three times.
We are indeed remiss in this. "44
It goes without saying that things turned out pretty much as Kido had
feared. Already sensing the coming crisis, it was no doubt extremely irri
tating for Kido to have to wait so long for Ito's return while the embassy
bogged down in such a clumsy departure from its original agenda.
" It is," Kido writes , "a mere twenty years, after all, since our country
began to have diplomatic relations with foreign countries. In no way do
our diplomatic techniques and tactics measure up to those of the nations
of America and Europe-which is, of course, inevitable, considering the
time which the respective parties have spent at thi s . " Nevertheles s , he
adds, "if we make promises, then trample them underfoot, no matter how
trivial they be, and if we do not stick firmly to our position on matters con
cerning our country, I fear the world will lose faith in our country. "45
Kido's thoughts reveal a concern that the embassy-which had precipi
tously dispatched two of its leaders to secure credentials from the emper
or and was now cooling its heels to no purpose in a foreign land-was
becoming an international laughingstock.
And so Kido came to harbor great ill feeling for Ito's recent activities. In
Kido's eyes, Ito's radical advocacy of modernization, including his haste
with regard to treaty revision, was shallow and without sufficient consid
eration for J apan's national interests-being based primarily on Ito's
desire for fame and his fancy of himself as an expert on the West. This
impression was bolstered by the behavior of Mori Arinori. Another advo
cate of radical modernization, Mori teamed with Ito to push for immedi
ate treaty renegotiation and in Ito's absence antagonized the other
members of the mission with his arrogance. When his opinions were not
accepted in a meeting with other members of the embassy, Mori stormed
out and even traveled independently from the embassy for a time. Mori's

THE IWAKURA EMBASSY

opinion of himself as an American expert was the

basis for a number of instances of rude behavior
toward Kido and other members of the embassy.46
Because of this, Kido began to distance himself
from the radical modernizers, such as Ito and Mori.
The Kido who awaited Ito's return to Wash
ington, therefore, was not the sympathizer and pro
tector of old. In later years, Ito spoke of this in vague
terms and tried to shift the blame for the change in
Kido onto Okuma Shigenobu and Inoue Kaoru. Kido Takayoshi
"When I got back to America and saw Kido again, "
Ito maintained, "and the conversation turned t o Okuma and Inoue, Kido's
attitude toward me changed. "47 The truth was that Kido's gut-level distrust
of I to's frivolousness and superficiality had simply solidified. For the rest
of the embassy's journey, Kido treated Ito with a coldness palpable even to
outside observers.48
For Kido, the situation was painful. Only two months after arriving in
America he expressed in a letter his misgivings about participating in the
embassy: "Accepting the order to go with the embassy was the biggest
mistake in my life. I regret it terribly, but at this point there is nothing to
be done. "49
A major cause of Kido's flagging spirits was that linguistic difficulties
impeded his ability to gather information. Added to this, though, was his
distrust of Ito and others in the modernizing faction. Kido openly dis
played his distaste for how they showed off their knowledge of the West
and for their high-handed efforts to dominate the embassy. Mori Arinori
in particular rubbed Kido the wrong way, and Kido referred to Mori as
"that bastard" (kiyatsu) .50 To Kido, the modernizers were soulless advo
cates of "half-baked enlightenment" (nama kaika) .51
They make a big fuss about "enlightenment, enlightenment" but i t i s simply for
honor and gain. They forget their old friends and acquaintances, lose sight of
what is fundamental, and make a habit of superficiality.52

Kido viewed the advocates of rapid modernization as a shallow lot, unable

to see beyond the trappings of Westernization and motivated solely by

C HAPTER ONE

self-interest. He felt keenly that the grand design of the Japanese nation
could not be left to such people.
Yet the criticisms Kido voiced must have been directed in part at him
self. He, too, saw himself as a progressive and was now being forced to
reevaluate his advocacy of "enlightenment. " For Kido, the embassy thus
became his search for a new guiding principle for Japan to replace the
"enlightenment" he had previously espoused. Was he able to find that
guiding principle, and overcome his distress about the embassy? This
question will be dealt with in some detail later. For the moment, let us
look at another of the embassy's key figures: Okubo Toshimichi.
A melancholy Okubo
Travel across the great expanses of North America and in Europe was ,
o f course, by rail. I write " o f course" t o emphasize that the first Japanese
railway did not open until September 1872, in the midst of the embassy's
journey. When the embassy left Japan, this railway was still under con
struction, with track laid only from Yokohama to the harbor fortifications
at Shinagawa.
Anticipating the train travel they would face, however, it was felt that
"were [the party] to never have ridden on a train until they reached the
United States it would be an embarrassment. " So according to one par
ticipant, Makino Nobuaki, "we all went to the seaside at Shinagawa, board
ed the train directly from the beach, as there was no station or platform,
and rode as far as Yokohama. " 5 3 All in all, a rather pitiful exercise in
national pride.
This dress rehearsal behind them, embassy members then experienced
rail travel in the United States. One is curious to know what they thought,
rocked by the motion of the train as it raced across infinitely greater dis
tances then they had traveled before. Kume Kunitake gives us a glimpse
of what it was like aboard the train with the ambassadors:
In those days their railway cars were built to carry six people to a car. The one
I rode in contained Ambassador Iwakura , Okubo and Kido, and also Yama
guchi Naoyoshi, another of the vice-ambassadors; Hatakeyama Yoshinari, [at
the time known as Sugiura Kozo] and I rounded out the number to six.
Throughout our j ourney we six were always together. 5 4

THE IWAKURA E M BAS S Y

Where was Ito ? Kume tells us that " Ito always trav
eled separately. Among the vice-ambassadors he
was odd man out. " Kume adds, dryly, that Ito was
known as "quite a rake" and "was probably off chas
ing women or something."55
But it is Okubo who concerns us here, and Kume
appears to almost always have been with him:
Thus we had a fairly deep connection with Okubo, but
Okubo was in any case a man of few words, and riding

Okubo Toshimichi

the train he always just sat there smoking a cigar.

When we went by horse and carriage to tour someplace, and everyone else was
chatting away, excited by all the novelty, Okubo simply puffed away on his cigar,
and kept quiet. 56

According to Kume, Okubo was an interesting contrast to Kido. "On the

train, it seemed that Iwakura and Kido were always talking about some
thing, and if Hatakeyama and I were talking Kido would soon join in the
discussion, but Okubo just sat there with a smile on his face, saying not a
word."57 Even the smile was austere, scarcely more than a flicker around
the mouth. Most of the party seems to have been in awe of Okubo and to
have given him wide berth. Kume recounts that "during the entire course
of the trip you could have counted the number of times Okubo opened his
mouth. He was that taciturn."58
But the stern and intimidating demeanor that kept others at a distance
concealed Okubo's profound melancholy. From among the handful of
words Okubo spoke during the voyage, Kume records the following:
We overthrew the shogunate in order to restore rule to the emperor, and with
that task nearly accomplished, we have done about all we can do. Yet somehow
I see trouble ahead. After getting a first-hand look at the West in this way, I
don't think we are fit for such a world of progress.59

The work of Takahashi Hidenao indicates that the Restoration govern

ment just prior to the dispatch of the lwakura Embassy was brimming
with confidence and optimism. It had just executed a series of crucial
reforms abolishing the feudal domains and introducing a centralized

26

C HAPTER ONE

system of national and local government. "This euphoric state, intoxicat

ed with success," according to Takahashi, "was reflected in their views of
the United States and Europe and led to an overly optimistic assessment
of the situation in terms favorable to Japan. "60 That optimism also reveals
itself in the guileless explanation of Japan's situation and request for assis
tance in implementing reforms contained in the official letter borne by
the embassy abroad.
Actual contact with the West forced the ambassadors to reassess their
views. The affluence of Western civilization forced them to acknowledge
the magnitude of the gap between Japan and the West they were looking
to as a model and validated Okubo's lament.
For Okubo, the shock was great. Added to a sense of having been too
sanguine in his assessment of the West, he must also have felt chagrin at
returning to Japan to secure certification of the mission's plenipotentiary
powers-at having been duped by Ito into becoming an accomplice in a
senseless enterprise that disregarded the nation's interests. Okubo, more
over, was as irritated as Kido at his lack of competence with Western lan
guages. In Paris, he expressed his frustration, contemptuously describing
himself as being "like a wooden dummy. " 61
According to Kume Kunitake, Okubo was in extremely low spirits in
England, the embassy's destination after leaving the United States. Kume
recalls Okubo muttering, "An old man like me is going to be totally use
less from now on. I can't keep up with the times, so all I can do is get out
of the way."62 This sort of self-criticism can only have fueled Okubo' s
gloom.
For Kido and Okubo, therefore, the embassy was no pleasure cruise.
Quite the contrary. It caused them to look upon their country's future with
foreboding. A true leader, though, responds to adversity by opening new
frontiers, and as the journey continued, Okubo's spirits began to revive.
Both he and Kido sought to break out of their malaise by applying them
selves to the study of the Western civilization that so overwhelmed them.
What political vision did Kido and Okubo derive from their experience
of the West? Before dealing with this question, it may be useful to touch
on Kume Kunitake' s assessment of Western civilization in his careful
record of the embassy's progress.

THE IWAKURA EMBASSY

4 The Iwakura Embassy's Perspective on National Institutions

A brilliant comparative analysis of civilizations

The closest thing we have to what Tanaka Akira describes as "a detailed
official report" of the Iwakura Embassy is Kume Kunitake's 0-Bei kairan
jikki (A true account of a journey of observation through the United States
and Europe; hereafter referred to as ]ikki) .63 Kume went on to become a
professor at Tokyo Imperial University and one of the leading historians
of the Meiji period. Known for employing a rigorously empirical approach
to the study of history, Kume is also famous for his dismissal from the
university in r 8 9 2 after publishing the controversial article " S hinto wa
saiten no kozoku" (Shinto as an ancient custom to consecrate heaven) .
Kume accompanied the Iwakura Embassy as its recording secretary and
was at the side of its two major figures, Okubo and Kido, for most of the
journey across America and Europe. In a sense, he served as their eyes
and ears in observing Western civilization. So it is fair to say that the image
of Western civilization in ]ikki encompasses the impressions of Okubo
and Kido.
jikki provides more than a detailed account of the embassy's movements
and observations. It also offers a brilliant comparative analysis of civiliza
tions. There are numerous studies of this landmark in the travel literature
of modern Japan, notably the outstanding achievements of Tanaka Akira,
Nishikawa Nagao, Haga Toru, and I zumi Saburo, that should be consult
ed for an overview of the embassy and for a detailed discussion of its obser
vations of the West. Here, however, I offer my own approach to ]ikki and
to extracting the essence of its discourse on Western civilization.
The uniqueness ofWestem political thought
Chapter 89 of]ikki, " Europa-shu seizoku soron" (A general survey of polit
ical practices and customs in Europe) , yields Kume' s deeply interesting
discourse on comparative political culture. It ranks as a highlight of his
voluminous work.
According to European racial theory, the race which inhabits East Asia (that is,
China and Japan) . . . are remarkably civilized, and it is the custom of their
rulers to practice benevolent and compassionate government. Because the prin
ciples of law and principles of morality became intermingled, however, the

28

CHAPTER ONE

rules which govern relations within the family came to be the model for rela
tions between between ruler and subject. These peoples lack a sense of shame,
so the [idea of a) right to autonomy has never arisen among them.64

Kume accurately captures two major aspects ofWestern political thought.

First is the distinction between the "principles of law" (or social norms)
and "principles of morality_ " Second is the stress on the autonomy of the
individual. The first also signifies a divorce between politics and morality,
the implications of which will be discussed later. For the moment, let us
consider the second point.
Fukuzawa Yukichi, the influential writer and educator, had already
praised the autonomy and self-reliance of the individual as the essence of
Western civilization in his famous formula: "When the individual is inde
pendent, the nation is independent. " According to Fukuzawa, "When the
people of a nation come together of their own free will to defend the nation
and secure their own rights and honor, this is what we call the indepen
dence or the civilization of a nation. " In other words, he believed that a
civilized, free, and independent nation was possible only when the people
actively preserved their rights and honor and guarantees of these were
maintained. Fukuzawa further asserts that "The independence of our
nation is the goal, and the civilization of its people the means to achieving
that goal." What he is saying is that a civilized people-a collective of
autonomous individuals-is a prerequisite for national independence.65
Kume shares this thinking_ Perceiving the autonomy of the individual
as a salient characteristic of Western civilization, Kume saw the develop
ment of national strength by an "autonomous people" Uishu no tami) as
among the major tasks facing Japanese civilization. He felt that the logi
cal development from one to the other would not be easy, because Kume
felt uncomfortable with certain aspects of Western civilization-notably
the peculiarly Western principle of interest-based politics .
According t o Kume, a pillar o f the individual autonomy that was the
pride of the West and one of the guiding principles of Western politics
was the relentless pursuit of private interest. "The people of Europe, "
Kume lamented, "make their livelihoods through competition with one
another in seeking to satisfy their desire for profit. "66 Kume had discovered
the role of interest politics in Western political culture-the conflict and
competition of interests and the political institutions that served them.

THE

IWAKU R A EMBA S S Y

This was antithetical t o the traditional political thought o f East Asia, in

which politics was seen as the loftiest manifestation of virtue. Kume
squarely faces this contradiction:
The received idea of the [respective) characters of the two races is this: the white
race has powerful desires, manifests zealotry in matters of religion, and is
deficient in self-control. In short, it is a race of strong passions. In the yellow
race, desires are weak and the ability to bend the character [by curbing impuls
es) is strong. In brief, it is a race of few passions. The principal concerns of gov
ernment [in East and West] are therefore opposites. In the West, government
concerns itself primarily with the protection [of life and property) ; in the East,
government concerns itself primarily with [the inculcation on morality.67

This passage has often been cited as an example of Kume's "racial theory."
Nishikawa Nagao, however, points out that what is being discussed here
is a "matter of fact" not "a matter of values. "68 Kume is simply and objec
tively spelling out the fact that power politics in the defense of interests,
completely different in spirit from the East Asian tradition of rule by
virtue, is at the root of the strength and the prosperity of the West.
The clash of interests
Another principle of Western political culture is the separation of politics
from morality. Kume speaks of this as something that put an end to social
and political dependence on a patriarchal Other, enabling individual
autonomy. An additional implication that I would like to point out is that
the demand for the separation of politics and morality disregards consid
erations of morality, encouraging instead the people' s pursuit of profit
domestically and its protection from external threats. Social ills may arise
out of competition in the pursuit of interests, but it is not a primary
responsibility of politics to intervene or to impose regulations to prevent
this. Politics stands as the servant not of morality but of practical inter
ests. In Kume's view, other principal concepts ofWestern politics, such as
"justice" and "society," have no moral coloration. Their social currency
derives solely from their utility as the tools of interest politics:
In any discussion o f the linchpins of European government, i t is invariably
stated that they are " ' justice"' and " ' society. "' By '"justice"' is meant the

30

C H A PTE R O N E

clarification of rights and duties. '" S ociety"' refers to the warm feeling that
exists within a community. One might go so far as to say that these are the
equivalents of the two words gi ['righteousness'] and jin ['benevolence' ] .
'" Benevolence"' and '"righteousness , " ' however, are concepts which are found
ed upon morality, while "'justice'" and '"society"' are ideas derived from the
protection of property. Their meanings are therefore diametrically opposed.
When observing the political culture of Europe it is of the utmost importance
never to lose sight of this fundamental point. 69

For someone steeped in the East Asian tradition in which virtue was
the ultimate value of civilization, Western politics, with its pursuit of pri
vate interest and its use of power to legitimize that pursuit, was no doubt
abhorrent.
In the West the chief concern of government is protection [of the people and
their property] . In the East, it is the inculcation of morality [in the people]. When
we observe Western nations in the light of the usages of our own system of
government, therefore, [we see that] even when circumstances appear to be the
same the people's temperaments are shaped by different fundamental ideas.7

Here Kume seems to have arrived at the idea of an ethnic difference in

the basic temperament of the Eastern and Western peoples . If East Asian
civilization was a civilization of sheep nourished by the virtue of rulers,
then Western civilization was a civilization of wolves bred out of the relent
less and intense clash of private interests.
Surviving "war in peacetime"
What Kume saw being presented under the aegis of Western civilization
was a simple choice of eating or being eaten. Through their negotiations
for treaty revision with the Americans, the Japanese were made acutely
aware of the cunning that underlay the politesse of civilization, as indi
cated in ]ikki:
In the course of diplomacy in Western countries , while amity and justice
are displayed in the light, deceit and envy invariably reign in the dark.
Whenever there is some incident, even a declaration of complete neutrality is
only intended for show.71

T H E I WA K U RA E M B A S S Y

A s this civilization o fwolves advanced eastward, East Asia had fallen under
its sway. The East was being introduced to "war in peacetime" -the strug
gle for survival amid unceasing competition that came with entry into the
sphere of Western civilization:
Commerce is war in peacetime. Heaven cannot be relied upon, nor can Earth.
The only thing that can be relied upon is the willingness of men to cooperate
with one another.7 2

The members of the embassy, who had departed their country for America
and Europe determined to become participants in the civilization of the
West, had now had a glimpse of the realities of that civilization's "war in
peacetime." The national mission that then fell to them was to discover
how their country could survive it. They began to recognize that the best
means to this end was "the willingness of men to cooperate with one
another. "
The institutionalization o f nationalism
Kume grasped the essence ofWestern civilization as competition between
autonomous individuals engaged in the pursuit of personal profit. In this
context, the role of politics became the expansion of personal gain through
the encouragement of such competition. Competition between individu
als, by this logic, is raised to the level of social competition and, ultimate
ly, of competition among nations. The "war in peacetime" in pursuit of
profit becomes the essential nature of international politics, with people
forming nations in order to emerge victorious in this struggle:
H owever, people have a right to autonomy, and they live in a world of compet
ing interests. Authority must not bow to, nor laws be shackled by, nor punish
ments be deterred by relationships among interests . The way to ensure that
these are properly safeguarded is to create a society in which men join togeth
er to cooperate with one another in the competition among interests .73

Kume is preaching the necessity of increasing "the cooperative impulse"

among autonomous individuals and of forming "united and cooperative
associations" to engage in competition for profit. He sees the ultimate
form of such cooperation as the nation-state, because the highest form of

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C H A PT E R O N E

the "cooperative impulse" i s found in the hearts of individuals a s patrio

tism or nationalism:
Although the countries of the world differ in size, each is dedicated to its way
of life, and if a nation achieves independence, a spirit of patriotism inevitably
wells up [in their hearts] . It is rather like loving oneself and one's home [above
other places] . . . People born in a particular land naturally love that land, just
as trees rely on their roots. Therefore, the patriotic mind naturally gives rise to
humane feelings and becomes a source of loyalty. When the people of Europe
and America talk about civilization, it is based on patriotism.74

The task Japan faced in achieving a spirit of cooperation among its people
in order to join the ranks of the "civilized" world is restated as an effort to
arouse and develop feelings of patriotism and nationalism. In other words,
the task was to institutionalize this nationalism or spirit of national inde
pendence. According to Kume, the establishment of a constitution was an
integral part of this process. Based on observations in Belgium, Kume
writes:
Belgians contend that i f there are too few people who are [economically] self
sufficient, the country will grow weak and become difficult to preserve. The
political and legal systems here are all set up with the aim of cultivating self
reliance, with everyone, high and low, participating to foster a culture of dili
gence and to nurture independent enterprise.75

The need to establish a constitution is clear. A constitution can nurture a

spirit of national independence and unity among the people, encourage
the growth of individual autonomy, and enhance the nation's power. It is
the backbone of national integration.
In jikki, a variety of factors-technology, industry, and so forth-are
cited as making the civilized nations what they are. One of the most impor
tant, as we have seen, is a framework of national institutions fostering
nationalism. And so the attention of the Iwakura Embassy began to focus
upon the concept of a national structure organized around a system of
constitutional government.
At the outset of this chapter, it was noted that the embassy's tour of
Western civilization was a search for "civilized" national institutions.

THE

iWAKU RA E M BASSY

Witnessing firsthand the institutions o f the United States and Europe, the
embassy's members began to develop a vision of the type of institutional
structures suited to Japan. The institutionalization of nationalism has been
discussed. Kume, however, stipulates another principle governing the
national institutions of the civilized nations: gradualism.
"And so we move forward by degrees"
On September 27, 1872, the embassy visited the world-renowned British
Museum. Kume records the following:
When one looks at the objects displayed in its museums, the sequence of stages
of civilization through which a country has passed are immediately apparent to
the eye and are apprehended directly by the mind.76

The embassy thereafter made a point of visiting museums at each stop on

its itinerary. In June 1873, its members toured the Universal Exposition in
Vienna and were impressed by its magnificence.77
Indeed, for the Iwakura Embassy, all of America and Europe were a uni
versal exposition. Kume writes of museums as follows:
" S eeing but once is better than hearing a hundred times," said the ancients,
and truly the sense of sight is more important than the sense of hearing in
enabling people to absorb information.78

jikki is a record of observations made in that great exposition hall of civi

lization: the countries of the Western world. These observations also led
the embassy's members to reflect on the character of individual nations .
The West, they saw, was not monolithic; its countries presented innu
merable differences in terms of prevailing conditions, institutions, and so
on. The embassy was touring a vast display of national systems and insti
tutions, and Kume notes that
on the surface of the earth there are a dazzling array of nations inhabited by var
ious peoples with diverse customs and lifestyles who are joined together in a
magnificent display like a hundred flowers in bloom. While countries in Europe
resemble one another in their shared political roots, it is in their ways oflife that
the differences between them lie.79

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C H A PT E R O N E

The embassy was dispatched to discover the common structure and insti
tutions essential to civilized nations . What confronted it when it reached
the West, however, was not unity but diversity. As Kume writes , the
Western nations may have originated in a shared political culture, but his
tory had forged palpably different national characters. Faced with this real
ity, the embassy turned its attention to the " stages of civilization" that
Kume cites in his impressions of the British Museum, given in full here:
When one looks at the objects displayed in its museums, the sequence of stages
of civilization through which a country has passed are immediately apparent to
the eye and are apprehended directly by the mind. No country has ever sprung
into existence fully formed. The weaving of the pattern in the nation's fabric is
always done in a certain order. The knowledge acquired by those who precede
is passed on to those who succeed; the understanding achieved by earlier gen
erations is handed down to later generations; and so we move forward by
degrees. This is what is called "progress . " Progress does not mean discarding
what is old and contriving something which is entirely new. In the forming of
a nation, therefore, customs and practices arise whose value is tested by con
stant use, so that when new knowledge arises it naturally does so from [exist
ing] sources, and it is from these sources that it derives its value. Nothing is
better than a museum for showing clearly the stages by which these processes
happen. " S eeing but once is better than hearing a hundred times," said the
ancients , and truly the sense of sight is more important than the sense of hear
ing in enabling people to absorb information.80

Clearly, the British Museum tour inspires Kume to contemplate the laws
of development. He sees that progress consists not of recklessly discard
ing the old, but rather in maintaining traditions and "moving forward by
degrees." In short, he finds gradualism. Kume sees that Western civiliza
tion is founded on continuity of tradition. The tendency in Japan, howev
er, was to praise Western civilization and its accomplishments and to
abandon Japanese traditions . Kume recognizes that this is not an enlight
ened attitude and laments, " How can this be called progress? A large tree
of a hundred years' growth does not mature overnight."81 Instead, it was
the following attitude that gave rise to Western progress:

THE

iWAKU RA E M BASSY

Westerners strive for innovation, but a t the same time they reflect upon the
past and revere the ancient, retaining rather than discarding it. Always treating
things in this manner might be said to be a custom of civilization.82

Western custom, therefore, is true to the old Japanese proverb: " Discover
the new by studying the old" (furuki o tazunete atarashiki o shiru) . Kume
rebukes the shallowness of his countrymen who advocate radical mod
ernization at the expense of tradition and offers gradualism as an antidote.
Fukuzawa Yukichi wrote that "the reason we have made Western civi
lization our goal is that we believe the spirit of civilization with which we
wish to equip ourselves is to be found there. "83 For Fukuzawa, civilization
was not merely a means to national prosperity and strength, it was a spir
itual matter.
This might also be said to be Kume's conclusion. Amid the diversity of
the civilized nations that he encounters, Kume saw that the lesson to be
learned was the ethos of civilization, which embodied both nationalism
and gradualism. This was also where a vision for civilized national insti
tutions should be sought:
The basic principle of government in Europe is to rule in accordance with the
peoples' customs, rather than bend them [to the ruler's will] or suppress them
outright. 84

The spirit running consistently through Western political culture was of

government based on the manners and customs of the people. Hasty imi
tation ofWestern national institutions by Japan was to be avoided in favor
of their gradual adoption and cultivation on the basis of Japanese political
customs and practices. Kurne, it might be said, conceived of national insti
tutions as the institutionalization of two aspects of the spirit of civiliza
tion: nationalism and political tradition.
This blueprint for the shape of the nation was certainly not an individ
ual discovery on Kume' s part. Kido and Okubo, the most important of the
vice-ambassadors, submitted memoranda upon their return to Japan that
detail their opinions on the issue of national institutions and are evidence
of the value of their experiences in the West. We look next at the design
each of them sketched out for the structure of the Japanese nation.

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C H A PT E R O N E

" Progress from the very marrow"

As we have already seen, the failure in the United States of the attempt at
treaty renegotiation spearheaded by Ito led to a falling out between Kido
and I to. This was due in part to a mismatch of personalities between Kido
and such advocates of "enlightenment" as Ito and Mori. But it also arose
from Kido's distress at having to reassess the modernization policies that
Japan had implemented since the Meiji Restoration.
Given that Kido had remarked that the trip overseas was "the biggest
mistake in my life," it must have been all the more painful for him to be
stuck in Washington waiting for Ito and Okubo. The unscheduled
stopover, though, had unexpected results . Kido and his associates
immersed themselves in studying the national institutions of the United
States, and research into Western governmental structures became the
dominant theme of the remainder of Kido' s journey.85
Kido was a budding constitutionalist from the outset. A month after
arriving in the United States he remarks in his diary on the need to "devel
op a more fundamental law" based on the Charter Oath of 1 8 6 8 , "so dur
ing this trip I want to give the highest priority to an inquiry into the basic
laws and structure of each country we visit. "86 And he does. Assisted by
close associates Kume Kunitake and Sugiura Kozo in the United States
and by Aoki Shuzo once the embassy reached Europe, Kido pored over the
constitutions of each country visited and met with some of those nations '
leading scholars, including Maurice Bloch ( 1 8 1 6 - 1 9 0 1 ) in France and
Rudolf von Gneist ( 1 8 1 6-9 5 ) in Germany. This allowed him to hear views
on constitutional government firsthand. After visiting Gneist he noted in
his diary, "I profited a great deal from our talk. "87 Though terse, the entry
is testimony to Kido's ambitious research.
As a result, Kido came to share Kume's insight that the issue was not the
superficial fruits of civilization, but its essential spirit-not its skin, but
its marrow:
If we do not set aside for a time the things that are merely skin-deep, and
progress from the very marrow, then I fear for the damage today's "enlighten
ment" may wreak upon the future.88

T H E iWAKU RA E M B A S S Y

This shift i n focus was occasioned i n part by the diversity o f national insti
tutions and political systems that confronted Kido as he studied the con
stitutions of the Western powers:
Each country naturally differs in its manners and customs and the tempera
ment of its people. Thus it follows that the realities of each country's form of
government should also differ greatly.89

Kido recognized, moreover, that his insight warranted equally serious con
sideration in reforming national institutions. Kido had ample opportuni
ty to observe in the farce surrounding the attempt at treaty renegotiations
the laxness of judgment accompanying the superficial advocacy of mod
ernization and arrived at the conviction that "the basis of the nation has not
yet been established. "90 Progress toward enlightenment demanded a
reassessment of the foundations of the nation, and this must be carried out
in such a way as to foster "progress from the very marrow," adapted to the
unique character of the Japanese people. Upon returning to Japan, Kido
submitted a memorial advocating the establishment of constitutional
government, the embodiment of his most fervent hopes for genuine
enlightenment.
The most urgent task
On July 2 3 , 187 3 , Kido returned to Japan before the main party of the
Iwakura Embassy. He was confronted with a caretaker government that
had broken its promises to its members who had been sent abroad and
had pushed ahead with modernizing reforms. Saigo Takamori, moreover,
was about to submit a proposal for a punitive expedition to Korea that
would soon throw the government into turmoil. Overhasty reformism and
adventurism were not unique to embassy members such as Ito. Kido must
have felt acutely that "the basis of the nation has not yet been established. "
Indeed, Kido had returned to a nation whose foundation was shaky. He
immediately submitted a memorial to the emperor regarding a constitu
tion. The substance of that memorial was published in October in
Shimbun zasshi (News digest) under the title " Kido sangi kichogo no
enzetsu" ( S peech by Councillor Kido upon his return to Japan) . What he
said is worth examining.91

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C H A PT E R O N E

Kido proposed that "the most urgent task at present is to supplement the
foundation provided by the Charter Oath with additional articles and
expand it into regulations for government. "92 By "regulations for govern
ment," Kido means a constitution, and he clearly sees an expanded version
of Emperor Meiji's five-article Charter Oath of 1 8 6 8 as the means to fulfill
the nation's pressing need for a constitution. Why a constitution is so
important is addressed by Kido in a passage that demonstrates the value
of his experiences in the West:
If we consider the nations of the world, whether great or small, similar or dis
similar, the key to their prosperity or failure, survival or ruin, lies entirely in
what they have achieved or failed to achieve in terms of establishing a consti
tution [seiki tensoku: literally a code of regulations for govemance] .93

In other words, a country's survival hinges on the state of its constitution.

A good constitution is the cornerstone of a nation's existence and the foun
dation of its prosperity.
When a single sovereign is able to unite all the lesser lords and exercise author
ity over the entire country, then even if its territories are not vast, if all follow
the same path and share common interests, this is sufficient to defend against
any insult from neighboring lands.94

The independence, prosperity, and power of a nation are, according to

Kido, guaranteed when the people are united under a single ruler. Like
Kume, Kido conceived of a constitution as the backbone of national unity.
Kido's project
Among the various issues facing the nation, Kido places top priority on
establishing a constitution. What he calls for to accomplish this "urgent
task" is strong leadership on the part of the emperor and his government.
The benefits of civilization were not yet commonly known throughout
J apan. Bold decision-making by the emperor and implementation by
his ministers was required to gradually lead the people to the citadel of
civilization:

T H E iWAKU RA E M B A S S Y

Very little time has passed since the Restoration, and naturally more will be
required for our knowledge to advance to the point that we can create a popu
lar assembly. Therefore, it scarcely needs saying that for the present, the lead
ers of the government should debate all matters thoroughly, with His Majesty
the Emperor continuing to exercise absolute authority.95

Kido is endorsing absolutist rule by the emperor and his advisers . His
determination to achieve the immediate goal of an "autocratic constitu
tion" (dokusai no kempo) was unshakeable. In November 1873. shortly after
Kido had submitted his memorial to the throne, Ito asked Kido's opinion
on the form the government should take. Kido flatly stated that "the fun
damental law of the state must be 'despotic. "'96
It may seem strange that Kido, a progressive, would so dispassionately
support autocracy. But his ideas were grounded in his experience of the
West. He knew that even autocracy requires the confidence and trust of the
people, and that even even the emperor "cannot treat the realm as the pri
vate property of the imperial house. "97 An autocratic constitution, insofar
as it was to be constitutional, must have as its central purpose not the
maintenance of despotic rule but respect for the will of the people and the
fostering of national unity. Government on the basis of the popular will
was the fundamental point of a constitutional system:
In the civilized nations , sovereigns do not rule arbitrarily [emphasis added in
the Shimbun zasshi edition) . Rather, they achieve unity and cooperation among
the people of the country and carry out their will by establishing regulations
for the affairs of state, delegating responsibility for judgment upon them to an
agency called the government, and staffing it with talented officials. These offi
cials are entrusted by the united will of the people to bear the heavy responsi
bility of the affairs of state, and even in times of great emergency or crisis , they
must not act irresponsibly, in ways that are not permitted by the united will of
the people. The people hold them strictly to this by admonishing them if they
exceed their authority, and their representatives carefully scrutinize all matters
in order to prevent arbitrary decisions on the part of the officials.98

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C H A PT E R O N E

Kido continues:
The people have individual rights and have duties. Asserting their rights , they
preserve their innate liberty; taking up their duties they participate in the pub
lic affairs of the nation-this is the raison d'etre of the people.99

Although Kido flirts with harsh terms, such as despotism and autocracy,
what he has in mind is a people's constitution-a political structure that
promotes the political enlightenment of the people and protects their
rights .
The project Kido outlines for Japan's national institutions is intended to
guarantee the nation's independence based on the political and social
autonomy of its citizens, achieved as described. Beyond talk of an auto
cratic constitution, Kido's sights are set on the eventual establishment of
a constitutional monarchy in which sovereignty is shared with the people:
If His Majesty the Emperor will act decisively to welcome the will of the peo
ple, codify the affairs of state, and delegate their determination in such a way
as to control arbitrary decisions on the part of the officials, thus making the
public affairs of the nation a common concern, then what is today an autocratic
constitution will certainly, at some later time, when deliberations among the
people reach that point, serve as the seed of a constitution of shared sovereignty,
which will become a great pillar of the happiness of the people. 1 00

Kido, it is well known, opposed Saigo Takamori and others in their agita
tion for a punitive expedition against Korea. He argued that "at this time
the proper management of internal administration must have first prior
ity . " 1 0 1 In his very real opposition to the Korean adventure, Kido again
demonstrates his desire for national reform grounded in his observations
of the Western nations. He understands that before anything else can be
undertaken a firm basis for domestic government must be established.
The manifestation of his political conviction was a constitutional form of
government with two central pillars: the development of a patriotic citi
zenry and a gradual transition from autocratic rule to shared sovereignty.
It was a vision for the shape of the nation shared by Okubo Toshimichi.

TH E IWAKU RA E M BASSY

The sole fruit

During his time in Europe, Okubo spoke derisively of himself as being
"like a wooden dummy" and spent his days sunk in gloom. A letter that he
wrote in January 1 873 from Paris says that the survey of the United States,
Britain, and France is at an end and hints at his deepening pessimism:
" Even if we manage to climb a few rungs up the ladder of civilization, there
are a myriad of ways in which we cannot measure up [to these coun
tries] . " 102 Of Prussia and Russia, however, which the embassy had yet to
visit, he writes, as if trying to buck himself up, "In my humble opinion
there should be a great deal in these countries we might adopt as
standards . " 103
The newly risen Germany and Tsarist Russia, located as they were
on the periphery of the Western nations , must have been suggestive mod
els for J apan. This was especially true of the new German empire. Its
national prestige had expanded rapidly when, powered by the military
might of Prussia, it had defeated France, regarded as being in the first
rank of the civilized nations, in the Franco-Prussian War of i 870-71. It is
not difficult to see why Okubo had hopes for what he might learn there.
These hopes were not unfounded. Okubo writes from Berlin to Saigo
Takamori and Yoshii Tomozane in Tokyo that
this country is very different from the other countries of Europe; it has a more
rough-hewn and honest aspect. And particularly since it has produced such
great teachers as the famous Bismarck and Moltke, who make me want to fol
low in their footsteps. 1 04

It appears that contact with such nation-building heroes as Bismarck and

Moltke on the eve of his return to Japan helped Okubo to at last dispel his
gloom. The day before sailing back to Japan, he wrote: "I am inclined to say
that meeting the great teachers Bismarck and Moltke alone was worth
while. " 105 For Okubo, his experience of Germany appears to have been the
sole fruit of the embassy.
Realpolitik
What Okubo learned in Germany is suggested by the text of a talk given
to the ambassadors by Bismarck that must have made quite an impres
sion on Okubo.

C H A PTE R O N E

The embassy left Japan naive in its faith in "the law of nations, " an ide
alistic belief in what was thought to be a dependable international standard
of civilization. But the Japanese reassessed their appraisal when faced with
the realities of Western politics and diplomacy. Bismarck clearly support
ed their misgivings :
Nations these days all appear to conduct relations with amity and"'c ourtesy,
but this is entirely superficial, for behind this fa<;:ade lurks a struggle for
supremacy and mutual contempt. 'o 6

Bismarck then says this about the "law of nations" :

From the very beginning, the so-called international law, which was supposed
to protect the rights of all nations, afforded us no security at all. In cases involv
ing a dispute, a great power would invoke international law and stand its
ground if it stood to benefit, but if it stood to lose it would simply change tack
and use military force, so that it never limited itself to defense alone. Small
nations like ours, however, would assiduously abide by the letter of the law and
universal principles , not daring to transgress them so that, faced with ridicule
and contempt from the greater powers, we invariably failed to protect our right
to autonomy, no matter how hard we tried. 1 07

It is quintessential Bismarck and a legitimation of Realpolitik. Bismarck

goes on to defend the "blood and iron" policies he has used to advance
Prussia's fortunes :
Aroused by this deplorable state of affairs, we summoned our strength as a
nation and made a great effort to promote a patriotic spirit with a view to
becoming a country that merited due respect in diplomatic affairs . In the sev
eral decades since then, right up to the present day, all we have ever set out to
achieve has simply been to uphold the autonomous rights of each nation.
Nevertheless, we hear constant expressions of horror from other powers at the
way Prussia has used force on all fronts, and they censure us for rejoicing in our
military prowess and depriving people of their sovereign rights. This , howev
er, is entirely contrary to the will of our country, for it is our hope that, moti
vated solely by respect for national rights , each nation may be independent and

T H E iWAKU RA E M BASSY

conduct diplomatic relations o n equal terms, living within its just territories
without its borders being violated. 108

In concluding his message, Bismarck urges the Japanese to see

Germany as the best model for Japan. He tells them that "while Japan may
now have amicable diplomatic relations with a number of countries, its
friendship with Germany should be the most intimate of all because of
the true respect in which we hold the right of self-government. " 1 09
For Okubo and the embassy as a whole, Bismarck's speech was eye
opening. Bismarck begins by asserting that civilization and the law of
nations are at base nothing other than competition and the balance of
power and ends by teaching that only naked force can be relied on to pre
serve national independence.
In May 1873 , Okubo returned to Japan with Bismarck's teachings fresh
in his mind. His answer to the question what must be done to increase the
nation's power and preserve its independence is identical to Kido's-estab
lish a constitution.
Advocacy of progressive constitutionalism
On November 1 9 , 1873 , the government ordered Ito Hirobumi and
Terashima Munenori to investigate the form of government Japan should
adopt. Okubo, meanwhile, had handed Ito a memorandum on constitu
tional government. 1 1 0
Okubo begins his memorandum along the lines o f thought o f Kume
and Kido. He acknowledges the diverse political systems in the United
States and Europe, ranging from monarchies to democracies, and accepts
that each has strengths, such that it is difficult to judge the best. " In the
first place, " Okubo writes,
monarchies and democracies differ as forms of government, but generally
speaking they arise naturally in response to factors that include geography, the
customs and temperament of the people, and the movement of history, and as
such they are not something that can be constructed overnight. Yet neither are
they something that should simply be clung to stubbornly out of dependence
upon the past. 1 1 1

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The political institutions o f a nation arise organically and cannot be

designed anew solely by human ingenuity. At the same time, it will not do
to fall into a hidebound conservatism. Reform of national institutions
must be considered, but this cannot be done in superficial imitation of the
national systems of foreign countries, such as the United States, Great
Britain, or Russia.
The issue, therefore, is how to establish a system of national govern
ment suited to J apan's environment and political culture. "At present,
there is no more important and urgent task than to deliberate upon the
shape of our nation (kokutai) . " 1 1 2 Okubo emphasizes domestic adminis
tration, seeing Japan's most urgent task to be the strengthening of its foun
dations . He, too, stipulates that the first thing that must be done is to
establish a "codified national law" (teiritsu kokuho)-a constitution.
Okubo thus shares with Kido a grand plan for the establishment of a
constitution. Differences, though, are apparent between the two men' s
view of what its content should b e . I n contrast t o Kido's advocacy of
monarchical absolutism, Okubo calls for shared sovereignty between the
emperor and his people:
In [re]constructing the land of our forefathers, how is it possible that we could
exclude its people from [participation in its] governance? But if we create a gov
ernment for the people, then how can we possibly abandon their sovereign and
hope to preserve the nation? Thus a constitution should create a system of
shared sovereignty between the monarch and the people, defining the rights of
the ruler above, and the rights of the people below, achieving fairness and jus
tice for both ruler and ruled and eliminating selfish interests . l l l

The prevalent image o f Okubo i s o f a crafty, dictatorial political operator.

But the content of Okubo's memorandum to Ito suggests instead a man
whose political philosophy is a conscientious and progressive endorse
ment of constitutional government . 1 1 4 Compared, at the very least, with
Kido's remarks on "despotism, " Okubo's championing of dual sovereign
ty has a progressive ring.
Democracy and gradualism
Rather than picking apart the differences in their language, however, it is
probably more fruitful to note the structural similarities in the two men's

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i W A K U RA E M B A S S Y

positions. Certainly there are differences between the concepts o f autoc

racy and dual sovereignty, but there was, in fact, little that separated Kido
and Okubo in terms of where they positioned "the people" in their politi
cal discourse. Okubo asks, " H ow can we exclude the people from . . . gov
ernance?" He goes on to state that a constitution should define the mutual
rights and constraints of the sovereign and the people to ensure that nei
ther converts the public trust into a private possession.
For Kido, an autocratic constitution was only a temporary expedient for
realizing the popular will. H e j oins Okubo in aspiring to a system of
national politics that facilitates the enlightenment of the people. Nor were
the two that far apart concerning how best to achieve this goal, as Okubo's
words show:
We should not blindly copy the systems of dual sovereignty between monarch
and people that are found in the various countries of Europe. Our country
has its own canon of laws based on an unbroken imperial line. There are
still limits to the enlightenment of the people. So we must deliberate and care
fully consider what is appropriate in terms what we have and what we do not,
what will be of benefit and what would be harmful, and frame a constitution
accordingly.' "

Okubo is calling for the establishment of a constitution that protects

Japan's ancient and unbroken imperial tradition and is calibrated to the
degree of enlightenment possessed by the Japanese people. Ito Hirobumi,
the recipient of this memorandum, described it as "a gradualist argument
for constitutional government. " 1 1 6
Both Kido and Okubo's positions o n constitutional government took
democracy and gradualism as organizational principles . Both men hoped
first to establish the overall framework of the political system with a con
stitution, utilizing it to develop the political and social energies of the peo
ple and to achieve national unity. And both saw it as essential to proceed
gradually with the creation of this new order.
The Struggle for Rights
On March u, r 8 7 2 , as the Iwakura Mission was arriving in Washington,
a lecture was being given in the Austrian capital of Vienna that would be
discussed for generations to come. The lecturer was Rudolf von Jhering

45

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C H A PTE R O N E

(18 18-8z), among the greatest German legal scholars of his day. H e titled
his presentation "The Struggle for Rights . " 1 1 7
Jhering argues passionately that the struggle o f individuals t o assert and
establish their rights is an indispensable factor in the formation and devel
opment of just laws . He maintains that this struggle is a sublime duty of
mankind, a duty that is not merely personal, but an ethical duty to the
nation.
The individual's struggle for personal rights, says Jhering, is a lofty
undertaking, for it is also a struggle to defend the constitutional order of
the nation and, as such, will contribute to enhancing the nation's position
within international law. All people, he urges, should be "fighters, born
to assert their rights in the interests of society. " In a nation made up of
individuals endowed with this fighting spirit, the constitutional rights won
by the people in their struggle for liberty and the rights won by the nation
in its struggle against foreign adversaries will be duly exercised. For
Jhering, the essence of Western civilization was the achievement of order
through conflict.
Yet it must be pointed out that Jhering also sounds an alarm for
Western civilization. Capitalism had taken root in the West, and the birth
pangs of industrialization had commenced. Austria's neighbor, Germany,
was experiencing an economic bubble, with corporations springing up
overnight. Jhering asserts the heritage of the European law in the face of
the struggle for profit rampant in society at large. He appeals instead for
a struggle for rights, accompanied by ethical self-restraint.
When the lwakura Embassy landed in Europe, Western civilization was
in an era of upheaval. The Japanese witnessed firsthand the factories
springing up everywhere and the dazzling technological developments of
the times . They also saw how the struggle for profit that provided the
motive force for this activity was testing even the independence of nations .
But could they have concluded, as Jhering preached, that the historical
significance of the struggle in Europe resided in an ethically tinged strug
gle for rights ? Or was such an overview of Western civilization in an era
of transition something possible only for a gifted scholar, such as Jhering?
What is certain is that the embassy's members had their eyes opened to
a concept alien to them: conflict as a principle of civilization. For leaders
such as Kido and Okubo, this occasioned a paradigm shift in their under
standing of civilization and of the policies required to guide their nation.

THE

iWAKU RA E M BASSY

Their goal had changed from a n emphasis o n the law o f nations t o the
establishment of a constitution.
Toward the creation of a nation-state
As Yamanouchi Susumu so aptly notes, "The first European law that the
Japanese encountered, and the first they labored to understand, was inter
national law. " 1 18 And the Japanese took this international law-the law of
nations-to be another name for civilization itself. Initially, the lwakura
Embassy reflected this misconception. Its basic policy guidelines, the
"Jiyusho, " demonstrate that the embassy set sail for the homeland of civ
ilization supported by a nai:ve trust in the "law of nations. "
A year and a half into its tour o f observation o f the United States and
Europe, however, and the embassy's members' faith in what they thought
was an underpinning of civilization was pretty much shattered. Their
glimpse behind the veil of civilization revealed the savage reality of
Western politics: unrestrained competition and the escalation of national
rivalries. Bismarck had pointedly shown them that a cold logic prevailed;
a country's laws and rights were unsupportable without national wealth
and power.
This new reality forced the ambassadors to change perspective. They
abandoned their faith in the law of nations and aimed instead at bolster
ing Japan's international competitiveness through a buildup of national
power. Rather than appealing to the morality of civilization in the form of
the law of nations, they turned to the pursuit of power and the theory of
Realpolitik.
Based on the Iwakura Embassy' s Western experiences, the Meiji state
sought to fundamentally strengthen Japan for survival in the harsh inter
national environment. That the leaders of the embassy-Iwakura, Kido,
and Okubo-were united in recommending that domestic administration
and policy be given top priority reflected their understanding of contem
porary civilization.
E s sential to this understanding was the idea that a constitution was
the fundamental legal principle upon which the Meij i state should be
founded. The memoranda by both Kido and Okubo on constitutional gov
ernment are political manifestos supporting this. They both propose build
ing the domestic political structure of a nation-state, and know that the
state's most urgent task is to establish its legal framework in the form of

47

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C H A PT E R O N E

a constitution. The means for Japan to assimilate Western civilization,

therefore, had shifted from dependence upon the law of nations to the cre
ation of a constitutional order.

C H A PT E R

T w o

Ito Hirobumi's European

Research
From Constitution as Law to
Constitution as National Structure

1. The Political Crisis of 1881 and Ito's Return to Europe

Divided leadership, rebellion, antigovernment agitation
On September 13 , r 873 , Iwakura Tomomi landed at Yokohama, bringing
to a close his nearly two-year tour of the United States and Europe. The
lwakura Embassy had completed its mission. There are a number of con
sequences this unusual national mission of cultural observation had for
Meiji Japan, but from the perspective of legal history the most significant
was its encouragement of the shift in the paradigm of Japan's nation-build
ing policies from the law of nations toward a constitution, as discussed in
the preceding chapter. f1
Even so, work on the drafting of a constitution did not commence
immediately upon the embassy's return to Japan. The approach to the
establishment of a constitution that Kido and Okubo had learned in the
course of their travels in the West was gradualism. The wholesale impor
tation ofWestern legal models exemplified in Eto Shimpei's slogan, " Don't
worry about translating it correctly, just translate it quickly! , " was rejected
in favor of a search for a legal structure tailored to the nation's character
and temperament. For the leaders of Meiji Japan, the most pressing issue
was how to strengthen their nation to the point that it could support con
stitutional government. One of the principal tasks they faced in this regard
was establishing a truly national politics in the sense of unifying the polit
ical and social energies of the people and bolstering the country's capaci
ty to compete in the international arena. A constitution was conceived of
49

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C H A PT E R Two

as a symbol of this , but to prepare the way for constitutional politics ,

domestic order must first be achieved.
The political climate at the time certainly did not encourage a concerted
effort to create a constitution. Despite its promises to the leaders who par
ticipated in the Iwakura Embassy, J apan's caretaker government had
implemented radical initiatives in domestic and foreign policy in their
absence. The ambassadors were greeted upon their return, for example,
with a proposal for a punitive military expedition against Korea, a policy of
overseas expansionism that was scarcely cognizant of the Japan's actual
strength. The conflict over this issue soon drove councillors Saigo Taka
mori, Itagaki Taisuke, and Eto Shimpei out of the government. The result
ing disarray made the leaders of the coalition of southwestern domains
who dominated the Restoration government acutely aware of how shaky
its the foundations were.
Before long, disorder escalated into open revolt, beginning with the Saga
Rebellion. Armed uprisings by disgruntled former samurai who looked to
the men who had been driven from the government for leadership ensued
at locations throughout the country with increasing frequency. They cli
maxed in the Satsuma Rebellion of 1 877-a full-blown civil war.
Opposition to the government was not confined to armed insurrection.
The Freedom and Popular Rights M ovement had considerable overlap
with the samurai revolts, but it used the ideology of constitutionalism as
a weapon for attacking the government. After Itagaki Taisuke and his asso
ciates published what became known as the Tosa Memorial in January
1874 , that document's demand for the establishment of a popularly elected
national assembly became a rallying cry that stirred public debate. The
leaders of the government were open to the idea of a parliamentary system,
but they believed that it was too early to institute the type of nationwide
assembly called for in Itagaki's memorial. As expressed in the imperial
proclamation of April 1875 , their policy was first and foremost the gradual
implementation of a constitutional system.
The period from the embassy's return to the early 188os, therefore, was
one of domestic strife ranging from dissension within the government to
armed uprisings and antigovernment political agitation. For the members
of the Iwakura Embassy, who had returned home with vivid images of
the power of the Western nations , the political priority was ensuring
domestic stability. Even when they finally began to draft a constitution, it

] T O H I R O B U M I'S E U R O P E A N R E S E A R C H

was almost a s i f they had been reminded o f the idea by the popular rights
movement and the numerous private constitutional proposals then circu
lating, and this remained little more than a secondary concern of those
within the government.1
The shock of Okuma's memorial
It was the Political Crisis of 1 8 8 1 that forced the
government to reconsider its stance. 2 The crisis
was touched offby a memorial Okuma Shigenobu
submitted in March 1881 to Prince Arisugawa Taru
hito, then serving as minister of the left (sadaijin) .
In this memorial, written in consultation with a
group of former students of Fukuzawa Yukichi's
that he had brought into the government, Okuma
took the radical approach of advocating the con
vening of a national assembly as early as 1 8 8 3 and Okuma Shigenobu
making it the core of a British-style system of government featuring a cabinet determined by parliamentary maj orities. His
proposal shocked the other leaders of the Meiji government. In response
to Okuma's memorial, which flatly stated that "constitutional government
is government by political partie s , " Ito Hirobumi wrote with alarm to
Iwakura Tomomi that it was "quite unexpectedly radical" and "something
a poor fool such as myself couldn't possibly keep pace with." He ends the
letter by saying that if such a policy were to be adopted, "after much
thought I have concluded that there would be nothing left for me to do
but tender my resignation. " 3
A t the same time, Councillor Kuroda Kiyotaka was proposing the sale of
the assets of the Hokkaido Colonization Office (which had been estab
lished with public funds) at an absurdly low price to a private-sector com
pany headed by his friend Godai Tomoatsu. Before this subterfuge could
take place, news of it was leaked to the public, inflaming the popular rights
movement. The mass media of the time-newspapers, magazines , ral
lies-launched a superheated antigovernment campaign, driving the gov
ernment into a corner.
Okuma, whose radical memorandum on constitutional government had
shaken the government, was in a delicate position. Because he advocated
party politics and had earlier embraced the Fukuzawa wing of the popular

C H A PT E R Two

rights movement, rumors circulated that he had teamed up with popular

rights activists to overthrow the government. This notion was even given
some credence in the corridors of power, where there was talk of an
"Okuma plot."
On October I I , the government suspended the sale of the H okkaido
Colonization Office's assets and at the same time forced Okuma out of
the government. A mass exodus of Okuma' s associates from the bureau
cracy followed.
The Political Crisis of r88r thus ended with a purge of the Okuma fac
tion, with immense effects on the political situation. In particular, the
movement to establish a constitution, temporarily shelved, started afresh
and gained speed.
On October 12, the day after Okuma was forced out, an imperial rescript
was issued. Caught between the challenges of the external antigovernment
campaign and Okuma's pressure from within, the oligarchic government,
still dominated by men from the coalition of domains that had overthrown
the shogunate, was making a public declaration. In the name of the emper
or, it promised that a national assembly would be convened in 1 8 9 0 . It
was no longer possible, in the name of gradualism, to make vague claims
that the time was not yet ripe for a national assembly and the constitution
that must precede it. An official schedule had been established for both.
Ito, the ambivalent leader
It was then proposed and quickly decided to send Ito Hirobumi to Europe
for constitutional research. The choice of lto "was obvious, as he had been
proposed as the man to take responsibility for drafting the constitution" by
other powerful figures within the government since the preceding year.4
Although there was a general consensus that Ito should be central to the
process of drafting a constitution, Ito must have had mixed feelings, for he
did not as yet have a clear vision for it.
That Ito should be seen by himself and others as a leader in establish
ing constitutional government was only natural. Upon his return from the
embassy to the United States and Europe, he had shared Kido's concerns
about the dispute brewing over the proposed punitive expedition to Korea,
and the chilly relationship between the two thawed. Ito, in fact, recom
mended an even more gradual approach to the constitutional question
than Kido.5 And it was to Ito that Okubo entrusted his memorial on

I T o H I R O B U M I 's E u R O P E A N R E S E A R C H

constitutional government, mentioned

in the preceding chapter. In a sense,
therefore, Ito linked the constitutional
thinking of the other two men.
Ito would henceforth be central to
the government's reforms of the
national political system. Soon after the
return of the Iwakura Embassy, he was
assigned responsibility for researching
forms of government. At the Osaka
Conference that led to the promulga
tion of the imperial rescript on the con
stitution, and other venues, Ito played a
major role in steering government pol
icy in the direction of a constitutional
system and a national assembly. If he
fancied himself the d e facto leader of Ito Hirobumi
the Japanese movement toward constitutional government, it is not surprising.
In the early Meiji years, Ito's relationship with Okuma had been quite
close and he had been among the most important participants in the polit
ical debates and discussions at Okuma's residence in Tokyo's Tsukij i dis
trict, which had been dubbed the Tsukiji Ryozanpaku (an illusion to the
meeting place of heroes in the popular Chinese novel Shuihu Zhuan) .6 At
the Atami Conference from January into February 1881, Ito and Okuma
teamed with Inoue Kaoru to form a sort of three musketeers of constitu
tionalism, winning over Kuroda Kiyotaka of the Satsuma faction and giving
a real boost to the prospects of convening a national assembly. As it turned
out, however, Okuma, who at Atami had seemed to be in complete agree
ment on the course constitutional policy should follow, would draft his own
plan for a constitution and attempt to secretly petition the emperor with it
through the good offices of Prince Arisugawa. Ito, was profoundly shocked,
and not merely because Okuma had submitted his memorandum in an
apparent end run around him. The scope and detail of Okuma's proposal
stunned Ito, who had rested complacently in his notions of gradualism.

53

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C H APTE R Two

The resourceful Inoue Kowashi

Ito had to admit that Okuma' s proposal had left
him in the dust. Okuma, though, was not Ito's
only competition; another specter loomed from
within the government: the man who had drafted
Iwakura's counter-memorandum to Okuma's pro
posal, Inoue Kowashi. 7
Inoue is renowned as one of the more resource
ful figures in the Meiji government and perenni
ally gets high marks from many historians, who
Inoue Kowashi
consider him the true author of the Meiji Consti
tution. In June, lwakura gave him a copy of the
Okuma memorial and ordered him to study it. At the end of the month,
he submitted a memorandum (now known as the Iwakura memorandum)
to lwakura, complete with a draft constitution.8 Inoue counters Okuma's
advocacy of British-style party politics with a constitutional concept built
on the Prussian model, placing a transcendental monarch at the center of
government. He also expresses some fundamental principles later incor
porated into the Meiji Constitution: the bestowing of the constitutional
system by the emperor, the creation of an Imperial Household Law and its
legal separation from the constitution, and the ability of the government
to apply the budget of the previous year in the event of a deadlock in par
liament over approval of the annual budget. So Ito found himself side
lined as Okuma and lwakura defined their visions for constitutional
government without his involvement.
Iwakura's and Inoue's support of Ito as the man to draft a constitution
was window dressing. The glory Ito had enjoyed as successor to Kido and
Okubo in leading constitutional matters was fading. Caught between the
Okubo faction and lwakura and Inoue, leadership eluded him. His friend
Inoue Kaoru reported that "recently Ito has been fretting himselfinto such
a nervous state that he has insomnia every night and has to down a large
bottle of sake before he can get to sleep."9
Last chance
It was at this time that the idea emerged to send Ito to Europe to study
constitutions. Inoue Kowashi had made meticulous progress with such
research in Japan, and many in the government questioned the value of

i T O H I R O B U M I'S E U R O P E A N R E S E A R C H

sending Ito to Europe for an extended period to pursue similar studies.

Iwakura and Inoue assented to sending Ito, but not because they expect
ed much from his research. After Ito departed for Europe, Inoue wrote to
him as follows:
I believe the cleverest way to prevent any leaks is to have you do most of the
drafting of the constitution over there. I am taking the liberty of sending you
the draft I myself have prepared, so you may use it for reference. 1 0

In other words, it was hoped that overseas, insulated from domestic poli
tics and intrigue, Ito would use Inoue's research to put the finishing touch
es on a draft constitution. With the basic principles of the constitution
established in detail, using the Prussian model for reference, there was
little need for Ito's investigations, so what Inoue was in effect saying was
relax, enj oy Europe, and while you are at it polish up my draft. As far as
Inoue was concerned, the process of writing the constitution had reached
its final phase.
Ito, however, must have viewed this trip to Europe as his last chance to
regain leadership of the constitutional process. The decision to implement
a Prussian-style constitution had been made, but Ito no doubt sought to
gain an advantage over his rivals by conducting firsthand research on
Prussian soil that might help him regain the authority he had lost. He
probably hoped that he could declare the progress in creating a constitu
tion under the aegis of lwakura and Inoue a false start and retake the ini
tiative. So it was that a decade after the Iwakura Embassy, Ito would revisit
Europe.
Clandestine journey
On March 14, 1882, Ito arrived at the port of Yokohama to commence his
second j ourney to Europe. Until his return on August 3, 1883 , he would
commit himself to constitutional research in the homeland of civilization.
Boarding the ship, he no doubt recalled the lwakura Embassy. But much
had changed since that earlier j ourney.
The scale of lto's present trip suffered greatly by comparison with that
of the lwakura Embassy, which, with forty-six official members and their
entourages totaled more than a hundred people. In contrast, the govern
ment dispatched a mere nine men to assist Ito in his constitutional

55

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C H A PT E R Tw o

research. 1 1 Even with accompanying personnel the party consisted of only

fourteen members. Small though it was, however, this was an elite research
team headed by Ito, still a powerful figure.
The team's departure also differed from the Iwakura Embassy's. There
was no formal bon voyage ceremony, no artillery salute. S anj o Sanetomi
had seen off the Iwakura Embassy with a gallant poem exhorting them to
"Go! Over the seas on wheels of fire . . . ," but there was no such excitement
on Ito's behalf. At his farewell party, Ito spoke matter-of-factly, saying, " I
d o not think o f this trip as being o f special significance o r importance,"
because he had always thought of any imperial command as significant
and important. As his present mission was by imperial order, he would
simply endeavor to carry it out to the best of his ability, as he would any
imperial command, large or small. 12 Ito and company thus boarded ship
without fanfare. In contrast to the great national pageant of the Iwakura
Embassy, it seems an almost clandestine j ourney.
Fukuchi rubs Inoue the wrong way
In certain respects, it was a clandestine journey. Strict confidentiality was
maintained regarding Ito's mission so that details would not leak to the
public. Rumors of the trip to Europe nevertheless spread quickly among
young bureaucrats. For these promising young men, a trip to Europe with
a study group headed by Ito was a way to deepen their international expe
rience and to better their chances of being selected as key staff members
in the national reforms that would be carried out after their return, with
Ito as the nucleus. Omori Shoichi, who would later serve under Yamagata
Aritomo at the Home Ministry and make a major contribution to the insti
tutionalization oflocal government, was working in the Sanjiin along with
Ito Myoji, who had been selected for the trip, and hoped to be included as
well. But one day he was summoned by Inoue Kowashi "and told that since
I was needed to stay and work for Yamagata, it was unfortunately neces
sary to drop me from this trip to Europe . " 1 3
The intensely competitive atmosphere around the choice o f personnel
to accompany Ito naturally caused friction with the government leaders
who were trying to keep the trip confidential. A letter from Fukuchi
Gen'ichiro to Inoue Kaoru, sent in February, the month prior to Ito's
departure, gives a glimpse of the turbulence behind the scenes. Fukuchi
had personally requested that I noue persuade Ito to allow Fukuchi to

ITO H I R O B U M I's E u R O P E A N R E S E A R C H

accompany the mission. But this had somehow become public knowledge,
and Inoue relayed his intense irritation to Fukuchi. In response, Fukuchi
writes :
I have just had the honor o f reading your letter. I must say I a m completely
shocked. The request I made privately to you with regard to accompanying the
mission, since it bears on other matters , is something of which I would never
speak openly. Even at the company [Fukuchi was at the time editor in chief of

Tokyo nichi-nichi shimbun, a newspaper sympathetic to the government] only

three of my closest associates know of it. These men are not the sort who would
leak something like this . The fact that this is circulating among the public has
to be the result of complete speculation on the part of rival newspapers. Since
yesterday there have been seven or eight of them who have come to our paper
requesting information. In each case they have been told that these wild rumors
about my accompanying the mission are utterly groundless, and I have main
tained the strictest confidentiality. 1 4

Fukuchi's excuses did not temper Inoue's anger, and the rumors that he
would accompany the mission did not die down. Instead, they were
"becoming common knowledge at every newspaper," with each of them
"sending representatives or showing up to question Gen['ichiro] person
ally," further infuriating Inoue. Fukuchi's request to meet with Inoue to
explain was rebuffed, so Fukuchi, alarmed at Inoue's displeasure, penned
another imploring letter:
Your honor, losing your favor would not only mean the end of my ambitions
to accompany this mission, it is also of utmost significance in terms of my
future success or failure on my chosen path, so I cannot help but pour my feel
ings out to you in this way . 1 5

Ito's mission to Europe had initially been greeted with skepticism by high
ranking government officials, beginning with lwakura. It was Inoue Kaoru
who played the key role in forestalling this criticism and making the mis
sion a reality. He had visited each of the leaders who had expressed
misgivings and had carefully laid the groundwork for Ito's constitu
tional research trip. This may have made him particularly sensitive to the
rumors about Fukuchi accompanying the mission, and his reaction tells

57

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C H A P T E R Two

us something of the tensions within the government on the eve of the mis
sion's departure.
Inscrutable intentions
So, strict gag rule in effect, Ito's trip to Europe took on an air of secrecy.
The fragmentary information getting out occasioned public suspicion, pri
marily since it was unclear why a politician of Ito's stature would go abroad
for more than a year.
Tokyo nichi-nichi, the leading pro-government newspaper of the day,
reported in its edition of February 28 that Ito was going to Europe.
" H owever, " it wrote, "the nature of his mission is unclear. There are
rumors to the effect that it may be for the purpose of securing foreign
loans, but their veracity is difficult to asses s . " The March 1 edition added
that "it appears that he has been entrusted with other important diplo
matic matters" but cast doubt on the idea that the purpose of the trip was
for constitutional research, noting that "another newspaper has reported
speculation that he might be embarking upon a tour of the European
nations in order to prepare for the national assembly that will be convened
in 18go, but there are indications he was ordered to depart immediately on
urgent business, and this would seem unnecessary haste in preparing for
an assembly that is still eight years in the future."
The Asahi shimbun concurred. An editorial in its March 8 edition, "On
Councillor Ito's Overseas Travels," dismissed the theory that the trip was
"to investigate the realities of European constitutional systems " as
"extremely wild speculation. " The editorial continued, " For these past fif
teen years and more there should have been more than adequate oppor
tunity to observe at firsthand the constitutional governments of the
European nations . Why bother with the futile labor of adding further detail
to something that is already known so exhaustively?" The article concludes
that "Councillor Ito must have some other extremely pressing business
on this trip. "
The public really was a t a loss a s t o the real motives for Ito's mission. An
editorial in the Yubin hochi shimbun (M arch 9) mused, "This is a most
opportune time for politicians, as our country undertakes great political
reforms and begins the transition from our present political system
toward a constitutional order. " In view of the monumental issues facing
Japan both at home and abroad, "now is not a time at which one of the key

I T O H I R O B U M I'S E u R O P E A N R E S E A R C H

officials i n the government can readily leave the country." Could Ito have
possibly "seen in this trip abroad something of such superior value that he
would throw away this important opportunity" ? The general consensus
was that it defied logic for such a major player as Ito to choose this partic
ular time to take off on a long European tour for such questionable pur
suits as "constitutional research" or "preparations for a national assembly"
or the "investigation of constitutional systems, " and that therefore he must
have some other more important purpose in mind. The documentary
research for the preparation of a constitution was best left up to legal
experts in the bureaucracy, anyway, and scarcely seemed the sort of thing
that I to should be involving himself in personally.
The veil of secrecy cast over the purpose and the personnel of Ito's mis
sion only heightened the consternation of government officials and the
public. Things did not sit well on the eve of Ito's departure.
The Ono connection
On March 14, Ito boarded the British mail steamer Garrick at Yokohama
on a venture that, though less grand than the Iwakura Embassy, was for
Ito a much greater personal gamble. There is, as noted previously, every
reason to believe that his ambition was to use this trip to Europe recapture
the leadership in constitutional matters that he had forfeited to the Okuma
faction and to lwakura and I noue. Amid the sober atmosphere of his
departure, he must have felt tense yet determined. Juxtaposed with the
grand national pageant that was the Iwakura Embassy's departure, Ito's
return to Europe had more the air of an intense personal drama.
Indeed, an element of drama was in store for the day. A man named
Ono Azusa boarded to bid farewell to a friend traveling to Europe on the
same ship. Ono was one of the men who had been forced out of office
along with Okuma Shigenobu in the Political Crisis of r88r. He was also,
along with Inoue Kowashi, among the most learned men of the time and
had been instrumental in helping Okuma draft his memorandum on the
constitution. After his expulsion from the government, Ono dedicated
himself to cultivating the talent that might eventually bring about a con
stitutional system along the lines of Okuma's proposal. He exerted his
energies in founding a political party (the Rikken Kaishinto, or Constitu
tional Reform Party) and a university (Tokyo Semmon Gakko, now
Waseda University) . 1 6

59

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C H APTE R Two

In a sense, Ono, had been an indirect cause of Ito's journey to Europe,

and Ito could hardly have been unaware of this. When Ito spotted Ono, he
approached him and, with a polite bow, shook his hand and then took his
leaveY
2.

Melancholy in Berlin:
Heavy Weather for the Parliamentary System

Ito and his party reached Naples on May 5 It

was nine years since I to had set foot on
European soil. But this was no grand tour. His
destination was Germany. Responding to the
consensus within the Meiji government that
Prussia should serve as Japan's model, Ito was
bound for Berlin "with scarcely a sidelong
glance, " as Yoshino Sakuzo put it.
Things , however, did not go smoothly. Aoki
Shuzo, the Japanese charge d'affaires in
Berlin, secured an interview with constitu
tional scholar Rudolf von Gneist, of B erlin
University, who had so impressed Kido, and Rudolfvon Gneist
arranged for Ito to have private instruction
from Gneist. But Gneist's first words to Ito were as follows :
I am most grateful that you have come all the way to Germany on this mission,
but a constitution is not a legal document; it is the [embodiment o the spirit
and capacities of a nation. I am a German, and therefore a European. I know
something of the countries of Europe, Germany best of all. Unfortunately, how
ever, I know nothing of Japan. If I studied it, I might understand it, but first I
must ask you about Japan, and ask you to give me a clear account of the nature
of the relations between ruler and ruled, the customs and temperament of its
people, its history, and so forth. I will think about all this, and then give you my
advice. But I have no confidence that what I can tell you will actually be of use
to you, or provide a basis for your drafting of a constitution. 18

Gneist's remarks are a blunt expression of the historical school of jurispru

dence. This school of legal thought, established by the great German jurist

IT O

H I R O B U M I's E U R O P E A N R E S E A R C H

Friedrich Carl von Savigny (1779-1 8 6 1 ) , held that law is not something
that can be arbitrarily legislated by the state; it is created organically out of
the spiritual capacities of a people, in much the same way as language and
customs. Legislation should be something that retroactively ratifies what
has arisen organically.
S avigny used this perspective to critique the position of Heidelburg
University professor Anton Friedrich Justus Thibaut ( 1772-1 840 ) , who
was calling for the immediate creation of a unitary civil code for all the
German states and principalities . In 1 8 14, a debate on this issue, famous
in modern German legal history, transpired between the two men.
According to Savigny, the spirit of the German people was not mature
enough to produce a unitary legal code. If this reality was ignored and such
a code hastily enacted, it would simply not receive popular acceptance.
Instead, jurists must represent and guide the national spirit, creating a
shared legal understanding and a common body of law. Only on the basis
of such unified jurisprudence could a unitary legal code for the German
people be compiled.
Savigny practiced what he preached, striving to systematize and unify
German law by authoring such masterpieces as System des heutigen
Romischen Rechts (The system of contemporary Roman law) and using the
University of Berlin as a base for developing his own school of jurispru
dence. Savigny's historical school would later not only spread throughout
the universities of Germany but also extend its influence from continen
tal Europe to Great Britain and cross the Atlantic to the United States. 19
Gneist was positioned squarely within this philosophical tradition. He
was, moreover, S avigny's successor as a lecturer on Roman law. His
remark that "law is not a legal document, it is a spirit" was clearly intend
ed to open the eyes of his listener to the principles of Savigny's historical
jurisprudence.
"Gilding a bronze pot"
What really crushed Ito, however, were these words from Gneist:
I have a story for you. Four or five years ago, after the Russo-Turkish War
and the Berlin Conference, when the B alkan states achieved independence or
autonomy, Bulgaria approached Germany for assistance in framing a consti
tution. At that time, none of the legal scholars in Germany had the confidence

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t o come forward with advice o n the Bulgarian constitution. Why? Because even
though Bulgaria is nearer to us than your country, and we have a general knowl
edge of its history, a number of different peoples have mingled together to form
what is now Bulgaria, and no one has really studied this in detail. So everyone
hesitated. In the end a jurist who is a friend of mine agreed to go, and said he
would show us all by creating a constitution in six months' time. Everyone
laughed, but in fact he created a constitution in six months. Upon his return,
he provoked everyone's laughter once again by saying, ' It's not much trouble,
after all, to gild a bronze pot! '20

It is apparent that Gneist thought Japan was about a century too early for
a constitution and that producing one would simply be gilding an inferior
vessel. The party was dumbfounded, then angered by the condescending
sneer behind Gneist's remark. Ito had taken it on the chin at the outset, a
taste of the difficulties that lay ahead.
Beware the power of the purse
Ito's research in Berlin did not produce fruitful results, serving only to
deepen his distress. He received private instruction from Gneist, but what
he heard was not to his liking. Soon after attending one of Gneist's classes,
Ito wrote to Matsukata Masayoshi in Japan:
Three or four days ago I met the famous scholar Professor Gneist, and from
what I have been able to gather of his opinions so far, in light of Japan's cur
rent situation he advocates a terribly autocratic line. He says that even if we
were to create a national assembly, the wisest policy would be to make it a weak
one, for if we allow it to stick its nose into military and budgetary matters it is
inevitable that this would soon become a catalyst for disorder. Of course I can
not grasp the profundities ofwhat he has to say in only one meeting. In the days
to come I hope to meet with him repeatedly, acquaint him thoroughly with the
state of affairs in our country, and then once again hear his opinions.21

Legislative authority over the budget-the power of the purse-was one of

the most important powers within the parliamentary systems of Western
Europe. This was well understood even in Japan. Yet here was Gneist, one
of Germany's leading authorities on constitutional law, telling the

I T O H I R O B U M I's E U R O P E A N R E S E A R C H

Japanese to strip their legislature of this basic but vital function. Taken in
conjunction with Gneist's other remarks, this must have left Ito with a
deepening sense that Gneist was skeptical of Japan's capacity for adapting
to the Western parliamentary system. Ito, however, had no one else to look
to other than Gneist. He could only hope that if he could help Gneist
understand Japan, Gneist might change his mind.
Gneist's position, though, remained consistent, particularly on the
power of the purse. On September 9, Ito wrote again to Matsukata, saying
of Gneist's teachings that "Gneist argued against including unnecessary
matters in the constitution, saying that anything with regard to the read
ing of the budget before the national assembly or the ability of the nation
al assembly to deliberate upon the budget should be left out." Ito amplifies
Gneist's points as follows :
If consent of the national assembly was not made completely unnecessary and
instead misguided policies conferred full fiscal powers on the assembly, the
government would become incapable of collecting revenues or providing for
government expenditures. Its hands would be tied, and it would have to follow
the lead of the assembly, which would open the way to the decline and stagna
tion of national administration. M eanwhile, the assembly would always be
greedy for more power and would not stop until it had dispensed with the sov
ereign and instituted a republic. This was , he said, a general rule that applied
to every country. 22

Gneist was not the only one with this point of view. On August 2 8 , Ito was
honored by a banquet with Kaiser Wilhelm I (1797-1888) and was treat
ed to a "quite unexpected remark" by the kaiser: " For the sake of the
Japanese emperor, I hope you do not create a national assembly."
According to Ito, the kaiser added that
if it should become unavoidable in the course of Japan's development to do so,
take good care in establishing your nation's laws so that no matter what situa
tion may arise, you do not pursue the foolish policy of making it impossible to
manage the nation's finances without consent of the assembly, for you should
know that delegating such power to it is a recipe for civil war.23

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C H A PT E R Two

Like Gneist, Kaiser Wilhelm was vehemently opposed to granting the leg
islature the right to deliberate on the budget and exhorted Ito "quite
earnestly that this was a misguided fashion of contemporary Europe. " It
would appear that neither Gneist's nor the kaiser's opinions on the bud
getary power of the legislature were simply casual remarks stemming from
skepticism regarding Japan's capacity for constitutional government, but
were rooted in a more fundamental and deeply held conviction. To under
stand this, we will take a brief look at the state of constitutional govern
ment in Germany in this period.24
The realities of constitutional government
The background to the advice Ito was given lay in the difficulties Ger
many's leaders were confronting in constitutional government.
Bismarck, the famous "Iron Chancellor," had instigated a constitutional
crisis in Prussia by forcing through an expansion of the military budget in
1 8 6 2 without the approval of the Prussian Diet, and by managing the
affairs of state for five years thereafter without securing further budgetary
approval.
With the unification of the German Empire in 1871 and the promulga
tion of the imperial constitution, however, such strong-arm tactics were no
longer possible. The imperial government was confronted with the addi
tional headache of the growing power of political parties in the Diet. While
Ito was in Berlin, a bill that Bismarck had introduced to establish a state
owned tobacco monopoly was being debated in the Diet, but, Ito reported,
this was "extremely unpopular" and "unlikely to pass" and Bismarck was
"disgruntled and has shut himself up in his residence. "25
Yet even Bismarck was not blindly hostile toward the parliamentary sys
tem from the outset. He saw it as desirable for the Diet to function as an
institution representing the interests of the people, serving as a conduit for
communication between the government and the people. For Bismarck,
who sought the essence of politics in compromise and flexibility, political
parties were more than just the manifestation of factional interests. Ideally,
through dialogue and cooperation with the government, they could
become partners in support of the nation's interests.
This was why the German Imperial Constitution of 1871 (commonly
known as the Bismarck Constitution) provided for universal suffrage for
adult males. By empowering a broad spectrum of the empire's citizens

iT O

H I R O B U M I'S E u R O P E A N R E S E A R C H

with the vote, Bismarck hoped to make them agents of national unification
and overcome the fragmentation characteristic of the empire' s federal
structure.
The economic depression that began in r873, however, worked to under
mine Bismarck's aims. The introduction of universal manhood suffrage
seemed to intensify class interests and conflict between political ideolo
gies instead of marking the advent of citizens' politics . Achieving parlia
mentary consensus became increasingly difficult as squabbling parties
representing special interests dominated the Diet and coalesced into an
antigovernment force.
As a result Bismarck's domestic initiatives began to run aground. His
principal concern was to secure the autonomy of imperial authority from
the federation of states making up the empire. Doing so called for expand
ing the empire's fiscal base, for which Bismarck submitted legislation call
ing for new taxes and the establishment of state monopolies over the sale
of certain goods, such as tobacco. The Diet, however, rejected all this leg
islation. Frustrated with struggling to develop a strategy for dealing with
the Diet, Bismarck decried "the disease of factionalism" and proclaimed
that his party had only two members, "the kaiser and myself. "
During Ito's visit, Germany thus faced the breakdown o f a politics of
compromise based on the spirit of parliamentary conciliation. It was this
political reality that manifested itself in the advice Ito received from Gneist
and Kaiser Wilhelm. Given the difficulty the Germans themselves were
having with the parliamentary system, it is hardly surprising that they were
pessimistic about the ability of the Japanese to make it work.
Lectures from Mosse, "The Little Monk"
A considerable gap obviously existed between the Japanese and the
Germans in their perceptions of parliamentary government. The Japanese,
who had yet to introduce a parliamentary system, were enthusiastic,
whereas the Germans, who were struggling with unruly parliamentary
politics , had become disillusioned. Having arranged, within this context,
to study with Gneist, it is no wonder that Ito was unhappy with the results.
Perhaps most disappointing for Ito was Gneist's complete lack of warmth.
Gneist, it appears, agreed to hold "informal talks" with Ito three times
a week. But he passed responsibility for these sessions to his student Albert
Mosse (J8 4 6-r 9 2 5 ) , who would later go to J apan as a legal consultant

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to the J apanese government. Japanese notes

on the contents of Mosse's lectures have been
preserved. 26 Ito struggled to understand what
Mosse was saying, as he indicates in a letter to
Inoue Kaoru:
In my investigation of constitutional and admin
istrative matters , there are a great number of
technical terms, and I am quite distressed
because often the most I can do is refer to their
English equivalents in trying to understand
them. 2 7

Albert Masse

No matter how "enlightened" Ito fancied himself, he could not understand

German and was a neophyte in German legal theory. Masse's lectures ,
moreover, were a clause-by-clause march through the German constitu
tion and its institutions , and this plodding exegetical approach was not to
Ito's liking, moving him to refer to Mosse derisively as "the little monk." 28
Ito's discontent comes through in his writing:
One can imbibe neither the spirit nor the reality [of the constitution] simply by
understanding the language of each of its clauses. A scholarly analysis that does
not delve more deeply into these matters is a superficial thing indeed. What I
am intent on is discovering its fundamental structure, and learning something
of how it works . 2 9

Generally speaking, for Ito Berlin yielded little satisfaction and was large
ly a waste of time.
Miyoshi's admonition
Ito's ongoing distress, however, was not solely the product of his unsatis
factory studies. He was also having difficulties supervising the members
of the mission, which had lost its unity of purpose. Mission member Kiba
Sadanaga recalled their Berlin days as follows:
As far as the mission' s research was concerned, we weren't under any specific
instructions or orders from Ito, and aside from Ito going to listen to the

i T O H I R O B U M I's E U R O P E A N R E S E A R C H

lectures , it seemed like everyone pretty much sat around the hotel reading
the European newspapers and books, or else busied themselves with a lot of
field trips and sightseeing excursions . There wasn't a lot of intellectual discus
sion. Every once and awhile you'd see Ito Miyoji-and only him-doggedly tak
ing part in some debate with [Ito Hirobumi), but as for the rest, we took life
pretty easily.30

In fact, however, some in the party were not taking things as easily as
Kiba suggests, and voiced discontent with the slow pace of the research.
Miyoshi Taizo, for example, wrote a memorandum in Berlin remonstrat
ing with Ito:
Your Excellency has come to Europe by order of the emperor to study, first of
all, the German constitution. To this end you have been personally consulting
with leading authorities and have set the members of the party accompanying
you to their own investigations, dividing up the work and assigning to each
his duties.3 1

However, as alluded to by both writers, Ito alone was attending lectures on

the constitution. The others were left out of the loop, and on unfamiliar
ground. According to Kiba's memoir, "There were only two people among
the party who could speak and read German, " so there was probably little
they could do other than kill time. Yet, as Miyoshi goes on to state with
some passion, Ito was not alone in taking pride in participating in a
research mission for Japan's constitution:
One might say that each member of the mission is part of a single body accom
panying Your Excellency, to serve as your arms and legs, eyes and ears . Thus,
each member of the mission is attempting to embody that ideal, taking as their
goal the comprehensive study of the constitution under Your Excellency's direc
tion, with the expectation that after we return home they will put their talents
to work as members of the committee researching our nation's constitution.

Miyoshi does not mince words in criticizing Ito. He tells him that by dis
tancing himself from the mission's other members and being the only
one to attend constitutional lectures, the research of the others will lack
coherence, their morale will suffer, and in the end he will become the

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object of discontented grumbling and damage his reputation. Miyoshi also

goes on to say that he cannot understand Ito's fixation on Germany:
When I think of this in terms of the feelings of the people involved and the
realities of the situation, and carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages ,
pros and cons, i t would seem that assembling all the mission's members in
Germany to do piecemeal research may not be the wisest policy.

Miyoshi proposes instead that the mission's members be divided up and

assigned to a comparative study of the four nations of England, France,
Germany, and Austria:
Depending upon what orders you have may have received from the emperor or
what instructions were given you by the government, it may not be possible to
give this your consideration, but from the statements Your Excellency has
made, it has been understood that your orders were to investigate the consti
tutions of the European nations and to report the results to the throne.

Behind this seemingly reasonable proposal is an indication that the mem

bers do not even have a shared understanding of the mission's purpose.
From Ito's perspective, of course, the accompanying members were little
more than clerical staff, and it is likely that his intent was to monopolize
the real work of the mission. His private desire was to reestablish his pri
macy in bringing constitutional government to Japan, an aim that he could
not share.
Ito's distress during the mission's soj ourn in Berlin, therefore, com
bined his dissatisfaction with his research and his growing awareness of
the discontent brewing among his companions. In the letter to Matsukata
cited earlier he laments that the size of his entourage makes it difficult to
control and that its members have not escaped "the common disease of
our countrymen"-they all "fancy themselves leaders" and prefer big talk
and grandiose debates to doing "their real work. "32
Ito's response to this situation was to request an extension of the mis
sion's stay in Europe, probably out of a deepening sense that the mission
was in danger of failing. A visit to Vienna in August, however, brought a
sudden change in Ito's mood.

iT O

H I R O B U M I'S E U R O P E A N R E S E A R C H

3 Resurrection in Vienna: Awakening to "National Structure"

lhe constitution and administrative law
Although Ito's research in Berlin was not delivering results, he still had
hope for the mission. He was gradually becoming convinced that confin
ing his research solely to the study of constitutions was a mistake.
Ito had been pointed in this direction by Aoki Shilzo, the Japanese
charge d'affaires, soon after arriving in Berlin. According to Aoki, consti
tutional research would not be that difficult. One had only to grasp the
basic framework of the texts of the various countries' constitutions, and
then do a bit of research into the historical events leading up to them.
More important was administrative law; this was the real foundation upon
which constitutions rested. If, metaphorically speaking, the constitution
was a flower, then administrative law was its roots and stem. This was a
very broad field and not easy to research. In every country, though, the
norm was to have established a complete corpus of administrative law
prior to writing a constitution. Because of this, the mission should not
confine itself to researching constitutions alone-studying the related
administrative laws was absolutely essential.33
Aoki proposed that Ito himself should concentrate on constitutional
research and divide responsibility for studying the various aspects of
administrative law among the other members of the mission. This plan,
however, did not bear fruit. The mission's members, "fancying themselves
leaders, " felt that being delegated the drudgery of examining administra
tive law rather than doing constitutional research was beneath their dig
nity. As Aoki wrote, at this point "the mission's research had not produced
a single thing worth looking at in days to come."34
Connecting the constitution with administration
Aoki's advice was nonetheless significant, because through it Ito gained an
awareness of administrative law as complementary to the constitution.
The most extensive of the Western nations' constitutions contained perhaps
a hundred articles, much of which consisted of proclamations of ideals.
A constitution could not be the last word on how to administer a nation,
especially in terms of concrete polices . It made sense that a constitution
would need a variety of supplementary institutional arrangements .35

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Ito was perceptive enough to see this. "The myriad affairs of govern
ment," he wrote, "must be taken into consideration," and the complexity
of this undertaking compelled him to ask his colleagues in Japan to extend
his soj ourn in Europe. In a document presumably written in Berlin prior
to his departure for Vienna, moreover, he remarked that "it is not that
difficult a task to translate the text of a constitution, but it is impossible
to understand how a country is organized without looking at this in tan
dem with its administration. "36 Clearly, constitutions and their support
ing administration were very much on Ito's mind, and it is fair to say that
his attention had turned to a conception of the state in which the two
were united.
Aoki's suggestion, however, of assigning members of the mission to
investigate discrete aspects of constitutional provisions and administra
tive law was not something I to found congenial. Instead, he sought to form
a blueprint in his own mind for a comprehensive set of national institu
tions encompassing both administrative law and a constitution. Achieving
this would provide him with a unique constitutional philosophy that would
allow him to regain his leadership in the process of creating Japan's con
stitutional order. Ito would find what he sought in Vienna.
Meeting "Dr. Stone"
Ito's sessions in Berlin with Gneist and Mosse entered summer recess in
August. In a letter to Japan, he writes that "right now Berlin is at the height
of the summer season, everyone is away on holiday, and I can do no further
investigation, so I am making a brief visit to Vienna, where I have an
appointment to meet a scholar of some renown, a Dr. Stein."37 Far from
simply a jaunt to Vienna to dispel the boredom of Berlin, there was method
in Ito's movements. As soon as he arrived in Vienna on August 8, he made
his way to the address of Lorenz von Stein (1815-9 0 ) , professor of political
economy at the University ofVienna. Ito's visit with Stein, undertaken with
barely enough time for Ito to change out of his traveling clothes , was
described by Yoshino Sakuzo as "marvelously prompt action. "38
Another member of the mission was doubtless significant in inspiring
this promptness on Ito's part. Kawashima Atsushi served in the Japanese
legation in Vienna from 1 8 7 9 to 1881 and during that period arranged for
private instruction with Stein. After returning to Japan in January 1882,
Kawashima submitted to the government a memorial on governmental

ITO H I R O B U M !'S E U R O P E A N R E S E A R C H

reform based on what he had learned from

Stein. 39 In it, Kawashima writes that "hav
ing had the opportunity to meet with the
great Dr. Stein a number of times, and lis
ten carefully to his teachings , there were
many points I felt were both pragmatic
and full of the wisdom of experience. "
I t i s unclear whether this memorial was
connected to Kawashima's selection, not
long afterward, as a member of Ito's mis
sion. But it is almost certain that at some
point Kawashima informed Ito of Stein's
existence and his teachings. Testimony
exists to indicate that Kawashima influ- Lorenz von Stein
enced Ito to visit Stein. According to mission member Yoshida Masaharu, Kawashima was angered by the cold and
contemptuous reception Ito and company had encountered in Berlin by
Gneist and proposed that they go to Vienna to see Stein.40 Another person
accompanying the mission, Kiba Sadanaga, speaks even more directly of
Kawashima's role:
The person who most looked up to Stein, and in fact was a frequent visitor to
his home, was Kawashima Atsushi. They were acquaintances from the days
when Kawashima had served as attache at the legation in Vienna, and he fre
quently served as intermediary between [Ito and Stein] .41

Kawashima, though, was not alone in preparing the way for the encounter
between Ito and Stein. Stein was highly regarded at the Japanese legation
in Vienna. Many of the legation's staff had gone to hear Stein' s lectures ,
and a succession o f Japanese envoys had enjoyed personal relationships
with him. In fact, Stein was something of an unofficial adviser to the
Japanese legation. When news of Ito's voyage to Europe to study consti
tutional systems reached Vienna, the staff of the legation appear to have
seen this as a rare opportunity to introduce their longtime friend and
teacher to a wider Japanese audience. Ida Yuzuru, former Japanese envoy
in Vienna, wrote to the legation suggesting that

C H A P T E R Two

if Councillor Ito should have the opportunity to meet with our " Dr. Stone"
[Stein meaning stone in German] , one can scarcely imagine what an interest
ing exchange of ideas they might have. I think such an event could well be the
most significant benefit of the councillor's European tour.4 2

Ida, meanwhile, also wrote directly to Ito, hinting that Stein should be
invited to Japan:
" Dr. Stone" is truly a teacher for our nation. At the time of last winter's politi
cal crisis [the Political Crisis of r88r], I even went so far as to suggest to Foreign
Minister Inoue that he be given an invitation to [Japan] to consult on the orga
nization of the government.43

Spreading Stein's gospel

There is reason to believe that Stein was eagerly awaiting Ito's visit. In
Japan, Stein is frequently characterized as a world-famous scholar. He was
a man of encyclopedic intellect who, under the rubric of Staatswissenschaft
(political economy) , had achieved impressive results in fields spanning the
entire range of the social sciences, from law, economics, and political sci
ence to sociology and education. In an era of increasing academic spe
cialization and empiricism, however, his scholarship was given the cold
shoulder by his colleagues as a relic of an older generation. Possessed of
a voracious appetite for research, yet receiving scant attention for his schol
arship in his own country, Stein had grounds for resentment. In addition,
failed business investments had left him with substantial debt.
It is likely that his contacts with the Japanese are what helped him out
of these straitened circumstances . No doubt he saw in J apan's rapid
advance along the road to modernization fertile ground in which to prop
agate his academic theories . His ambitions did not stop at becoming an
adviser to the Japanese legation in Vienna. Since his primary interest was
in spreading his gospel to distant Japan, he had been working for some
time to gather information about the country. This is attested to by a let
ter from Stein to Fukuzawa Yukichi. Stein was a subscriber to the Japan
Weekly Mail, published in Yokohama, and a notice concerning a recent
work by Fukuzawa, fiji shogen (Brief comments on current affairs) , had
caught his eye. Impressed by its contents, Stein contacted Fukuzawa. His

I T O H I R O B U M I'S E u R O P E A N R E S E A R C H

letter was published in the June 2 , 1881, edition o f fiji Shimpo (News of
Current Affairs) , the newspaper that Fukuzawa had founded:
I take the liberty of sending you this letter through the kind offices of my dear
and respected friends Mr. Ida Yuzuru and Mr. Homma Kiyoo, formerly envoy
and secretary of the Japanese legation in Vienna, who overcame my reticence
with their offer to deliver it to you personally. Recently I have been engaged in
researches into the history of Japanese law and of the Japanese political system.
Nothing would make me happier than if this might make a small contribution
to spreading the word of the great enterprise upon which the Japanese people
have embarked. The J apanese people have made immense progress in the
course of the past seventeen years, and will no doubt in future become a great
civilized nation of the Pacific; permit me to express my admiration in this regard.
I am a fellow of the Austrian Academy of Science, and present you with one of
the academy's recent works. A mere glance should be enough for you to see the
serious attention our academy has devoted to Japanese history. If you would
receive this volume and my letter as a token of my respect and of my desire to
learn more of your own writings, you shall have my deepest gratitude.44

In short, prior to Ito's visit Stein had already established something of a

relationship with Japan, a relationship for which he was highly motivated.
Ito in many ways was just what Stein had been waiting for. The pair
seems to have hit it off immediately. On August n, three days after his
first visit to Stein, Ito reported to Iwakura that he had "found a logic and
a means to restore" the country from the excesses inflicted upon it by the
gang who had been deluded by the "writings of radical libertarians in
England, America, and France. " He asserts that "I feel that if l were to die
now, I could rest in peace. "45 In a letter of August 27 to Yamada Akiyoshi,
I to writes, " Fortunately, I have found a good teacher" and notes that he
has sounded out Inoue Kaoru on the idea of inviting Stein to Japan.46 Ito
was in an ebullient mood; he was rid of the melancholy of Berlin. As a
result of meeting Stein, Ito's confidence in his research mission returned.
Vienna, thus, was a crucial turning point for his constitutional research.
But what was it that Stein conveyed to Ito?

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Stein's unique theory of the state

Manuscript notes from Stein's lectures to Ito permit a fairly detailed recon
struction of Stein's discourse on several topics directly related to the intro
duction of a constitutional system of government to J apan, Ito's prin
cipal concernY First, however, we must understand Stein's conception of
the state.
Characteristic of Stein's view was a unique organic theory that construed
the state as a distinct human personality. He defined the state as "the
community ( Gemeinschaft) raised to the level of an independent personal
ity." Ito appears to have gotten this slightly wrong. His notes on this lec
ture say that the state "is a society that possesses the nature of the human
body, "48 expressing an anthropomorphic view of the state based on a com
parison to the human physical form. For Stein, the human personality
possessed self-awareness and volition and acted accordingly. The state,
like the autonomous individual, also embodied these three elements, of
awareness, will, and action. The self-awareness of the state is embodied
in the institution of the sovereign, the formation of the state' s will in
the legislative branch, and the conduct of the state' s activities by the
executive branch. In Stein's view, the constitutional system was a form
of government that gave shape to a unified and harmonious relationship
among these three independent but mutually restraining institutions.
Stein said that if the sovereign alone controlled the government, one
had despotism; if the legislature dominated, one had absolute democracy
(the Japanese phrase used to render this might be translated as "tyranny
by popular government") ; and if the executive branch was in control, one
had a dictatorship. He characterized all of these as antithetical to consti
tutional government.
Defending against both legislature and sovereign
Stein urged the greatest vigilance against the second of these three insti
tutions. Excessively democratic government invited the tyranny of the
majority and the undermining of the state from below, he said. Democracy
was "nothing more than majority rule, " which meant "important matters
of state would be determined solely by the weight of opinion. " Stein did not
think that democracy could be equated with constitutional government,
and in fact stressed the tension that existed between the two. Stein's teach
ing was that democracy could easily lead to absolutism on the part of the

I T O H I R O B U M I's E U R O P E A N R E S E A R C H

legislative body, which should constitute n o more than one branch o f the
government, and thus contained the dangerous potential for undermining
the constitutional order altogether. The same could be said of an imbal
ance favoring either of the other two branches, but it should be empha
sized that what repeatedly comes up in Stein' s lectures are references to
the dangers of radicalized democracy and critiques of republicanism and
parliamentary politics. Here again I to heard a less than enthusiastic
endorsement of a parliamentary system.
Stein's lance, though, was not directed at the legislature alone. His the
ory of the state just as firmly rejected despotism on the part of the sover
eign. This is clear from lecture notes taken by Mutsu Munemitsu, who
received personal instruction from Stein in 188 4 thanks to an introduc
tion from Ito. The notes reveal boldly stated limitations on the political
status of the sovereign:
The King or the Chief of the State gives the character of unity to the Ministry
as a whole, just as well as to the whole State, but he has no right to order any
thing, on his own account, to the Ministers or to interfere with them in any
degree. If such be the case, there will be no responsible Ministry. That the King
has no power over the legislative body, is quite clear.49

The sovereign is seen as having no special powers over either the execu
tive or legislative branches of the government. He is not conceived of as
having any real powers in the determination of national policy. In Stein's
view, the sovereign's role as head of state stops at approving or ratifying
decisions made through the executive and legislative processes, thus serv
ing to symbolize the nation's unity of purpose and action.
"The King can do no wrong" is an old phrase, and it admits of various shades
of meaning. But in the Constitutional sense it cannot signify otherwise than
this , that the King shall stand completely outside the pale of the legislative and
executive powers; in other words, the Chief of the State is bound not to do
anything material as to either the legislative or the executive functions; he must
not meddle with any matter that is going on as the working of the State. What
he does , ought not to be an actuality but only a formality. Therefore he can do
no wrong. 5

75

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C H A PTE R Two

Stein's position is that "the sovereign should not involve himself in any
of the affairs of the state, " legitimizing broad restrictions on his powers.
In Stein's theoretical framework, the sovereign is no more than an organ
of the state, charged with the symbolic function of representing the unity
of the nation. Stein is known to have expressed to Ito the opinion that the
sovereign "represents the nation using the pronoun ' 1 . "' 5 1
The Meiji constitutional order i s commonly viewed a s a variety o f Pruss
ian absolutism, and Stein as being partially responsible for its emperor
system ideology. It must be emphasized, however, that this line of thought
is not to be found in his theory of the state. He subscribes instead to the
principle that "the sovereign reigns but does not rule. "
Administrative autonomy a s a theme for nation building
With the sovereign's retreat into the background of national politics, the
bureaucracy takes center stage, serving in the sovereign's place as bearer
of the state's governing functions . Even in a constitutional monarchy,
bureaucratic appointments continue to be made by the crown. Yet the
bureaucracy eventually acquires a greater degree of autonomy from the
sovereign, and to see itself as responsible for governing the nation. Stein
believed that the executive power " should possess its own motive force
and constitute its own independent structure. " He sought the autonomy
of the executive branch, so that it would not simply be an agent executing
"the will of others. " Stein felt that placing constraints on the activities of
the executive branch would likely reduce the state's range of action. 52
When Stein speaks of "the will of others, " he is implying either the will
of the legislature or the will of the sovereign. Stein was critical of the
British parliamentary system because the government was completely
dependent upon maintaining a parliamentary majority, meaning the will
of parliament dominated the executive. For Stein, "this should be called
parliamentary politics and still does not deserve to be called constitution
al government. " The same could be said of the relationship with the sov
ereign power, and Stein was equally critical of the German bureaucratic
system for its servility to the crown: " In Germany, the executive branch is
held to be simply the ministers and agents of the sovereign, possessing no
powers beyond that of executing his will."53

I T O H I R O B U M I 'S E u R O P E A N R E S E A R C H

In criticizing the situation i n Germany, Stein argued that the executive

branch must establish its independence from both the legislative branch
and the sovereign. He stressed that securing a high degree of autonomy
for the executive was a new theme in the process of nation building.
An evolutionary theory of the state
Stein's unique worldview explains why he felt an autonomous executive
was necessary. " Human affairs , " he observed, "are in a constant and
extreme state of flux, and because of this laws cannot continually remain
the same," adding that in the constantly changing environment ofhuman
endeavor "one can certainly not expect all the laws to change of their own
accord and adapt themselves adequately to the way things are."54
In other words, the laws passed by the legislative branch are insufficient
to cope with continually changing social realities. The human social order
must be capable of responding flexibly to the unceasing changes in its
environment. It is the executive that should respond to these changes, deal
with everyday problems , and contribute to shaping the social order.
Attempting to resolve the various conflicts and contradictions arising on
a daily basis in the real world by relying on the judgment of the sovereign
power carries the danger of arbitrary abuse of power, whereas the parlia
ment's legislative powers are frequently inadequate to the task.
Stein defines the executive as "the institution responsible for governing
the life of the nation,"55 and he entrusts it with a prominent place in the
system of national institutions-the national structure. Only through the
executive is the national structure capable of resolving or adapting to issues
arising out of myriad external and internal environmental factors, from
the impact of events in the natural world or in foreign relations to domes
tic political factors, such as the movement of public opinion, class conflict,
and social problems.
Stein thus sees the state as an organic institution able to evolve in
response to historical change through a ceaseless process of interaction
mediated by the executive. His concept of the state can be characterized
as evolutionary. Ito accepted the idea of the evolution of the national
structure, but only after recasting its implications . We will return to this
point later.

77

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C H APTE R Two

A vision for the reform of national institutions

It is obvious that from Stein's lectures Ito gained an overview of the con
stitutional order that went considerably beyond the simple drafting of a
document, and learned much about the role of the executive. The result
was a more clearly defined image of the state than Ito had been pondering
in Berlin.
As a result, Ito was able to embrace a broad vision for the reform of
Japan's institutions that saw the constitution as but one element in a com
prehensive structure. In a letter written to Inoue Kaoru from Vienna on
October 2 2 , Ito writes with assurance, "As far as the constitution alone is
concerned, I will soon have quite enough."56 He sounds like a different
person from the man who wrote from Berlin. In a memo from Vienna
immediately after the conclusion of Stein's lectures, he writes , "There is
no utility in concentrating on investigating the constitution alone. " He
adds that "since the constitution deals only in generalities, it is not worth
that much expenditure of mental effort," further displaying his newfound
conviction and self-confidence. He then speaks of the necessity of admin
istrative reform in the following manner:
No matter how good a constitution one establishes, no matter how good a par
liament is convened, it goes without saying that without proper administration,
there will be no results worth considering. If we desire good administration, we
must first establish organizational guidelines for it. Among these organiza
tional guidelines, the most indispensable concern the powers and responsibil
ities of the chief ministers ; the structure of the government ministries ; the
regulations to be followed by government officials and the provisions for their
appointment and dismissal, promotion and demotion; the procedures for [civil
service] examinations and provisions for retirement benefits . . . If these are in
place, it will be possible to preserve the authority of the imperial house and
enhance the powers of the throne. In Stein's lectures, three things are absolute
ly essential for constitutional government: an imperial house law and organi
zational rules for the executive and for the legislative branches. If any one of
these is lacking, then you do not have a constitutional monarchy, he says. What
ensures that organizational regulations are properly established and main
tained for these three institutions , forming the axis unifying them and pre
venting them from interfering with one another, is none other than the

I T O H I R O B U M I'S E u R O P E A N R E S E A R C H

constitution. Thus it follows that laying the groundwork for the organization of
government and administration is truly something of the gravest importance. 57

Thus , Ito defines the constitution as just one element in a broader "polit
ical organization" and advocates study of the general life of the nation from
a perspective that includes politics and economics. "The two aspects of
politics and economics are intimately connected with the rise and fall,
prosperity and decline of nations, and are matters to which the people of
our country must pay the deepest attention, " Ito writes . He goes on to
insist that the theme of his studies must not stop with "the items previ
ously selected for investigation" but expand to a "major research effort into
administration, economics, etc."58
Not afraid of "scribbling savants"
It is fair to say that Stein's lectures enabled Ito to relativize the constitution
and grasp the is sue of a nation's political structure within a broader
context. A constitution and a national assembly were, after all, no more
than one aspect of the life of the nation; their functions could not be
fulfilled without the complementary workings of administrative or execu
tive institutions. Ito's broad insight into national structure was what
equipped him for leadership in Japan's adoption of constitutional gov
ernment. It also gave him self-confidence in confronting the popular rights
advocates and other intellectuals. He could take pride in his expert knowl
edge of constitutional systems and dismiss his intellectual opponents as
"scribbling savants" (hebokure shosei) :
It would be a happy thing indeed if the scribbling savants of Japan were not
misinforming the ignorant public by simply translating phrases out of books
without any understanding of the realities behind them, and claiming this is the
constitution of such-and-such a country, this is how its government is orga
nized, and so on; and that instead we could hear a clear discussion of these
matters, based on thorough knowledge of what place they have in the nation's
history, and an informed judgment regarding the fundamental pros and cons
of debate on these issues. 59

79

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C H APTE R Two

Ito, confident that he had bested the popular rights advocates in the realm
of theory, was now sufficiently restored in spirit to harrumph about
Okuma Shigenobu: " Our 'Mr. Progress' is putting on quite a pathetic
show. "60 This may be the birth of what Sakamoto Kazuto has termed Ito's
"constitutional charisma." Hitherto without sufficient knowledge of con
stitutional matters, Ito had been unable to seize the initiative in the drive
to establish the constitution from amid the serum of political intellectuals
that had suddenly formed in late nineteenth-century Japan. Now, howev
er, he would return to Japan confident that he had surpassed them all.
The intellectuals Ito had in mind were first and foremost those outside
the government, specifically, the activists among whom Okuma was the
most prominent. But he was no doubt wary, too, of the intellectuals with
in the bureaucracy. Within the government, Inoue Kowashi had been the
prime mover in ensuring that the adoption of a Prussian-style constitu
tional system had become something of a certainty. Ito's failure to climb
aboard this bandwagon prior to leaving for Europe was paralleled by his
inability to adopt anything more than a passive stance toward the concep
tion of the constitution being advanced by Iwakura and Inoue.
So Stein must have been an answer to Ito's prayers, offering him a way
to make up for lost time. It is probably not reading too much into things
to sense the glee with which I to, who had discovered another font of
German wisdom from which to drink, wrote from Vienna to cast doubt on
the government's one-man German brain trust, Hermann Roesler, say
ing, " I have uncovered ample evidence that Roesler's thinking is overly
inclined toward liberalism."61 At this point Ito had equipped himself with
both the principles and the methods with which to take on the German
political thought that had already established itself in Japan.
But while it is true that Ito was enormously influenced by Stein's teach
ings and drew considerable inspiration from them, it would be a mistake
to assume that he swallowed them whole. Take, for example, Stein's think
ing on the national assembly. Stein, like Gneist and Kaiser Wilhelm I, saw
the growth of the parliamentary system as a threat to the national order.
Ito, meanwhile, had left Berlin to distance himself from such opinions .
Yet in Vienna he found Stein, whom he trusted, offering the same teach
ing. To address whether Stein was able to change Ito's mind, we must look
at the political situation in Vienna as Ito might have seen it.

] T O H I R O B U M I'S E U R O P E A N R E S E A R C H

A carnival of ethnic conflict

I n Berlin, Ito had the opportunity to observe firsthand the dysfunctional
reality of the parliamentary system under the new German empire.
Similar problems were latent in Austria, which consisted of an unusual
confederation of states. The Ausgleich, or Compromise of r867, had estab
lished a dual monarchy in which the Hapsburg emperor of Austria was
also coronated the king of Hungary and ruled over it and an array of small
er kingdoms and principalities that had been part of the former Austrian
empire. But the complexities of this new Austro-Hungarian Empire went
far beyond the dual-state structure. Its territories were vast, extending into
all or part of what is now the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Romania,
the Balkan states , and Ukraine, making it a complex cultural amalgam
encompassing a variety of ethnic groups, languages, and religions.62
The parliamentary system introduced for this multiethnic, multicultural
society was naturally fraught with difficulties.63 In r 8 6 5 , the Austrian
Empire temporarily suspended its constitution, following this with the
establishment of a parliamentary system under the newly revised legal
framework of r867. The parliament, however, was not an institution rep
resenting the popular will through direct elections. Instead, it tended to
represent specific interest groups, since a fixed number of representatives
was drawn from each of four electoral blocs: landholders, urban areas ,
chambers of commerce and industry, and rural communities. Bismarck's
ideal of parliament as an institution for unifying the national will was
abandoned from the start, and given the multiethnic character of the
empire it is not difficult to understand why.
Parliament's role as the representative of interest groups gradually shift
ed toward the representation of ethnic groups. By the end of the nine
teenth century, ethnic issues flooded parliament, paralyzing the system.
Czech representatives intent on asserting their independence clashed with
their German-speaking counterparts, with one side or the other disrupting
the activities of parliament on numerous occasions and turning it into a
carnival of ethnic conflict.64 Parliamentary politics reached a dead-end,
and the business of government was increasingly conducted through a
succession of emergency edicts issued in the name of the emperor-a sit
uation that eventually led to the suspension of parliament.

8!

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C H A PT E R Two

The linchpin
If Austrian parliamentary affairs could be described as carnivalesque, then
the period of lto's stay in Vienna might be described as an intermission of
sorts, when parliament was working with uncharacteristic smoothness.
But this was not because parliamentary government had gotten itself on
course. In 188o, prior to Ito's arrival, discontent was building among the
ethnic German population of Bohemia at the adoption of Czech as the
official language of the area, making it mandatory in government offices.
Ethnic issues that would flare up in later years were already smoldering.
Ethnic cleavage was being forestalled only by the authority of Emperor
Franz Joseph I and his government's success in manipulating parliament.
Indeed, the linchpin holding the ungainly multiethnic empire together
was Franz Joseph I , in his dual role as emperor of Austria and king of
Hungary. He was fully aware of this and regarded hands-on rule over the
empire as his personal mission.65 He rose at four o'clock every morning to
be in his office by five, a habit he kept up until just before his death. It was
said that he alone knew what was happening at all levels of his complex
empire. Under his authority, the government ministers were no more than
instruments of the imperial will, the prime minister was literally the
emperor's chief servant, and the cabinet devolved into a purely bureaucratic
institution. He and he alone stood at the apex of the passive bureaucracy
and had the power to deploy it at will to manage the empire's affairs. This
image of the sovereign is in complete contrast to that envisioned by Stein,
who may well have had Franz Joseph in mind as a negative example.66
Franz Joseph seems to have left a strong impression on Ito as well. In
the draft of a letter composed during his time in Europe, Ito writes, "There
is nothing for which this country does not have a rule or regulation; it is
like a giant machine. " He goes on to observe that
in constitutional terms the emperor may appear to be simply one of the parts
of this machine, but this is definitely not the case; he is the one who presides
over it, controlling its operation and making sure everything runs without a
hitch. So from time to time he must make some adjustments to it, oiling it
here, or tightening a bolt there.67

I T O H I R O B U M J'S E U R O P E A N R E S E A R C H

Plainly, the country referred to here is Austria, and the emperor, Franz
Joseph I. For Ito, who was setting about the deliberate creation of the
machinery of a constitutional system, there were certainly lessons to be
learned in Austria about the nature and significance of the sovereign power.
These lessons did not necessarily lead, however, to his affirmation of
Austrian-style constitutional government, where direct rule by a powerful
sovereign overwhelmed parliament. Despite repeated warnings in
Germany regarding the dangers of parliamentary government, there is
nothing to indicate that Ito ever hesitated over the introduction of a par
liamentary system-even though he had accurately observed Bismarck's
difficulties with regard to the issue of the tobacco monopoly. It is possible
to see Ito as having maintained a consistent commitment to the concept
of governing in partnership with a parliament. We also might assume that
Ito's primary concern in transplanting the parliamentary system to Japan
was determining which surgical procedures to use to avoid weakening the
immune system of the patient. In observing the realities of parliamentary
politics in Austria, I to must have spent a good amount of time pondering
the principles and methods for creating a constitutional government
equipped with a healthy parliamentary system. His conclusions likely cen
tered on the following two points.
Adaptation
First, a parliamentary system cannot function in a nation without citizens.
Patriotism must serve as the backbone of national unity so that parliament
is not tom apart by various political ideologies arising out of class and
ethnic differences . Cultivating patriotism is a precondition for constitu
tional government.
S econd, parliament must be augmented by a system external to it.
During Ito's time in Austria, he witnessed this role performed solo by
Franz Joseph, and was impressed by its functionality. But as a result of
Stein's lectures, Ito's eyes had been opened to having the executive branch
play this role. Made aware of the instability of parliamentary politics, Ito
had learned how an executive system could carry out the work of govern
ment despite this, and how a constitutional monarch could, when parlia
mentary politics broke down, come to the rescue as sovereign.

83

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C H A P T E R Two

Ito's vision was to carefully prepare the internal and external conditions
supporting a parliamentary system and to then allow parliamentary gov
ernment to gradually take root in Japan. This was Ito's variation on Stein's
teachings on the evolution of national structure. In contrast to Stein, who
emphasized executive power as the agent of evolution, Ito's interest was in
instituting a parliamentary form of government to promote the develop
ment of the nation.
4 later Research

Prelude to the Stein pilgrimage

Ito stayed in Vienna from August 8 to November 5 , 1882, and attended
lectures by Stein for all but a two-week excursion to Berlin and Paris. His
encounter with Stein revived his spirits, and not simply because he had
acquired a clearer theoretical grasp of constitutional government. Through
Stein, Ito was also able to regain control of the mission. He had experi
enced difficulty with the other members in Berlin, but thanks to Stein,
they had come together as a group in Vienna. Stein gave them pep talks,
such as the following, as recalled by Kiba Sadanaga:
One day Stein called me over to a globe, and pointing to it with his finger, said,
" European civilization and the countries that belong to it developed around this
Mediterranean Sea, and as a result my lectures cannot escape being centered
upon it as well. We must expect that your future development will take place
here, on the other side of the globe, centering on the Sea ofJapan and the China
Sea. And in the same fashion, your scholarship will reflect this."68

The difference between this and what Gneist had to say to the mission is
immediately apparent. Stein's attitude helped the members regain their
sense of purpose as a research team. After Ito departed Vienna on
November 5 , some of them, including Yamazaki Naotane and Saionji
Kimmochi, would engage in independent travel and research, but this ,
too, can b e seen as a n indication that Ito had reasserted his leadership of
the mission.69 Having acquired a firm grasp of the big picture of consti
tutional government from Stein's lectures, Ito was confident enough to
delegate more detailed investigation in specific areas to his associates.

I T O H I R O B U M !'S E U R O P E A N R E S E A R C H

Also noteworthy is that the members of the mission maintained contact

with Stein.7 The most notable example was Ito's arrangement to have two
students accompanying the mission, Kiba Sadanaga and Sueoka Seiichiro,
remain in Vienna for additional instruction from Stein. Among the mis
sion's regular members, Kawashima Atsushi revisited Stein on December
22 and, according to a letter to Stein from Ito Miyoji, Ito and the rest of the
mission's members hoped to study with him again.
After Ito's return to Japan, Stein would indeed enj oy a steady stream of
Japanese visitors in what came to be known as the Stein pilgrimage. But
there were already clear harbingers of this. Prince Arisugawa stopped in
Vienna in October while on a European tour and j oined Ito at one of
Stein's talks. Goto Shoj iro met Ito in Paris at year's end and at Ito's insis
tence also visited Stein. After petitioning Ito as described earlier, it appears
that Miyoshi Taizo did not accompany Ito to Vienna and remained in
Berlin to pursue research. But he, too, ultimately went at Ito's recom
mendation to hear Stein lecture, and was hugely impressed. Ito also wrote
to Aoki Shuzo, the Japanese attache in Berlin, encouraging him to meet
Stein. The prelude to the " S tein pilgrimage" that would begin in earnest
after Ito's return to Japan was already being played.
Letter to Gneist
After leaving Vienna, Ito returned to Berlin, where he received further
instruction from Gneist and Mosse and had conversations with Bernhard
Fuisting (1841-1 9 0 8 ) , privy councillor to the German emperor.71 In this
second round of research in Berlin, Alexander Freiherrn von Siebold
(1846-1 9 1 1 ) was Ito's indefatigable aide.72 He was the son of Phillip Franz
von Siebold (1796-1 8 6 6 ) , famous as one of the major figures in the intro
duction of Western learning to J apan in the late Tokugawa period.
Alexander, who worked tirelessly in the service of Japanese diplomacy as
an interpreter and in other capacities, was also an old friend of Ito's. With
his support, Ito took Mosse's lectures much more seriously than previ
ously and applied himself enthusiastically to his research.
It appears that Ito also sought more actively to draw out Gneist's opin
ions. From Siebold' s diary and from correspondence between Ito and
Gneist, it is clear that Ito, accompanied by Siebold, visited Gneist fre
quently and had Siebold produce English translations of some of Gneist's
lecture notes.73

8s

86

C H A P T E R Two

M ost of the information that has come down to us regarding Gneist

emphasizes his high-handedness and leaves an unclear picture of his
influence on Meij i Japan. He seems, though, to have been of some impor
tance within Meiji government circles. This reassessment is based on the
letters from J apanese correspondents preserved as part of the Gneist
Papers in the collection of the Geheimes Staatsarchiv Preu:l?,ischer Kultur
besitz ( Secret Central Archives, Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation) .
During a visit to the archives , located in Dahrem on the outskirts of
Berlin, I discovered while browsing the catalog of the Gneist Papers entries
for sixteen letters from Japanese correspondents, including Aoki Shuzo,
Ito Hirobumi, Prince Komatsu, Hirata Tosuke, and Yamagata Aritomo.74
These are evidence that throughout the 1 8 8 o s , Gneist was in regular con
tact with Japan. Unfortunately, most of these letters were lost during the
World War I I , but two from Ito, one dated May 18 and the other December
2 6 , 1 8 8 3 , and one from H irata, dated
March 2 0 , 1885, survive.
The first letter from Ito was written as
he prepared to depart Berlin at the end
j.,.._.
,;,,,._/ ;_eo
of his constitutional research. After
_
''/ "- (.;_ /., .v ,
4{ ,(.;,t'
''/ f-. ,
"";;-, - j
informing Gneist that he was leaving
"j .hu ;. ...,..,_ 1
r/ . 7'-...
---r ""
j..._
?.t;;:-t.-- ..._.t
that
evening and bidding him farewell,
,{,-? "-/ d""l { J
., ,....1
._ ._"- "' ,/
- * " - ,,_,,.,._ f- (,_ ;. :_.t "t
.& '"'---"
Ito introduces M ori Arinori, who hap
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/,._, / ,,(,. ,_.,,7 ,d,_?;"";j;_
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pened to be in Berlin at the time, and
""'f--/.:t
.1
,r.,/.:.3 ?. ;L r..:.
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requests that Gneist instruct him regard
1C ;. c.,.Jc::y
;,_ r..;.
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_Jrt /"-u-.n<.{
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r 4 -(,"
ing the German educational system.
;... ;1':" ,,, L A-,
/-.1
The second of Ito's letters was written
.I 4(4 - /"' ,(,._d L,._ -T.-
after his return to Japan. He mentions
hearing of a visit to S an Francisco by
-.,--;
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r ..
Gneist, saying that had he known of
' :i,; "-/.
j!;..:_-(, IU,I"-'"' .r,.,. _ ,_"" ')-"it
earlier, he would have urged Gneist
Z:J-
_/ './/&- /.,_ ,_;,:,_
ftu r.. "7 T """) fv,o.1_r--t, hr.. L..to visit Japan as well, since it was close
enough to have made a pleasant exten
j'
;-... ... ?-y -r
sion to his travels , but alas had discov
- ./tr::>
ered this only after Gneist ' s return to
Germany.
Letter from Ito Hirobumi to Rudolf von
Gneist, dated 26 December 1883 . Only
Both letters reveal an unexpected level
the beginning and the conclusion are
of familiarity. I to' s introduction of Mori
reproduced here.
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I T O H I R O B U M I's E u R O P E A N R E S E A R C H

and request for help with Mori's research in particular suggest a relation
ship of trust and amity between Ito and Gneist.
The Hirata letter preserved in the archives enlists Gneist's opinions on
the famous Prussian constitutional dispute of the 1 8 6 o s . Hirata is partic
ularly interested in increases in military spending and hopes to use infor
mation from Gneist to support expansion of the Japanese military budget.
"Your name," Hirata writes, "is held in great esteem here, and your author
ity in matters regarding the state has been widely acclaimed. "
These three letters alone suggest more positive connections between
Gneist and the Meij i state than previously thought. It is unfortunate that
the additional letters from J apanese correspondents-including those
from Yamagata and others from Ito-have been lost. H owever, we know
that two members of the imperial family, Prince Fushimi and Prince
Komatsu, visited Gneist with Yamagata and heard him lecture, more evi
dence of close communication between Gneist and the Japanese govern
ment. I will return to this point in the following chapter.
"The confessions of a beautiful soul"
Meanwhile, according to the diary of Alexander von Siebold, Ito confessed
to him something "that made my hair stand on end" :
When he was a young samurai, Ito was involved in the assassination of a high
government official and scholar whose name began with the syllable " H a "
(whose son, I a m told, presently serves i n the Foreign Ministry) . A t the behest
of the taikun' s [shogun's] government, he was investigating the idea of dethron
ing the emperor. When the ronin [here, antigovernment samurai] got wind of
this, they sent Ito to pay a call on this personage, in order to see him first hand
and be able to identify him later . . . They decided to lay in wait for him at
Kudanshita, and when he appeared, they attacked him and his retinue and cut
them down. Ito then went the following day to the man's residence to ascertain
whether he was actually dead. There he was told the man was ill, and that his
son had gone to see the Council of Elders [the equivalent of cabinet ministers
in Tokugawa Japan] . The retainers of the house invited Ito in, probably in order
to seize him, but he did not linger there. Later, he realized that his sword was
still caked with blood.75

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The man cut down by Ito and his associates was Hanawa Jiro, son of the
famous scholar of Kokugaku (National Learning ) , Hanawa Hokiichi, and
himself a Kokugaku scholar.
Siebold must not have known how to react to this grisly confession. His
confusion comes through in his diary entry, where he can only conclude,
somewhat awkwardly, that this is "the confession of a beautiful soul."
What was it that induced Ito to recount this bloody tale from his past?
He is reported to have told the same story to some of his companions dur
ing the Iwakura Embassy's travels through America and Europe.76 Perhaps,
as before, being abroad emboldened him to let down his guard. Or maybe
his success in his mission to investigate the constitution left him in an
expansive frame of mind.
On February 1 9 , r88 3 , Ito left Berlin, passing through Belgium on his
way to London. During his two months in England, he met Herbert Spencer
( r 8 2 o-r 9 0 3 ) , the famed theorist of S ocial Darwinism, and apparently
heard lectures by an individual named Grigsby, but no details of this
exist.77 According to Ito Miyoji, Ito Hirobumi contracted in London to have
a number of documents collected in Germany translated into English and
worked on putting in order the results of the mission's research. It seems
safe to say, then, that the actual research phase of the mission had been
completed in Germany and Austria.78
In May, Ito Hirobumi traveled to Russia to attend the coronation of the
tsar, and on June 2 6 departed from Naples for the voyage home.
A secret letter to Okuma
Preserved among the Ito Papers in the National Diet Library is the draft of
a letter that Ito began composing during his soj ourn in Europe but never
completed. The content suggests that its intended recipient was Okuma
Shigenobu and that it was written following Ito's research in Vienna. This
unfinished letter to an old comrade turned political rival reveals a reflective
side to Ito that contrasts with the impression he gave of being drunk with
success in Vienna and overplaying that success to the audience back home.
It attests to the introspection behind his comment in an earlier letter to
Iwakura that " I feel that if I were to die now, I could rest in peace. " The
unfinished draft includes this passage:

i T O H I R O B U M I's E U R O P E A N R E S E A R C H

It has now been more than a year since I have seen you, my esteemed friend,
and now we find ourselves at opposite ends of the earth. Nor is this just a mat
ter of physical distance. We also differ in myriad ways on the course that we
would chart for our nation. When I think back on last spring when we bathed
together in the hot springs at Atami and discussed grand plans for the future,
the scene still comes vividly to my eyes. Yet the meetings and partings of life
are like this. Nor is this true merely of our usual meetings and partings; it is also
seems true of our changes in course. Is this something that results from the
workings of nature, or from the choices that we make ourselves? What would
be accomplished if I should try to discover what separates that which is nature's
part and that which is man' s ? Even if I were to do so, it would not profit the
nation. If one were to take the country . . . [the manuscript breaks off herej 79

Only the previous spring the two men had discussed national politics at
the Atami Conference. Yet, in the short time that had passed, the world of
politics had shifted significantly, and the respective position and status of
the two had been radically altered. They now were at opposite ends of the
earth in a literal sense and poles apart politically.
Yet there was no difference between them in their grand goal: the estab
lishment of Japan as a modern nation-state with a parliamentary system
and the renegotiation of Japan's unequal treaties with the Western powers.
Far from Japan, where the dust had still not settled after the Political Crisis
of 1881, Ito was able to think objectively and systematically about where he
felt the nation should be headed. He could draw the distinction between
his views and Okuma's radicalism on the one hand and between the
instinctive rejection of parliamentary politics by Iwakura and other gov
ernment leaders on the other. His course would be to harmonize and unite
these two conflicting positions. His unfinished letter exudes his confi
dence in his ability to do so.

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C H A PT E R

T H R E E

Yamagata Aritomo's
European Tour
A Different Kind of
Constitutional Research

1.

The Promulgation of the Meiji Constitution

Institutional reform through "constitutional charisma"

On August 3 , r88 3 , I to Hirobumi returned to Japan and put what Sakamoto
Kazuto has called his "constitutional charisma" to work. Using the author
ity and confidence he had gained in Europe, Ito took the lead role in a
reform of national institutions intended to lay the groundwork for the
introduction of a parliamentary political system. 1
In Hong Kong, while h e was still e n route home, word had reached him
that Iwakura Tomomi had conveniently died after a lengthy illness. This
guaranteed that upon Ito's return to Japan he would have complete author
ity, both in name and in fact, to preside over the process of formulating a
constitution.
Yet after his arrival, Ito did not immediately begin work on the consti
tution. As we have seen in the preceding chapter, in Europe Ito had
become convinced that the constitution as a written document was insuf
ficient in and of itself. What was needed was a constitution in the sense of
the deeper structure undergirding the state. Constitutional government
could not be achieved simply by writing a constitution. It would have to be
premised upon a complete overhaul of national institutions , beginning
with the administrative system, as well as a remaking of the conscious
ness of both officials and the people in accordance with this institutional
transformation. This was the lesson that Ito had brought back with him
from Europe.

C H A PT E R T H R E E

Knowing that a major revision o f the country's system o f government

had to be undertaken before writing the constitution itself, Ito took steps
to achieve this end. In March 1884, he was appointed director of the
Bureau for the I nvestigation of Constitutional Systems in the Imperial
H ousehold Department. From this command post, Ito carried out a
variety of institutional reforms. He was concurrently made minister of the
Imperial H ousehold Department, and immediately initiated a series of
palace reforms, reorganizing the structure of the department itself
and working to establish the financial autonomy of imperial house. These
efforts were directly related to Ito's concept of the state, which called
for establishing a clear separation between the imperial house and the
government.
In the late 187os, as Emperor Meij i, born in 185 3 , came to maturity both
physically and mentally, rising sentiment favored his personal rule.
However, Ito labored to prevent the emperor or his advisers from willful
ly meddling in the affairs of state or, conversely, from being drawn into
political involvement against his will. Ito did so by attempting to create an
autonomous space in which the palace could exist independent of politics
and to sever the direct link between the emperor and the government. This
was the first step toward turning the emperor into a constitutional
monarch.
A system for building a bureaucracy
In December I88s, a major restructuring of the government abolished the
Daj okan, which had served as Japan's governing body since shortly after
the Restoration. In its place, a modern cabinet system was introduced.
This ended the nominal control of the government ministries by mem
bers of the nobility, formally opening positions of national leadership to a
broad spectrum of the nation's citizens. It also signified the establishment
of an executive branch of government that, while still responsible to the
emperor, was also autonomous .
In Europe, Ito had his eyes opened by Stein to the significance of the
executive in supporting constitutional government. Indispensable to this
was the existence of a modern bureaucracy and a recruitment system to
staff it. In March 1 8 8 6 , the Imperial University Order was issued, creating
the Imperial University (later Tokyo I mperial University) . Article I of the
order stated that "the Imperial University has as its goal the teaching of,

Y A M A G ATA A R I T O M o ' s E u R O P E A N T o u R

and the fundamental research into, arts and sciences necessary for the
state, " indicating that this was an institution of higher education and
research established with a strong awareness of its ties to other state insti
tutions. The Imperial University Order, along with the Regulations for
Civil Service Examinations and Probationary Civil Officers and the Civil
Service Code issued in r887, constituted a system for fostering a bureau
cracy that could provide the administrative support for constitutional gov
ernment. This interrelated set of institutions is what Nakano Minoru has
called the Imperial University system.2
Institutional constraints on the emperor: the Privy Council
The Sumitsuin, or Privy Council, was established in r888, with Ito as its
first president. The Privy Council was initially created to deliberate upon
and ratifY proposals for basic national laws such as the constitution and the
Imperial Household Law, giving it a pivotal role in the new constitution
al monarchy. Ito explained its significance to Inoue Kowashi in the fol
lowing terms:
In my humble opinion, we cannot imitate the British and immediately estab
lish parliamentary government, and in light of the state of affairs in our coun
try, it would be extremely dangerous to leave matters to the vicissitudes of
politics and the survival of the fittest, as the Prussian chancellor [Bismarck]
suggests; we must of course not allow His Majesty to be troubled by such mat
ters. This can be dealt with by a completely new invention of my own devising.
When you inquire into the basic principles of our Constitution, you will see
that sovereignty resides firmly in the imperial house, and that in a crisis His
Majesty's judgment is to be the basis for the final decision. In the event that the
government and the Diet find it impossible to come to agreement, then in
accordance with the imperial will either the cabinet must resign or the Diet be
dissolved; there is no other alternative. In such a case, there must be consci
entious imperial advisers who can clearly ascertain the state of the nation and
the sentiments of the people, and in the end secure what is in their best inter
ests. I am convinced that only a Privy Council can provide the place where such
advisers may be found . . 3
.

Ito points to the decision-making authority of the emperor in the event of a

deadlock between the government and the national assembly and conceives

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of the Privy Council a s an advisory body to the emperor in such circum

stances. He was proud of his "completely new invention," seeing it as a
unique institution for Japan's parliamentary system that was in no way
beholden to the English or Pruss ian models. It is unlikely, though, that
Ito would have proposed such an idea without the knowledge he acquired
through his study of European statecraft, especially under Stein.
In February r887, Prince Komatsu attended lectures by Stein in Vienna
in which Stein spoke of the role of the sovereign as a mediating force in
politics. According to Stein, for the sovereign "to stand above both the
executive and legislative branches, overseeing all affairs of state" he must
always employ "people personally loyal to His Majesty" as advisers to
"broadly and fully comprehend the situation of the nation at home and
abroad" and "determine affairs of state."4
In any case, the Privy Council was intended as a consultative body for
political action on the part of the emperor. Even if the emperor were to be
accorded the honor of "overseeing all affairs of state," it would not do to
overestimate his actual political sovereignty. Rather, the creation of the
Privy Council was intended as a check on the emperor' s intrusion into
politics. It drew the imperial political decision-making process forth from
the shadowy recesses of the palace and placed it openly before the mem
bers of the Privy Council, to be carried out on the basis of their delibera
tions. The separation of the imperial household and the government
forestalled the emperor from becoming a political ruler, and the estab
lishment of the Privy Council institutionalized any political activity on the
part of the sovereign. The emperor was thus encouraged to develop into a
constitutional monarch.
Along the tracks laid by Ito
The period from Ito's return to Japan to the promulgation of the Meiji
Constitution, therefore, involved more than merely drafting a document.
The entire framework of the nation's institutions was being overhauled to
shape the Meiji state into a constitutional order.
This effort owed much to Ito's forceful leadership. He followed a blue
print ofhis own devising to turn Japan into a constitutional monarchy and
skillfully directed Inoue Kowashi and other legal bureaucrats under his
command to reform Japan's institutions. This was the practical application
of what Ito had learned from Stein during his studies in Europe. Faithful

Y A M A G ATA A R I T O M O ' s E U R O P E A N T o U R

to Stein's teachings, Ito vigorously constructed a n administrative system

to undergird the constitutional order.
In Europe, Ito deepened his insight into the pitfalls of constitutional
government through the examples of Germany and Austria. Yet this did
not lead him to reject the parliamentary system; his faith in it remained
unshaken. He realized that parliamentary politics were inevitable under a
constitutional system, but had to be backed by a strong concern for the
collective national good within the popular consciousness, or they could
easily disintegrate into factionalism. This led to the insight that the intro
duction of a parliamentary system would not be finished with the estab
lishment of a constitution; for it to fully take root, patient political effort
was required. Ito had taken Stein's hint, and recalibrated his political aims
from an immediate concern with the soon-to-be-enacted constitution to
the more protracted task of implementing a viable national structure.
Ito's political leadership after the opening of the Diet was consistent
with regard to this point. The first parliamentary government in Asia was
fraught with difficulties from the very start. Conflict between antigovern
ment forces based in the Diet on the one hand and the government and its
bureaucracy on the other produced a series of crises in which suspension
of the constitution loomed as a real threat. That they were overcome was
in no small part due to the suppleness of Ito's policies in dealing with the
Diet. He constantly and carefully strove to maintain a parliamentary major
ity through a shifting series of alliances and by whittling away at the largest
opposition party, the JiyU.to ( Liberal Party) , all the while working to over
come conflicts between the government and the Diet as amicably as pos
sible. Only when the situation reached real crisis would he call on the
emperor to intervene, as a limited version of the activist monarch he had
seen in Franz Joseph.
In 1 9 0 0 , Ito himself organized a political party from the remnants of
his erstwhile rival and negotiating partner, the JiyU.to. Called the Rikken
SeiyU.kai (Friends of Constitutional Government) , it represented his entry
into parliamentary politics as a party politician. Ito passed away in 1 9 0 9 ,
but parliamentary politics i n Japan continued its development. The first
genuine party cabinet, achieved in r 9 r 8 under the leadership of Hara
Takas hi, could not have come into being if not for the tracks laid by I to. 5

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An "immutable fundamental law"

The culmination of Japan's reform of its national institutions was the pro
mulgation on February n , 1 8 8 9 (Meij i 2 2 ) , of the Constitution of the
Empire of Japan (the Meiji Constitution) . The day also saw the promulga
tion of a variety of supplementary laws and the enactment of the Imperial
Household Law (which, because it pertained to the private affairs of the
imperial house, was not publicly promulgated) . The supplementary laws
included the Law of the Houses, the Law of Election of Members the House
of Representatives , the Law of Finance, and the Imperial Ordinance
Concerning the House of Peers. Along with the Constitution of the Empire
of Japan, they constituted the collective body of laws fundamental to the
Meij i state. It is this integrated whole that should be considered to be
imperial Japan's real constitution, establishing the institutional features of
the modem monarchy, legislature, and cabinet and initiating Japan's
development into a constitutional state.6
There is a considerable gap, therefore, between the Meiji Constitution
and the actual constitution of Meij i Japan. The written constitution was
only one among a number of basic laws structuring the state, though it
was accorded a different normative status from these ordinary laws and
ordinances, having been promulgated as the nation's "immutable funda
mental law."7 Yet it was impossible for this document of only seventy-six
articles to define every aspect of national life. To truly constitute Japan's
political order, other legislation, and the mediation of the political and
administrative process, would be required.8
Unity and symbolism
Limitations aside, the constitution's significance lay in it being the most
fundamental law among the nation's fundamental laws, the primus inter
pares. Its abstract language expressed the fundamental guiding principles
of the Japanese state. But how these principles were to be interpreted
remained open to question.
It is well known that the Meiji Constitution established sweeping impe
rial powers, proclaiming the emperor to be "the head of the Empire, com
bining in himself the rights of sovereignty. " Yet the aims of its principal
architect, Ito Hirobumi, lay elsewhere, in the concept of a limited monar
chy in which the government and parliament cooperated in conducting
the affairs of state. What, then, did the Meiji Constitution signify?

Y A M A G ATA A R I T O M O ' s E U R O P E A N T O U R

The focus of this book, a s stated earlier, i s o n the unifYing and symbolic
roles of the constitution. And, indeed, the Meiji Constitution was a cohe
sive force uniting the various institutions of national government and the
nation as a whole. Of particular significance was its codification of the
country's highest normative values . The diverse ordinances previously
issued ad hoc as responses to the pressure of events would now have to be
drafted in compliance with the constitution. The nation could now erect a
consistent legal system with the constitution at its apex.9
The constitution's symbolic function had two aspects : domestic and
international. In the international context, Japan's promulgation of the
constitution signified more than anything else its intent to join the ranks
of the "civilized" nations. At the time, treaty revision was still a fervently
desired goal, and the constitution was regarded as the symbol of a civi
lized polity.
At home, it was hoped that the promulgation of the constitution would
serve as a public expression to the Japanese people of the desired shape of
their nation and thereby politically invigorate the citizenry and serve as a
force for national unity. Under the constitution, the political energies of the
people could be channeled and incorporated into the process of national
government, meanwhile guaranteeing them the prospect of influencing
that process. The constitution, in short, symbolized the modern nation
state.
Japanese spirit, Western learning
Episodes surrounding the promulgation of the constitution, beginning
with the ceremony itself, give us a glimpse of its symbolic power.
The promulgation ceremony was held in the new imperial palace, com
pleted in January, a month before the promulgation. In May 187 3 , the for
mer imperial palace within the grounds of Edo Castle was destroyed by
fire, and for more than a decade the former mansion of the daimyo of Kii
in the Akasaka district of Tokyo served as the emperor's provisional resi
dence. The promulgation ceremony was thus also the first formal exhibi
tion of the new palace.
Immediately before the promulgation ceremony, a different ceremony in
observation of Kigensetsu, the date commemorating the founding of the
nation, was conducted by the emperor in the Kashikodokoro, a shrine with
in the palace dedicated to the imperial ancestors.10 Before the assembled

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members o f the nobility and high government officials, the emperor

appeared, clad in "ancient court dress , " and then retired behind a cere
monial screen, where he read a text informing his ancestors of the pro
mulgation of the constitution. Like the Charter Oath of 1 8 6 8 , which had
also been presented to the imperial ancestors, the promulgation of the
constitution was thus situated, first and foremost, within the framework
of a "restoration of antiquity" (fukko) .
This is reminiscent of the events surrounding the Iwakura Embassy's
departure presented in chapter 1 . The embassy was also sent on its way
with ceremonies deliberately ancient in nature. This "restoration of antiq
uity," however, was left behind almost as soon as the embassy left port.
Much the same could be said of the ceremonies surrounding the pro
mulgation of the constitution.
When the ceremony in the Kashikodokoro had been concluded, the
assembled dignitaries moved to the S eiden, the palace's public hall of cer
emonies , for the promulgation ceremony itself. The proceedings now
threw off the air of a secret rite with which they had begun and became a
majestic display of pomp and circumstance. Ottmar von Mohl ( 1 8461922), a foreign expert employed at the palace, gives the following account:
Afterwards , the emperor changed into Western-style military uniform, and
accompanied by a solemn procession of courtiers , and entered an ornate throne
room expressly prepared for this occasion. In it, the empress and the imperial
princesses were already arrayed to the right of the throne; the imperial princes
and members of the foreign diplomatic corps to the left. 1 1

I n other words, the emperor, after presenting the constitution a s an offer

ing at the ancestral shrine in the inner recesses of the palace, immediate
ly changed into Western dress to preside over a ceremony in which he
presented the constitution as a gift to his people. As the emperor' s
Western clothing suggests , the promulgation ceremony itself was con
ducted in the Western manner. Indeed, as the day approached, there were
so many orders from participants for new Western formal attire that it is
said that all the Western tailors, hatters, and cobblers in the capital were
sold out. 12 The following lengthy quotation gives a clear impression of the
promulgation ceremony:

Y A M A G ATA A R I T O M o ' s E u R O P E A N T o u R

From the dais, in a loud, clear

voice the emperor read the
rescript bestowing the constitu
tion on the Japanese people. The
hall presented a solemn specta
cle. Facing the emperor stood
ranks of Japan's high officials
and notables, and the members
of both houses of the soon-to-be
convened Diet. n To the right of
the emperor, on a slightly elevat
ed dais stood the empress and
the imperial princesses , together
with their ladies-in-waiting. The
empress wore a Western-style
crown studded with diamonds,
and her rose gown was set off by
accessories such as one might
see on the Riviera, also laden
with diamonds. The empress

"The Promulgation of the Constitution" by Wada

Eisaku.

and the princesses at her side all

wore Japanese medals. This party of the women of the imperial house and the
throng of other elegant women in attendance made a most favorable impres
sion. The men serving in the palace were arranged in a line along the rear wall
of the hall, behind the emperor and empress. The members of the diplomatic
corps were all in attendance-this in itself a rarity-and their colorful military
uniforms and formal dress lent an undeniable liveliness to the celebration. 14

Again, unlike the earlier private and very ancient Japanese rite before the
imperial ancestors, this took on all the coloring of European court cere
mony. " Japanese spirit" was concealed within the recesses of the palace,
and the constitution was displayed to the world in the full regalia of
"Western learning. "
The presence, therefore, o f the members o f the Western diplomatic com
munity is profoundly significant. Moreover, the foreign presence was not
limited to diplomats; large numbers of foreigners in the employ of the Meiji
government also attended. Their presence at the birth of the constitution

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clearly conveyed a specific message to the West that Japan, now possessed
of a constitution, was also a civilized nation. The constitution thus
assumed its aforementioned role in foreign affairs as the symbol of Japan's
civilization and enlightenment.
Determined to enhance the prestige of the constitution, the emperor
gave it his all that day. Following the promulgation ceremony, he reviewed
the troops at the Aoyama Parade Grounds at r : o o p.m., returning to the
palace at s : o o p.m. with scarcely time to catch his breath before the formal
banquet at T O O p.m., to which more than three hundred people had been
invited (mostly participants in the promulgation ceremony) and which
would continue well into the night. As the evening wore on, the emperor
was unable to conceal his fatigue, and the ballroom dancing, which did
not start until r o : o o p.m., had to be temporarily halted. 1 5
Unforeseen events
The promulgation ceremony centered on the emperor, but the highest
officials of the government were feverishly at work in the wings. Three
unanticipated events arose on the day of the ceremony to add to the
behind-the-scenes commotion. 1 6
The first was the assassination o f Mori Arinori. Mori, who was serving
in the cabinet as the minister of education, was cut down by a swordsman
as he left his residence that morning on his way to the ceremonies at the
palace. The other officials, waiting impatiently for his arrival, were shocked
at word of this tragedy. Concerned about the confusion that would arise if
the participants were to learn of this event, the government suppressed
the news of Mori's death until after the ceremony.
The second incident involved Ito Hirobumi's misplacing the constitu
tion itself. He appeared haggard and empty-handed before the other offi
cials on the morning of the ceremony, and not just because he, too, had
been unable to sleep for all the excitement. When Kaneko Kentaro, who
along with Inoue Kowashi and Ito Myoji had assisted Ito in drafting the
document, asked Ito where the constitution was, Ito, who had the previous
day received the official copy, carefully wrapped in purple brocade, had to
confess that he had left it behind at his official residence. A messenger
was hurriedly dispatched to retrieve the precious document, but the
episode was "one of the biggest blunders in Prince Ito's life."

Y A M A G ATA A R I T O M O ' s E u R O P E A N T O U R

And, finally, there was Inoue Kowashi' s mistake with a date. In the text
of the rescript the emperor read aloud at the ceremony and in the text pub
lished in the government's official gazette, the incorrect date was given
for the imperial rescript of r88r promising that a national assembly would
be convened in nine year's time. The declaration had been published on
October 12, but this was incorrectly given as October 14. It was a slip of the
pen in the eleventh hour by Inoue, who had worked heroically and anony
mously as one of the chief architects of the constitution. What most might
dismiss as a minor error compelled Inoue to submit an offer to resign,
and a request for "appropriate punishment." So great was his torment that
he began to feel "death is the only way to atone for this." Inoue took pride
in his precise and meticulous mind and had enj oyed the unconditional
trust of others because, in the words of Kaneko Kentaro, "any proposal of
Inoue's was bound to be free from slips or errors. " So this oversight must
have, to quote Oishi Makoto, "felt like snatching defeat from the jaws of
victory."
Behind the scenes, the government leaders were truly shedding blood,
sweat, and tears. It seems more than mere coincidence that the "consti
tutional charisma" of both Ito and Inoue was so thoroughly punctured.
What is revealed by the incidents involving these two men is the striking
differences in their temperaments. In contrast to Inoue-"loyal samurai,"
diligent in every word and phrase-Ito comes across as nonchalant, for
getting the constitution on the very day of its promulgation. 1 7 Perhaps this
was the distinction between a high-minded bureaucrat so immersed in
the minutiae of the constitution that he identified himself with it, and a
politician who saw the constitution as no more than an instrument to be
wielded as skillfully as possible in realizing his vision for the nation.
A cynical view
How did the Japanese people respond to the promulgation of the consti
tution? Erwin Baelz (r849-1 9 I 3 ) , a physician employed by the Japanese
government, remarked on the celebratory spectacle in the streets: "Yet the
amusing thing was that not one of them had any idea of what was in the
constitution. " 1 8 A letter written by another German in the employ of the
government, Karl Rathgen (r8s6-1 9 2 I ) , a professor of political science at
the Imperial University, goes further. Rathgen writes that when people
first heard about the promulgation they had no idea what this meant.

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When the news spread that the constitution was to be promulgated on February
n,

the people were quite indifferent. The rejoicing that the government clearly

anticipated was nowhere to be seen. Yet the government thought that the peo
ple should be happy. Local officials and newspapers received their orders, and
immediately articles such as the following began to appear: It is the duty of all
loyal subjects to dress up, drink sake, and celebrate this day. Officials sum
moned the local notables and let them know that the emperor desired them to
celebrate this day in the manner of a local temple festival. Anyone who did not
j oin in would not be allowed to participate in any future festivals . Opening
shops or working on this day was forbidden. According to my cook, the entire
neighborhood is most depressed by this . 1 9

We can see that the people were initially discomfited by the demands for
celebration. The government's persistence in fomenting a celebratory
mood, though, seemed to take hold, and popular excitement grew.
Over the past several days, the people, each after their own fashion, have put
some energy into preparations for the celebration, and things have acquired a
bit more colorful an air. With the festive decorations that have been put every
where, the town is looking quite lovely. Crowds have gathered in surprising
proximity to the imperial palace. They probably have no clear idea what all the
fuss is about. It was totally impossible for the police to control such extraordi
nary crowds, and yet, strangely enough, there have been no incidents at the
narrow gates to the castle, on the bridges , or elsewhere. This is thanks to the

Festivities for the promulgation of the constitution in the Ueno district of Tokyo.

Y A M A G AT A A R I T O M o ' s E U R O P E A N T o U R

Japanese national character, which possesses a discipline, patience, and gen

tleness that defy our comprehension. The major responsibility for the numer
ous accidents that have occurred lies with the mob who drove heavy oxcarts up
to the palace and then circled it in an endless procession. The maj ority of the
carts were extremely gaudy, eye-catching affairs . Yet it is difficult to understand
what such foolishness has to do with the constitution or political maturity. 2 0

Rathgen also reports that " I witnessed the first genuine brawl I have seen
since coming to Japan" and makes note of free sake being dispensed, fire
works day and night, the decorative illuminations in the streets, and torch
light processions of students . Overall, Rathgen and Baelz view the pro
ceedings cynically. Rathgen concludes his letter by writing that "despite all
the uproar and boisterous celebration, it was all for show; no one really
shared in this sentiment from the depths of their heart. "
0 Constitution, you are born at last!

Seen through the cool eyes of a foreign resident, the carnival atmosphere
in the streets attending the promulgation of the constitution was an
embarrassment. The people who would be involved in the political and
governmental system that would emerge from this constitution, however,
saw things differently.
The newspapers and magazines of the Freedom and Popular Rights
Movement, for example, which had long clamored for a constitution, on
the whole welcomed the constitution's promulgation.2 1 Takada Sanae,
polemicist for the Kaishinto (Progressive Party) , opined "I think the
Constitution of the Empire of Japan is a good constitution; a better con
stitution than we were led to believe . " This view, common among
Kaishinto members, was expressed by newspaper reporter Koezuka RyU. in
the Mainichi shimbun, " In general, it is truly a praiseworthy constitution. "
Another party member said upon reading the constitution that " I was filled
with a spirit of great joy" and relates that "we were not the only ones who
felt this way; among the people of the entire nation I think there was not
one who voiced any dissatisfaction."22
Contributing no doubt to the positive reception of the constitution by
Kaishinto supporters was the appointment to the cabinet the preceding
year of their leader Okuma Shigenobu. But their emotion for the consti
tution was genuine. Ooka Ikuzo, who would later serve in the House of

C HAPTE R T H R E E

Representatives and who was a representative in the Tokyo Metropolitan

Assembly at the time, reminisced as follows :
On the day the constitution was promulgated, you can scarcely imagine my
surprise when I heard the news that even members of the prefectural assem
blies had participated in the ceremony at the palace. Up to that point, one fre
quently heard that even people of considerable status had not been permitted
to enter the palace, and had to content themselves with prostrating themselves
in the gravel outside the palace gates. What an immense change it was when
on that day even commoners such as the prefectural assemblymen were given
the honor of attendance at the palace.23

In fact, only the chairmen of the prefectural assemblies were permitted to

attend. But it is significant that a rumor that all of the assemblymen had
been granted access spread so rapidly, and seized the popular imagina
tion. It was captivating to think that the doors of the palace had been
thrown open to anyone involved in politics, even to assemblymen who had
been hostile to the government. The newly renovated imperial palace, as
the setting for the emperor's gift of the constitution to his people, made its
debut as a venue where entrenched political conflicts could be ameliorat
ed. Even the imperial pardon of the popular rights activists being held as
political prisoners can be seen as part of the message of political reconcil
iation conveyed from the palace to the people with the promulgation of
the constitution.
Popular rights activists embraced the notion that the establishment of
the constitution legitimized their existence within the system and opened
a path to their participation in national politics. They accepted the consti
tution as a political symbol without hesitation. A newspaper piece, report
edly by Ueki Emori read, "0 Constitution, you are born at last! At this I
rej oice. And if I am to celebrate your birth, I must also pray for your
growth. Grow strong, I beg of you!"24 In this unfeigned excitement we can
sense Ueki's hopes for the convening of the national assembly mandated
by the constitution, where at the very least the struggle for rights could be
continued.
Undeniably, Japan had entered a new era in politics. The personal net
works and associations that people form to pursue political ends and the
political space that people create or activate through them were termed

Y A M A G ATA A R I T O M o ' s E u R O P E A N T o u R

"the public sphere" ( Offentlichkeit) by the German political theorist J iirgen

Habermas.25 Borrowing Habermas's term, it can be said that the promul
gation of the Meij i Constitution was a historic event announcing the for
mation of such a public sphere in the nation-state of Meiji Japan. In Japan,
however, this public sphere arose not from the grassroots, as envisioned
by Habermas, but was created by imperial fiat from within the palace
walls.
Tension over the creation of a public sphere
The constitution was an established fact, but this did not immediately
result in popular participation in politics or in the participation of the
opposition parties in the government. Suffrage was restricted to adult
males over the age of twenty-five paying more than fifteen yen in direct
national taxes per annum. Unless one was a large landholder, it was diffi
cult to acquire the franchise.
In addition, the government's deep-rooted antipathy for the popular
rights movement and its parties had not been dispelled. Several days after
the promulgation of the constitution, its architect, Ito Hirobumi, admon
ished a gathering of prefectural assembly chairmen:
Now that the Diet is about to be convened and the affairs of government opened
to public debate and discussion, we must avoid the quite dangerous tempta
tion of hastily organizing a parliamentary government-in other words, a cab
inet formed by political parties. Though there are many who preach the
advantages of political parties , we must still cultivate the strength necessary to
place the nation on a secure enough footing to allow the affairs of state to be
determined by public debate. If we should fail to recognize this necessity, and
engage lightly in something that could shake the foundations of the nation,
who knows what harm might be done? This is something about which I am
personally quite concerned.26

Ito is not rejecting party politics out of hand. He sees the domination of
the Diet by political parties as inevitable but is nevertheless apprehensive
lest the nation's governance fall prey in its infancy to partisan forces. So
he argues that despite the implementation of the constitution it is still too
early for parliamentary government and party cabinets.

ros

106

C H A PT E R T H R E E

The day after the promulgation o f the constitution, Prime Minister

Kuroda Kiyotaka likewise delivered a famous speech stubbornly rejecting
party government and defending the so-called transcendental cabinet sys
tem. That he and Ito felt inclined to make such remarks shows that gov
ernment insiders feared the prospect of the formation of a public sphere
that included their rivals in the popular rights movement. The constitution
had been established, marking the culmination of an era of vigorous
nation-building that had commenced with the Meiji Restoration, but the
leaders of the government were unable to summon the enthusiasm and
excitement of the popular rights activists, much less lose themselves in
the drunken revelry in the streets. They were already facing the difficulty
of how to engage the forces of the political parties and continue to run the
country after the Diet convened in 1 8 9 0 .
A n elder statesman visits Europe
At the time of the promulgation of the con
stitution, one of J apan's genro, or elder
statesmen, was contemplating the problem
of popular politics from a solitary vantage.
Yamagata Aritomo was on a fact-finding
tour of Europe, the goals of which he
defined as follows :
At this time I am intending to spend a peri
od of about eight months touring the
European nations in order to inspect their
coastal defense batteries. In addition, since
preparations are under way for the anticipat
ed introduction of a new system of local

Yamagata Aritomo

administration throughout the country in

April of next year, I plan to observe at first hand how the local government sys
tem has been implemented in Prussia, and expect to find it instructive in
numerous ways . 27

Wherever he went on his tour, Yamagata explained that his visit was "to
observe the actual workings of local administration, and to study military
affairs in general. "28

Y A M A G ATA A R I T O M O ' s E U R O P E A N T o u R

There was , however, a deeper significance to his j ourney. Yamagata

would become Ito's principal rival, and the two would divide Japan's polit
ical world between them.29 Unlike Ito, who would advance party politics as
the head of the Rikken Seiyiikai, Yamagata would weave a web of influence
from his base in the Home Ministry that extended into the bureaucracy,
the army, the House of Peers, the Privy Council, and even the imperial
palace. He would vigorously employ this Yamagata clique in an effort to
contain the power of the political parties. The subsequent constitutional
history of the Meiji era essentially unfolds through the conflict and rivalry
of these two men.
Yamagata's journey, which he embarked upon despite having to miss
the birth of the Meij i Constitution, was yet another constitutional inquiry,
following in the wake of the Iwakura Embassy and Ito's mission. What
concepts of national structure would Yamagata learn on this visit to distant
Europe?
2.

Yamagata Aritomo's European Study Tour

"Like visiting Arima and not bathing in the hot springs"

On December 2, r888, Yamagata Aritomo, then home minister, entrust
ed his office to Matsukata Masayoshi and set out on a journey to Europe
and the United States.3 For the next ten months, until October 2, r 8 8 9 ,
Yamagata put Japan behind him. It seems somewhat odd that key figures
in the government, such as Yamagata and Ito before him, should absent
themselves from their country for such extended periods oftime. Political
factors, however, underlay Yamagata's decision to this trip. 3 1 It should also
be recalled that since Ito's trip to Europe in r 8 8 2 , it had become de rigueur
for high-ranking officials of the Japanese government to travel to the West.
The " S tein pilgrimage" was emblematic of this. Ito's return to Japan
touched off an avalanche of Japanese visitors to Vienna to meet his men
tor Stein-a chronology of which I have published elsewhere. 32 These
included Prince Arisugawa (October r882) and Prince Komatsu ( February
r 8 8 7 ) of the imperial house; government leaders, such as Oyama Iwao
(November r 8 8 4 ) , Tani Tateki (July r 8 8 6 ) , Saigo Tsugumichi ( r 8 8 6 ) , and
Kuroda Kiyotaka (J anuary r 8 8 7 ) ; bureaucrats, among them Kaneko
Kentaro (November r 8 8 9 ) ; and even political figures who were out of office
at the time, such as Goto Shoj iro (December r 882) and Mutsu Munemitsu

10 7

108

C H A PT E R T H R E E

(June r 8 8s ) - Other major fig

ures either consulted with Stein
in writing or dispatched repre
sentatives to hear his lectures
and opinions. These included
the ge nri5 Inoue Karou and
Matsukata Masayoshi and even
Emperor Meiji himself.
The truly diverse list of Japan
Stein (second from left) lecturing to three unidenese who knocked upon Stein's tified japanese visitors.
door continues with the military men Torio Koyata (November r 8 8 6 ) and Nogi Maresuke ( January
1887) ; the scholars Ariga Nakao (July 1887) and Kanei Noboru (December
1 8 8 9 ) ; the religious leader Kitabatake Doryo; entrepreneurs such as Shoda
Heigoro; and the occasional anonymous student. An observer mockingly
remarked that "to go on a study tour of Europe without meeting Dr. Stein
was like visiting Arima and not bathing in the hot springs."33
In 1887, Yamagata, too, made the pilgrimage to Stein in Vienna, though
meeting Stein was not the be all and end all of Yamagata's voyage. Let's
retrace Yamagata' s itinerary and assess the significance of his tour.34
"Teutonic madness"
On January 9 , 1 8 8 9 , the ship carrying Yamagata and his entourage arrived
in Marseilles-beginning an eight-month tour of Europe. Their first des
tination was Paris, where Yamagata met unexpected difficulty.
Yamagata met on January 1 6 with the French foreign minister Rene
Marie Goblet (1828-1 9 0 5 ) . In this meeting, his first official call in Europe,
Yamagata received a surprisingly cold reception:
It appears that your country has recently become uncommonly friendly with a
certain country other than France and has thus not continued to employ the
military advisers my country has sent you, creating a difficult situation on both
sides, and something I find most regrettable.35

The other country with whom Japan was deepening its friendship was
Germany. With the Political Crisis of 1881 as a watershed, the government
had shifted decisively toward adopting the German model as a ruling

Y A M A GATA A R I TO M O' s E U R O P E A N T o U R

ideology. Goblet's remarks t o Yamagata were a n admonition against this

tendency in Japan, delivered with characteristic French irony. To fully
understand Goblet's statement, we must take a bit of a detour and con
sider the trend of "Germanification" in Meiji Japan.
A major impetus behind this "Germanification" was the Political Crisis
of 1881. On the day that Okuma was driven from the government, an impe
rial rescript was issued. It promised to convene a national assembly in
nine years , a declaration that the movement toward constitutional gov
ernment would gradual, not radical. What the leaders of the government
had in mind was a Prussian-style constitutional monarchy. To supply the
ideological weapons for this endeavor, the government promoted German
scholarship, especially the teachings of the German statecraft school.
Inoue Kowashi, a behind-the-scenes engineer of the bloodless coup cul
minating in the crisis of 1 8 8 1 , wasted little time in submitting a position
paper to the government in November of that year. He proposed "the
encouragement of German studies," arguing that "if we wish to create a
somewhat more conservative mood among the hearts of the people, we
should encourage only Prussian [constitutional] theory . . . and silence the
headlong rush toward the British model."36
As Inoue proposed, German theory was introduced at a sufficiently
vigorous pace to "silence" British and French alternatives. In September
1 8 8 1 , immediately before the crisis, the German Studies Association
( Doitsugaku Kyokai) was formed. Organized and managed through the
efforts of Inoue, the association had a membership that included the
maj ority of the Meij i genro: Ito Hirobumi, Yamagata Aritomo, Inoue
Kaoru, Matsukata Masayoshi, and Saigo Tsugumichi. It embodied the rul
ing ideology. The association published and distributed a steady stream
of works on German jurisprudence and political science and in October
1883 established the Academy of the German Studies Association, an insti
tution for the reproduction of this ideology. The academy provided a venue
for advancing the association' s goal of disseminating German thought
among the ruling strata. The institutionalization of this ideology was fur
ther advanced through the creation of seminars on German political econ
omy directed at members of the bureaucracy and through publication of
an official journal of the German Studies AssociationY
The ascendancy of the German model was not confined to government
circles . An article in a leading opinion magazines had this to say:

IIO

C HAPTER THREE

blow thou German wind! Your approach is felt in scholarship, in the military,

in students' caps, in beer-though why you blow, I do not know. A professor

of sociology pronounced you to be the wind of madness, but when I asked him
why, he simply smiled, making no reply. 38

This German "wind of madness" was blowing at gale force through

Japanese society and culture. Was it just a passing gust, blowing in con
cert with the political interests of Japan's rulers ? Or did it foreshadow the
shallow intellectual fads and fancies that blow through Japan so frequently
today? Also to be asked is whether what Ito and the other leaders had in
mind was simply the Germanification of Japan, but I have written on these
matters in another book and will not pursue them here.39 For present pur
poses, the significant is sue is the " German wind" that blew through
Japan's armed forces-for this is what led to the dismissal of the French
military advisers dispatched to Japan and Goblet's complaint to Yamagata.
Discord between Japan and France
From the waning years of the Tokugawa shogunate through the early Meiji
period, Japan modeled the development of its army on France's. At least
initially, the Meij i government simply inherited the military system devel
oped through the close relationship that had developed between the shogu
nate and the French government.
Germany's rise as a military power, however, was obvious-especially
after Prussia's victory over France in 1871 and the subsequent use of its mil
itary might to unify Germany. Soon a movement was under way within the
Japanese army to make Germany the model for military affairs. In 1885,
the government invited Klemens Wilhelm Jacob Meckel (1 842-1 9 0 6 ) of
the Imperial German Army's general staff as an instructor at the Army
War College, decisively signaling the Japanese Army's shift to the German
model. The problem was the French officers employed in Japan as military
advisers. It is not difficult to imagine why the French authorities might
have felt that they had lost face when Meckel was invited.
French efforts to save face did not end with a simple protest from the
French legation. Nakamura Takeshi's research gives a fascinating account
of the deepening rift between Japan and France over the issue of the
French military advisers. The following account is based on his work.40

Y A M A G ATA A R I T O M o ' s E u R O P E A N T o u R

In March r888, with Meckel's contract coming to a n end, the question

of his replacement became an issue. The Army Ministry once again
entrusted the selection to the German government. No sooner was this
done than on April n the Army Ministry received yet another protest from
the French legation. This time as well the Japanese brushed aside the
French complaint, but there is little doubt that they were both shocked
and disturbed by the depth of the French anger over this issue. On
December 4, r 8 8 8 , Prime Minister Kuroda Kiyotaka sent the following
private instructions to Army Minister Oyama Iwao:
Since your ministry's employment of military advisers through the good offices
of both the French and German governments is something that also has bear
ing upon our foreign relations, I am advising you privately to see to it that all
of these officers, with the exception of technical personnel, are terminated upon
the conclusion of their present contracts.

Bowing to the French pressure, the Japanese government decided not to

extend the contracts of its present military advisers from either France or
Germany or to employ any new advisers from either country. When the
term of the contract with Meckel's successor Wildenbruch ended in April
r 8 9 o , he was sent home.
In J anuary r 8 8 9 , however, just as Yamagata arrived in France, three
French military advisers were on their way home from Japan. One of them
had not even completed his contractual term, and though the Japanese
government had requested that he stay until he had, the insulted French
legation sent all three back to France at the same time. The French were
playing for keeps now that they believed Japan had given up on France
and was cozying up to Germany. The situation was such that Hara Takashi
(Japanese prime minister from r 9 r 8-2 r , at the time serving with the
Japanese legation in Paris) confessed that "relations between Japan and
France are in complete disharmony."41
So this was the reason behind the cold demeanor that Foreign Minister
Goblet showed to Yamagata. From the way that the Japanese government
had handled matters so far, he probably believed that all French advisers
would soon be purged from the Japanese Army. Yamagata had picked a
poor time to visit France.

III

II2

C H A PT E R T H R E E

An awkward effort to mend things

It is unlikely, though, that Yamagata was completely unprepared for this
eventuality. Presumably he approached his interview with foreign minis
ter with a degree of resignation. As a member of the cabinet, Yamagata
was aware of diplomatic drama at the Army Ministry.42 Although no longer
directly involved in administering the army, he was also a military man
turned politician who had served as the first minister of the army and who
contributed enormously to the institution of a nationwide system of mili
tary conscription. It is no exaggeration to say that the army was his home
base.
That Yamagata, unlike Ito, chose to visit France before visiting Germany
was probably for diplomatic reasons. It is reasonable, in other words, to
assume that Yamagata intended to meet personally with the French lead
ers , sound out their feelings, and attempt to wash away the bad blood
between Japan and France over the issue of military advisers.43
Even the formidable Yamagata, however, was taken aback by the
brusque treatment he received at the hands of Goblet. In a letter to
Matsukata Masayoshi in Japan, he wrote:
Today I had a meeting with the foreign minister, which was influenced by the
business about the sending home of the military advisers , as I was addressed
in quite cold language regarding my request to inspect units of the French
army. Later I am to meet with the minister of war, and am currently ponder
ing what that might be like.44

Yamagata obviously sensed stormy weather ahead for his mission follow
ing his encounter with the foreign minister. One can imagine him mulling
over how to deal with the minister of war. Five days later, a tense Yamagata
met with Minister of War Charles Louis de Saulces de Freycinet (r8281 9 2 3 ) . After they sat down, Freycinet said to him, "The people of my coun
try have great affection for the people of your country. We would be happy
to do anything we can to help you. That is, if our people can expect the
same type of treatment in return from your country . " At this point,
Yamagata was probably thinking " H ere we go . . . " He responded by say
ing, " I would like to have a word with you about why the contracts of the
instructors were not renewed. Please bear with me for a moment and hear
what I have to say. " He continued,

Y A M A G ATA A R I T O M O ' s E U R O P E A N T O U R

With the support o f your country, our army has now been able to train, i n both
Japan and France, a cadre of officers that it feels are ready to be assigned as
instructors on a trial basis . For this reason, the government decided last year
that contracts for all foreign instructors, from whatever country, would be ter
minated when the term of the contracts was fulfilled. I am giving you a plain
account of the facts with regard to why the contracts were not renewed. I can
only hope that your excellency will honor us by understanding our position in
this matter.45

This was a labored explanation, since the government decision to suspend

its employment of all foreign military advisers, as we saw in the private
instructions from Kuroda to Oyama mentioned earlier, had arisen for
diplomatic reasons .
Freycinet's response to this awkward effort to mend things was some
thing of an anticlimax. He expressed the opinion that there was no reason
to doubt that French officers could continue to be a useful presence in
Japan but added that "since the measures taken by your government were
determined according to what it saw as the best interests of your nation,
there is no reason for me to harbor the slightest dissatisfaction in this
regard. "46 Yamagata must have been enormously relieved. At one point,
he had probably resigned himself to the idea that his mission in France
might be in vain. The war minister's generous attitude no doubt restored
his spirits.
Once Yamagata was able to get on with the job at hand, the French
authorities appear to have been quite helpful. In a letter to Japan,
Yamagata described how his tour was proceeding:
I have been able to study at first hand the actual workings of local government
offices, and in terms of military affairs I have toured and inspected an acade
my and a variety of other facilities; I have received extremely cordial treatment
and the results are really considerably better than anticipated.47

When Yamagata met with Charles Floquet ( 1 828-9 6 ) , who served con
currently as France's prime minister and minister of the interior, he was
told, "simply let me know what it is that you want and I will do whatever
is in my power to arrange things for you" and was given introductions on
the spot for inspection tours of the work being done at prefectural and

II3

C H A PT E R T H R E E

municipal governmental offices.48 Yamagata's worries had been ground

less , and his study tour began in earnest.
Popular hysteria
During Yamagata's visit, France was in the midst of a political crisis touched
off by an antigovernment populist movement known as Boulangism. The
movement centered on the charismatic general Georges Boulanger (183791) .49 He came to embody a number of powerful currents in contemporary
French politics-popular discontent with the scandal-ridden Republican
government, hostility to Germany, and a yearning for major reform. The
result was his elevation into an iconic figure, the anticipated savior of the
nation.
Riding on a wave of sentiment, B oulanger displayed an appetite for
political power, running in by-elections in different constituencies with
the slogan " Dissolve the National Assembly, revise the Constitution, cre
ate a new Constituent Assembly. " Boulanger would be elected to office,
only to resign and stand for election again elsewhere. It was an odd strat
egy, but it won him the support of the French masses. On January 27, the
hysterical tide of Boulangism swept into Paris while Yamagata was there.
In the election held that day Boulanger won a seat in the Chamber of
Deputies by a landslide. That night, elated mobs pressed him to storm the
presidential palace and effect a coup d'etat. Paris was about to explode.
Boulanger, however, rejected the coup d'etat, and the movement rapidly
deflated. Abandoned by the masses, Boulanger fled to Belgium and two
years later killed himself with a pistol.
The French Third Republic had narrowly escaped a crisis that had
threatened to destroy it. But the drama of Boulangism had exposed
weaknesses in parliamentary democracy, which the sharp-eyed Yamagata
certainly did not overlook. Pointing to the politically overheated masses
and the reshuffling of the Floquet cabinet that came resulted, Yamagata
expressed the opinion that "this is what comes out of the pernicious prac
tice of leaving central power in the hands of a national assembly. "50 It is
likely that Yamagata was more deeply impressed by the popular hysteria
surrounding the French national assembly than by anything that he saw
on his official inspection tours of local government. And his thoughts
must have turned to the parliamentary system that was to be introduced
in Japan the following year.

Y A M A G AT A A R I T O M O ' s E U R O P E A N T O U R

The Pink Pamphlet Incident

Yamagata left France on February 27 for a month of inspections in Italy,
and then set out for Germany. Reaching Berlin on March 1 8 , Yamagata
and his entourage threw themselves into the study of the workings oflocal
government that was the official purpose of their mission. They also
toured the Reichstag, taking careful notes on the interior structure of the
building _ 5 1
On April 1 6 they met with Bismarck, and o n May 13 they were granted
an audience with Kaiser Wilhelm II (I85 9-1941) , who had just succeeded
to the throne the previous year. In another year, the headstrong young
kaiser would clash with the aging Bismarck and force him to resign. From
that point, the kaiser himself would hold the reins of government and
eventually lead Germany into World War I. Was it possible that Yamagata
glimpsed how the kaiser would soon monopolize national affairs through
his personal rule?
The highlight of Yamagata's time in Berlin was the personal lectures
he received from Gneist. From May 3 to May 15 , for two hours each day,
Yamagata received private instruction from the noted jurist.
In contrast to the showy popularity of the Stein pilgrimage, a quieter
Gneist pilgrimage was under way. Yamagata and others from Japan
sought out Gneist's teachings . Among them were Prince Fushimi and
Prince Komatsu of the imperial family, who received private instruction
from Gneist from October 1 8 8 5 to March 1 8 8 6 and from January to
September 1887, respectively. 52
A copy of Prince Fushimi's notes was leaked to a Jiyiito (Liberal Party)
member and clandestinely published in October 1 8 87 as Seitetsu yume
monogatari (Tale of a dream of Western philosophy) just as Ito and others
in the government were drafting the constitution under a veil of the
strictest secrecy. This came to be known as the Pink Pamphlet Incident,
from the color of the publication's cover, and it sent the government into
a panic. At the time the government was deeply divided over the issue of
renegotiation of the unequal treaties, and the popular rights movement
was at fever pitch. The movement was subj ecting the government to
intense public questioning, and the coup of being able to publish the lec
ture notes, essentially a classified government document, and thus lift the
veil somewhat on the process of drafting the constitution, was a tremen
dous boost to morale.

115

II6

C H A PT E R T H R E E

The pamphlet starts off in classic Gneistean

style with the statement "I understand that
J apan is planning on convening a national
assembly, but you absolutely must not give it a

+
H
voice in the three matters of diplomacy, military
HI
..
affairs , and the economy." This inflamed the

I
, '1
popular rights activists . That same month, the
I
" Sandai jiken kempaku sho" (Memorial on three
I
!t
I
great issues) was submitted by movement lead
ers to the Genroin (Chamber of Elders) . It was
harshly critical of the government's policies on
treaty revision, the land tax, and freedom of Seitetsu yume monogatari
(Tale of a dream of Western
speech and assembly.
philosophy)
With the antigovernment movement at a
crescendo, the government, gripped by a sense of crisis, issued the Hoan
Jorei (Peace Preservation Ordinance of 1 8 87) and set about suppressing
the popular rights movement. The publication of Seitetsu yume monogatari
was thus a major incident in the history of the establishment of the Meiji
Constitution.
Gneist is usually mentioned in discussions of Meiji constitutional his
tory almost solely for his haughtiness at the time of Ito's mission to Europe
and for his role in the Pink Pamphlet Incident. As suggested in the previ
ous chapter, however, there is reason to surmise that Gneist had a more
fundamental relationship with the Meiji Constitution. Yamagata's contact
with Gneist, as he followed in the footsteps of the imperial princes to
Berlin, is revealing in this regard.

Creation of a political order from the bottom up

The record of the lectures Yamagata heard from Gneist is preserved in the
archival materials left by Nakayama Kanrokuro, who accompanied
Yamagata as his secretary. 53 Under the constraints of time, Gneist concen
trated on a handful of topics, presenting Yamagata with an overview of
Prussian historical progress, the ideal forms for local government and
imperial household finances, and warnings of the danger of administra
tive courts and parliamentary politics. I will focus on Gneist's theories on
local government and imperial household finances and consider their
influence on Yamagata .

Y A M A GATA A R I TO M O ' s E U R O P E A N T O U R

Gneist's first lectures, beginning o n May 3 , concerned local government.

Yamagata, who was attempting to rethink the question of the best forms
oflocal government and administration for Japan, had specifically request
ed this topic. Gneist had been informed in a letter from his student Masse,
then in J apan, of the newly implemented local autonomy laws (the
Municipal Code and the Town and Village Code, both promulgated in
r 8 8 9 ) . Gneist started with some general remarks in which he said that
those laws appeared to incorporate much of the German system, includ
ing the effort to give local autonomy to cities, towns, and villages regard
less of size. But he pointed out that a possible problem with the new laws
was that they seemed to have been devised almost exclusively for larger
cities and towns. 54 According to Gneist, the essence of the local govern
ment system was to be sought in the smaller towns and villages:
In German administration, the works of the nation are founded in the lowest
order of the people; the beginning of the works lies in the lowest order. But
in the French administration, the works begin in the upper order. To work
from the lower order is by far the more difficult, but creates the strongest
foundation. 55

Gneist emphasized that "the foundation for the organization of the

Japanese government should be local people, in other words, the lowest
order. " What he is discussing is the theory of how a national political sys
tem should be constituted. For him, the ideal way to construct this system
is the bottom-up structure of Germany, not the top-down model of France.
Noteworthy is the "democratic" aspect of Gneist's lectures . He rejects
bureacrat-led government from above and extols the virtues of locally
based self-government. This, he argues, is what provides the foundation
for national order and national power. What Gneist emphasizes is local
voluntarism centering on landholders and local notables. Citing the main
tenance of roads and bridges, preservation of public order, and charity to
the poor as examples of the issues to be addressed, he advocates volun
taristic and unique administrative solutions carried out by local commu
nities, with the town or village as the basic unit of administration.

n8

C H A PT E R T H R E E

Developmental dictatorship
As vigorous as he was in his advocacy oflocal autonomy, Gneist's thoughts
on the national assembly are strongly conservative.
It is much too early to convene a national assembly at the present time. Rather
than reforming your government, you should seek to give it the freedom
to speed your nation' s progress and complete the development of its legal
system. 56

In a reversal of the antibureaucratic approach to local government he had

expounded , Gneist is advocating an extreme form of bureaucratic rule.
This is another characteristic of Gneist's lectures to Yamagata: approval of
this role for the government and for giving it the strong powers necessary
to carry it out. Gneist's position is that Japan is in a critical period of rapid
development, during which the government should be given as much free
dom as possible, rather than being constrained.
Gneist is not approving a dictatorial government alienated from popu
lar sentiment. He goes on to speak passionately of the need for morality
in government, saying that in carrying out its job of leading the people,
government must set their minds at ease. If instead it oppresses them and
establishes harsh punishments, it betrays its basic purpose. 57 The mission
of government must be good government.
Gneist's conviction that "it is much too early to convene a national assem
bly" is evidence of his adamant rejection of popular participation in the
affairs of state. His priority was on the efficient and expeditious imple
mentation of policy by a government armed with strong executive powers.
Gneist was consistent in preaching the efficacy of this type of government.
His praise for town and village self-government in the context of local
administration should also be understood in this perspective. He advo
cates that Japan follow the French rather than the German model of met
ropolitan and prefectural administration. In Germany, he explains ,
detailed legal provisions limit the power of the prefectural governors,
whereas in France "prefectural governors are given ample authority to
issue ordinances."58
Gneist's lectures to Yamagata are a classic argument for developmental
dictatorship-administrative efficiency is to be achieved by giving the gov
ernment vast powers. Japan now had a constitution and the following year

Y A M A GATA A R I TO M o' s E u R O P E A N T o u R

would convene a national assembly, but Gneist continues to stress the fail
ings of parliamentary politics and advocate the management of the coun
try by an executive given broad freedom of action. The impression this left
on Yamagata will be discussed later in this chapter.
The sphere of interests as essential to national independence
In the middle of May, Yamagata temporarily suspended his meetings with
Gneist and set out for Vienna. He inspected the Austrian systems of local
government and military organization, particularly the War College, and
then Yamagata, like many Japanese visitors before him, contacted Stein.
The teachings Stein conveyed to Yamagata are recorded in a document
entitled " Sutei-shi ikensho" (The Opinions of Professor Stein) , dated June
r889 ,59 which has been examined in detail by Kat6 Y6ko.6 Kat6 makes the
important point that the roots of the famous doctrine regarding lines of
sovereignty and lines of influence that Yamagata developed in his policy
speech as prime minister before the first session of the Imperial Diet are
to be found in "The Opinions of Professor Stein," in which Stein makes
the following remarks:
No matter the country of which we speak, and no matter the reason, it uses
military force to defend itself against its enemies, and the area it defends we call
its 'sphere of power' (Machtsphiire) . The political and military situation in for
eign countries that bears upon the survival of this sphere of power, we call its
' sphere of interests' ( Interessensphiire) .61

The parallel with Yamagata's later speech is obvious, as when Yamagata

states: "There is probably no country which does not possess a line of sov
ereignty and a line of interests . . . For a country to maintain its indepen
dence, simply defending its line of exclusive sovereignty cannot be said to
be sufficient. The line of interests must also be protected."62
Another thought of Stein's later reflected in a Yamagata policy was that
"the chief doctrine with regard to the protection of Japan's sphere of inter
ests, now and in future, is the preservation of the status quo in Korea."
Yamagata used this to sanction his efforts to link the independence of
Korea with Japanese national interests.
It should also be noted that the sphere of interests concept that Stein
passed on to Yamagata encompassed Stein' s own unique theory of the

12 0

C HAPTE R T H R E E

state, which was rooted in a vision o f international relations a s driven by

power politics. Stein saw the establishment and maintenance of a sphere
of power and a sphere of interests as an essential condition for national
independence. "A sphere of interests, " he said, "must be created that is
equivalent to or extends beyond the sphere of power. " ) He asserted that a
country with an established sphere of interests acquires the right, in inter
national law, to intervene to prevent another country's foreign policy
encroachment into its sphere. In other words, the existence of a sphere of
interests is a determining factor in foreign policy ("Without possessing
some sort of sphere of interests, it cannot have a true foreign policy") .
Stein adds that
if a nation's political strategies are not clearly defined from the beginning and
a fixed policy is not adopted and adhered to in determining the nation's actions,
whether in peace or war, it will never win the respect of other nations. Nor will
it be able to exert any power over other nations.63

In Stein's view, only by monopolizing a sphere of interests could a nation

be recognized as an independent actor in the realm of international
politics.
With previous Japanese students, Stein had focused almost exclusively
on teaching the theory and mechanics of domestic administration. So it is
interesting that with Yamagata, he took an entirely different tack and spoke
of strategies for maintaining Japan's independence in international affairs.
The influence of "Opinions on the Diet"
Stein was not the only expert influencing Yamagata. Johann Freiherr von
Chlumecky (r834-1 924) was another Viennese who left an imprint on the
development of the Meiji state.
Today, Chlumecky is little known even in his native Austria. During the
period of the dual monarchy of Austro-Hungaria, however, he was a
prominent political figure. He served in the Austrian government as min
ister of agriculture and minister of trade and, later, as vice-president and
then president of the Austrian parliament. Oishi Makoto has drawn atten
tion to Chlumecky's role in establishing the Meij i constitutional system,
securing him a permanent place in Japanese constitutional history. What
follows is based on Oishi's work.64

Y A M A G ATA A R I T O M O ' s E U R O P E A N T o U R

The story begins in December r 8 87, when

Kaeda Nobuyoshi, a member of the Genroin, vis
ited Vienna on the " S tein pilgrimage. " Kaeda
befriended Chlumecky, then vice-president of the
parliament, and was influenced by him. In his
communications with J apan, Kaeda sang Chlu
mecky's praises. He also commissioned a position
paper from Chlumecky that caused "an about
face" (Oishi) in the process of formulating the Law
of the Houses for the Imperial Diet, which was
taking place concurrently with the drafting of the Johann von Chlumecky
constitution.
Chlumecky offers a host of recommendations in " Kokkai iken"
(Opinions on the Diet) .65 Especially noteworthy are the following: ( r )
appointment o f the president o f the Diet b y the emperor, ( 2 ) strengthen
ing of the punitive powers of the president of the Diet, and (3) legal codi
fication of legislative procedure.
Based on this advice, the leaders of the Meiji government dropped the
selection of the president through public election that had been part of
earlier drafts of the constitution. They also made detailed provisions in the
Law of the Houses for sanctions against members, including suspension
and expulsion. The latter were adopted in the final version of the law,
which also specified that each house of the Diet would put forward a lim
ited number of candidates for the post of president, with the final selection
and appointment made by imperial decree.
The legal codification of legislative procedure-in other words, con
straints on the Diet's power to establish its own house rules-was estab
lished policy among the Japanese leaders. But it was obviously of great
significance to them to receive the seal of approval from a prominent
European parliamentarian. So Chlumecky's advice left its mark on both
the Meiji Constitution and the Law of the Houses.66
Chlumecky's papers are preserved in the Chlumecky Family Archive in
Brno, in the Czech Republic. I visited the archive to see whether there
were any materials pertaining to Japan in it. What I found was a total of
forty-three letters from J apanese correspondents, including Ito
H irobumi.67

I2l

122

C HAPTE R T H R E E

The letter from Ito was dated Novem

ber 24, 1888. It recounts how impressed
Ito was by Chlumecky's position paper
and expresses gratitude for the advice
given, based on Chlumecky's long years
of practical experience as vice-president
of the house of representatives . Ito con
firms that it has provided a most pro
found and useful perspective in the
shaping of J apan ' s parliamentary sys
tem. His letter thus is a valuable indica
tor of the impact of Chlumecky's paper
on the leaders of the Meij i government.
Ito also writes, "It is one of my greatest
regrets that I was unable to have the
pleasure of meeting you when I was in
Europe. " This gives an obvious sense of
the high esteem in which Chlumecky
was held by the most important figures
in the Japanese government.

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.

Letterfrom Ito Hirobumi to johann von

Chlumecky, dated 24 November 1 888.
Only the beginning and the conclusion
are reproduced here.

Chlumecky's practical wisdom

Such was the context in which Yamagata requested an interview with
Chlumecky. And something came of that meeting. In a letter from
Yamagata to Chlumecky, dated August 13, 1 8 8 9 , and sent from New York
City after Yamagata had left Europe, there is mention of a new opinion
paper that Yamagata has received from Chlumecky. Yamagata calls it the
most important gift he will bring home to Japan from his time in Vienna.
A second letter from Yamagata is dated October 1 3 , immediately after
his return to Japan. In it, Yamagata writes, "The position paper you have
so graciously given me I have since had opportunity to read in its entirety
and in it I have found many valuable observations. I must express my
deepest appreciation for your kindness in preparing it and giving it to me. "
What the contents of this second Chlumecky position paper are i s
unknown; unfortunately, I have been unable t o locate any such document.
There is, however, another document of interest: "Ochirii kokkai daiichi
fukucho fuon Kurumetsuki-shi danwa" (Conversation with First Vice-

Y A M A G ATA A R I T O M o ' s E u R O P E A N T o u R

President von Chlumecky of the Austrian parliament) . Dated M ay 27,

1889, it records a meeting that Yamagata had that day at the Chlumecky
residence.68
Chlumecky covers a wide range of topics with Yamagata, but everything
he says involves detailed, practical administrative guidance on government
policy geared toward the anticipated opening of the Diet. The following
are the more important points: ( 1 ) create "friends of the government"
among the representatives; (2) to accomplish this, fine-tune the electoral
system and leave a period of time between the elections and the conven
ing of the Diet, using it to win over as many representatives as possible;
( 3 ) seek out factional bosses among the representatives who can serve as
conduits to the government; (4) work at making sure that the members
selected for the presidency and committee chairmanships are ones over
whom the government has influence; (5) prepare a full legislative agenda,
since leaving the representatives without anything to do "will be the begin
ning of them plotting mischief''; ( 6 ) establish detailed rules of legislative
procedure; (7) give disciplinary authority to the president of the Diet, not
to the representatives; (8) give the government the right to demand that
interpellations by members be submitted in written form; (9) see to it that
the government can repeatedly exercise the power to suspend or dissolve
the assembly.
The first three points are measures to keep the Diet from turning
against the government. Points four onward are means of ensuring
government control of the Diet through political strategy (4 and 5) and
legal structures (6 through 9 ) . By undertaking these measures, the gov
ernment could hope to tame and control the Diet. In Chlumecky's view the
government must "be in collusion with the Diet" but must also work to
ensure "that the 'reins' of the Diet are always firmly in the government's
hands. "
Chlumecky's advice was immensely enlightening to Yamagata, who was
sharply attuned to the issue of the yet-to-be-convened Diet. I mpressed,
Yamagata handed Chlumecky copies of Japan's recently promulgated con
stitution and supplementary laws and requested him to write an opinion
paper on them. Yamagata' s request met with a favorable reply from
Chlumecky, and when Yamagata eventually returned to Japan, he carried
a paper by Chlumecky as a souvenir of his European tour. This second
opinion paper (after the one given to Kaeda) is now lost, but the record of

12 3

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C HAPTE R T H R E E

Yamagata's meeting with Chlumecky probably hints at what it contained.

Chlumecky's practical wisdom was precisely what Yamagata had been
praying for.
On June I, r 8 8 9 , Yamagata and company left Vienna for St. Petersburg.
They returned to Berlin on June 13 for more instruction from Gneist
before leaving Berlin again on June 2 8 and then passed through Belgium
on their way to England, which they reached on July 1 3 . After three weeks
in England, the party crossed the Atlantic to the United States, where they
spent a month traversing the continent, arriving at last in San Francisco.
The available materials are inadequate for a clear picture of the research
Yamagata conducted in Great Britain or America. It would appear that he
and his companions continued to focus on the workings of local govern
ment, as is suggested by a field trip to the London city council, but unfor
tunately further details are not forthcoming. 69
On September 1 1 , Yamagata and his party set sail from San Francisco.
Their safe return to Japan on October 2 concluded Yamagata's tour.

3 The Other Constitutional Investigation

Trouble ahead
Yamagata's journey was, in a sense, the other constitutional investigation.
It is true that its official purpose, as Yamagata repeatedly stated, was to
inspect local government administration and military organization, and
he made a point of visiting a number of such facilities at each stop on his
trip, lending a willing ear to the opinions of resident experts. But we have
seen that Yamagata's investigations went beyond the stated mandate.
Yamagata's interests spanned every aspect of national government,
from dealing with a national assembly to foreign policy. His research can
be seen to revolve around the overarching theme of how government
should be approached after the opening of the Imperial Diet. Yamagata's
European tour was unquestionably for research on the constitution in the
deeper sense of the fundamental structure of the nation. In the following
pages, I will flesh out the evidence for this.
First, let us return to the promulgation of the Meij i Constitution. As
noted, Yamagata was not in Japan for this historic event, news of which
reached him in Paris. In the midst of a banquet at the Japanese legation
to celebrate the event a telegram arrived from Japan announcing that the

Y A M A GATA A R I T O M O ' s E U R O P E A N T O U R

constitution' s promulgation and was displayed to the assembled guests.7

Far from Japan though he may have been, Yamagata must have found
himself caught up in the festivities. He lost little time in writing to
Yoshikawa Akimasa, a colleague in Japan: " I share the joy at the news of
the success of this great event, the promulgation of our Constitution. "71 Yet
at the same time he looked askance at those who were overly enraptured
by it and added, "There is no way of knowing what heavy responsibilities
and many troubles await us both in future."72
Even at the first news of the promulgation, Yamagata retained a sober
demeanor, for what flashed into his mind was less the glory of the consti
tution's birth than the difficulties that lay ahead for the new governmen
tal and political order it had brought into being. His experiences on the
remainder of his voyage only confirmed and consolidated this tendency
in his thinking. To appreciate this, we must understand Yamagata' s
impressions o f Europe.
The shadows ofWestern civilization
This was Yamagata's second trip to Europe. Early in the Meij i period, in
r 8 6 9 and r87o, he spent more than a year on a study tour of the Western
nations, focused primarily on France and Prussia. Like many others ,
Yamagata was clearly overawed by Western civilization and by the gulf
separating it from Japan. For some time thereafter, he would inquire ofhis
companions, "Are we going to be all right? Are we up to this?"73
When eighteen years later Yamagata again set foot on European soil, what
met his eyes was the undiminished gap between the two civilizations . On
his previous visit, Yamagata had been astonished by the air of prosperity
in Paris, where Baron Haussman's plan for the renovation of the city was
well under way. Revisiting the city nearly two decades later only made him
feel Europe's differences with Japan more acutely:
Compared with the time of my previous visit here the way things have changed,
the pace of cultural development, the prospect of such innovation in every field,
all make me painfully aware of what a terribly long road we have ahead of us.74

Yamagata's lament is reminiscent of Okubo's despair during the Iwakura

Embassy.

12 5

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C H A PTE R T H R E E

For Yamagata, though, the West had ceased to be a model to be followed

without question. In Paris, he had encountered the political unrest of the
Boulangist movement and the collapse of a government as the result of
parliamentary politics. Yamagata' s assessment was that "this is what
comes out of the pernicious practice ofleaving central power in the hands
of a national assembly." His apprehension with regard to parliamentary
politics was only deepened and strengthened by what he observed else
where in Europe.
In the course of my tour, I have witnessed at first hand the situation in the
upper and lower houses of twelve assemblies, and their electoral methods , and
from this I can tell you that of course restrained and mature discourse wins no
applause; the influence of the noisy mob of radicals who are gradually making
names for themselves by spouting their emptyheaded theories appears to be
increasing in tandem with the progress of civilization.75

Yamagata's gaze is fixed less on the glories ofWestern civilization than on

its shadows. Not every aspect of "civilization" is worthy of emulation. With
regard to the parliamentary system, Yamagata states bluntly that
parliamentary government is held to be the fruit of civilization and the ideal of
the politician, but its abuses and the ways in which it can trivialize the affairs
of state are truly deplorable.76

Parliamentary government was indeed regarded as a symbol of Western

civilization, but Yamagata feared that it might lead to the overthrow of the
state. With Gneist he shared concern that it might be too soon for Japan
to be convening a national assembly. He warned his colleagues that
"extrapolating from the -current situation in Japan, I think the establish
ment of the Diet will produce many more problems than anticipated."77
The more Yamagata traveled the more he viewed the West as a negative
example. "The state of affairs in Europe is one of extreme unrest,"78 he
writes in a letter to Mutsu Munemitsu, one of many similar reports he
sent from his travels . For him, it was important not to unquestioningly
sing the praises ofWestern civilization but instead to "accurately perceive
the situation in present-day Europe, and carefully reflect upon the source
of its ills. "79 Yamagata saw the source of Europe's ills in "the system of

Y A M A GATA A R I T O M o ' s E U R O P E A N T o U R

laissez-faire." When news reached him from Japan that there was a move
ment afoot to revise the Ordinance on Public Assembly (Shukai Jorei) , one
of Japan's internal security laws, Yamagata immediately voiced his oppo
sition to this idea:
While it may be the case that the present Ordinance on Public Assembly has
not achieved a proper balance with either the Publication or Newspaper
Ordinances, if its restraints were removed a hundred abuses would immedi
ately arise, and could develop into an uncontrollable force.80

Yamagata's fear was that if the ordinance was revised and relaxed the pop
ular rights movement might flare up again, gaining a momentum that
might become impossible to control. "Why not," he proposed instead,
"subject the political parties to even more stringent controls?"81 He had
seen that the countries of Europe approached political activity with too
much of a laissez-faire attitude and as a result all of them were experienc
ing difficulties in dealing with it. In France "abuses by the newspapers
have grown so egregious that the establishment of an ordinance [control
ling them] has become necessary. " 82
In Yamagata's eyes, laissez-faire was an evil infecting Western civiliza
tion, a pathology from which Japan should protect itself. He was also hear
ing "bitter remarks concerning the European situation" from the powerful
figures in Europe who were having to deal with the issues of parliamen
tary politics and who were "counseling vigilance and caution when they
speak of our nation's future. "83 Yamagata's skeptical attitude toward the
political mores of the West appears to have hardened into an unshakable
conviction.
Countermeasures against the "mob of noisy radicals"
The wave ofWestern political enlightenment was nevertheless steadily beat
ing against the shores of Japan. While overseas, Yamagata received a con
stant steam of communications from his subordinates, chiefly in the Home
Ministry, giving him blow-by-blow reports of developments in the local
assemblies and the political parties across the nation. His reaction was to
denigrate the popular rights activists as being "like a bunch of madmen
running about aimlessly. "84 He lamented, moreover, that if the situation

12 7

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C H A PTE R T H R E E

in the assemblies "grows any more heated, it will end in complete and
utter mayhem."85
If things went on in this vein, Yamagata foresaw that the convening of
the Diet might simply put Japanese politics, like those of Europe, at the
mercy of "a mob of noisy radicals" making their nest within the national
assembly. Deeply concerned, Yamagata developed various countermea
sures. One of them was more stringent control of the popular parties using
the internal security laws, but he also offered the following proposals.
The first was to bolster Japan's system oflocal government. While high
ly critical of parliamentary politics in Europe, Yamagata was impressed by
the moderation he saw in the local assemblies : "We must do our utmost
to cultivate a similar atmosphere within our own local assemblies. "86 He
wrote this after touring Italy and Germany, and when he later visited the
London city council he was also full of praise for the "genial and harmo
nious" appearance of the members and the "completely matter-of-fact
manner of the proceedings. "87
In contrast, the prefectural assemblies in Japan had been turned into
political battlegrounds by the activists of the popular rights movement.
Even before he went to Europe, Yamagata had argued eloquently for the
need to convert local government from a stage upon which idealistic polit
ical activists "debated the great issues of how to govern the land" into a
place where "mature, reliable gentlemen" set about the practical tasks of
local administration.88 His European tour only deepened this conviction.
His second proposal was for the creation of a powerful cabinet. In a let
ter to Inoue Kaoru dated March 2 1 , he writes :
Now that the overall course for our Empire has been established, our first pri
ority must be ways to make the unity and cooperation of the cabinet even more
solid and unshakable. There is also no better policy for establishing a long
range, hundred-year plan to maintain the Empire in perpetuity.89

That said, he declares that "the key to administering even the most brilliant
laws and golden rules lies in the men administering them. " Even an ever
lasting covenant, such as the constitution, is useless if mistakenly applied.
It is administered by "men"; it is they who determine whether it lives or
dies. And foremost among these "men," for him, are the members of the

Y A M A G ATA A R I T O M O ' S E U R O P E A N T o U R

cabinet, who must approach their work with a unity o f purpose and spirit
of cooperation.
Yamagata's ideal "men"
Yamagata's thoughts in his letter to Inoue Kaoru were only interim obser
vations made during his study tour. But they nicely distill the essence of
Yamagata's experience of the West and convey it openly and unambigu
ously to Inoue, who along with Ito was one of the most powerful and stal
wart supporters of the drive toward constitutional government. Since we
have covered what that experience was in some detail, there is no need to
repeat it here. It is worth touching briefly, however, upon what might at
first seem a minor episode recounted in the letter.
After leaving France, Yamagata next visited Italy, where he was reunit
ed with Sufu Kohei, who was serving in the Japanese legation as an
attache. Sufu's father was Sufu Masanosuke, who had displayed great
shrewdness in engineering the reforms carried out in the Choshii domain
in the waning years of the Tokugawa shogunate. The younger Sufu asked
Yamagata, an eminent leader from his ancestral home, to help him obtain
leave to return home to visit his mother, who was on her deathbed.90
Sympathetic, Yamagata immediately includes a strongly worded request
on Sufu's behalf in his letter to Inoue, asking Inoue to influence the for
eign minister for the sought-after leave. In it he writes of how Sufu, who
lost his father at an early age (Masanosuke committed seppuku on the eve
of the shogunate's first punitive campaign against Choshii) and is now
confronted with the news of his mother's final illness, "cannot rest easy ten
thousand miles away" and solicits Inoue's "sympathy for the love between
parent and child. " He then continues in an even more impassioned vein:
And if, having read civilized books and learned civilized ways, anyone should
start blathering nonsense, questioning why we should persist in such foolish
Asian customs, I implore you, in your wisdom, to demolish their arguments
with a single stroke.

What particularly struck Yamagata in Sufu's concern for his dying moth
er was that in it he saw the embodiment of Japan's traditional virtues, a
bulwark against the rising tide of Western civilization. Sufu represented

12 9

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C H A PT E R T H R E E

the type of men upon whom Yamagata pinned his hopes for the future of
the nation.
At the end of his letter, moreover, Yamagata expresses his condolences
over the assassination of Mori Arinori:
On the very day of the promulgation of the constitution, Mori encountered this
unexpected tragedy and has passed from this world. I am truly filled with the
deepest regret. I pray that you remember the greatest enemy is a lack of vigi
lance, and will pay careful attention to your own safety.

We can only wonder if Mori's unfortunate end overlapped in Yamagata's

mind with his concern for the fate of the nation. Mori had, from the time
of the Iwakura Embassy, made a name for himself as a radical proponent
of Westernization-he was certainly someone who had "read civilized
books and learned civilized ways. " Perhaps the fact that someone like Mori
had fallen victim to terrorism caused Yamagata to wonder about the future
of the Meij i state, which also eagerly sought "the fruits of civilization."
Certainly there is nothing strange in thinking that this calamity on the day
the constitution was promulgated must have struck Yamagata as an inaus
picious sign that perhaps the next victim of the assassin's knife would be
the nation founded upon this constitution seen by so many as the very
emblem of civilization.
In any case, Yamagata returned from Europe with a private resolve:
though the constitution itself might now be an established fact, "men"
could do whatever was in their power to diminish its effects .

C o N c L u s r o N

The Meiji Constitution

Seen from Abroad

The new constitution makes its overseas debut

In July r 8 8 9 , Kaneko Kentaro, who played an
active role in drafting the Meiji Constitution and
its supplementary laws as an assistant to Ito
Hirobumi, set off on a study tour to Europe and
the United States. Its purpose, in anticipation of
the convening of the Diet in 1 8 9 0 , was to inves
tigate "the actualities of constitutional govern
ment . . . from the internal organization of the
parliaments of these nations to their procedural Kaneko Kentaro
rules , the legal jurisdiction over parliamentary
buildings, the right to police their interiors, preparation of minutes of par
liamentary proceedings , " etc . 1 For a year, Kaneko would investigate the
legislative systems of Europe and the United States from a practical admin
istrative perspective.
Kaneko's voyage had another important mission. He carried with him
English versions of Japan's new constitution and of Commentaries on the
Constitution, the official interpretation of the document, edited by Ito
Hirobumi. Kaneko was to elicit the opinions of politicians and scholars on
these two texts in the countries he visited. The Meiji Constitution had been
crafted as a symbol of Japan's status as a civilized nation, the culmination
of the national quest since the time of the Iwakura Embassy to join the
ranks of the other civilized nations. The question of whether or not the con
stitution would be accepted by international society-Western society
-was a crucial touchstone.2 Kaneko's mission was thus in part to debut
the new constitution before a Western audience.
131

!32

CoNCLUSION

Kaneko made the rounds of a number o f the figures who have become
familiar names in this book: Gneist and Jhering in Germany and Stein
and Chlumecky in Austria. In England, he called on some of the most
noted scholars of the day, from Herbert Spencer to constitutional expert
Albert Venn Dicey (r835-1922) and ethicist Henry Sidgwick (r83 8-r 9 o o ) .
And i n the United States h e met with Oliver Wendell Holmes (r84I-1 935),
later chief justice of the Supreme Court, and others.
Details on the reactions of these eminent Westerners to the Meiji
Constitution are recorded in Kaneko's journal of his travels, which has
recently been republished through the efforts of Obuchi Kazunori.3 Salient
points from their assessments follow.
"A truly wise approach"
Almost everyone to whom Kaneko presented the constitution noted the
strong influence of the German constitution. The Englishmen made this
particularly clear, though without criticism for not having adopted a
British-style constitutional monarchy. Dicey, best known for having made
the English "rule of law" a cornerstone of constitutional scholarship,
expressed the opinion that in modeling their constitution on the German
one the Japanese had taken "a truly wise approach. "4
Germany is a country whose fortunes are presently on the rise, and upon whom
the greatest hopes may be placed for the future. Moreover, in today's world
there are few monarchs who possess authority as great as that of the German
kaiser. It may be that if you desire to maintain the monarchic form of govern
ment in perpetuity, you cannot but give the emperor vast sovereign powers .
The British monarchy is peculiar to Britain, and not something easily emulat
ed in other lands . 5

Dicey supports Japan's decision to model itself on Germany, a rising

power with strong imperial powers , rather than on Britain, whose insti
tutions are the result of a lengthy and unique historical process that makes
it difficult for other countries to use them as a model. The uniqueness of
the British monarchy to which he refers is what has been called "the king
in parliament"-a limited monarchy with authority centered on parlia
ment rather than the throne.

T H E M E I J I C o N STITUTI O N S E E N F R O M A B RO A D

Sidgwick went even further than Dicey in rej ecting the utility of the
British model of parliamentary government. "At present, he says, "con
stitutional monarchies across Europe are in decline, gradually devolving
into the sort of parliamentary politics practiced in Britain. " By contrast, he
saw that the Japanese constitution guards against such a decline in its arti
cles 63 , 67, and 71. I am, Sidgwick said, "in agreement with the way you
have restricted the very important powers of the Diet with regard to bud
getary proposals."6 Sidgwick would later send Kaneko an even lengthier
statement advising Japan "to defend against the tendency, as exists in
Britain, for a constitutional monarchy to shade into parliamentarianism. " 7
Parliamentarianism a s a n aspect of the Meiji Constitution
Some commentators, however, found in the Meiji Constitution the spirit
of English constitutionalism. Andre Jean Louis Lebon ( r8s8-1938 ) , who
met with Kaneko in Paris , drew attention to this:
I believe it is true that the J apanese constitution was completely based on
German doctrine. Yet if one really investigates its spirit, it contains within it a
considerable measure of English constitutionalism. 8

Lebon perceptively reveals aspects of parliamentarianism embedded with

in the Meij i Constitution by pointing out that the power to make laws does
not reside with the emperor alone but always requires the consent of the
Diet and that such consent is also necessary for increases in military
expenditures and other budgetary matters .
Englishman William Reynell Anson (1843-1 9 14) goes even further. He
acknowledges the German aspects of the Meiji Constitution, saying, "The
spirit [of the Japanese constitution] is to vest the rights of sovereignty com
pletely with the emperor, giving the monarch control over all affairs of
state. This is why people say that the Japanese constitution has learned
from German doctrine. " He adds, however, that "what I would like to
argue is that the spirit of the Japanese constitution can be made completely
compatible with the basic principles of the English constitution. " 9
Anson's assessment was based less o n a purely legal argument than on
his insight into the necessary tendencies of constitutional government.
He states flatly, "It is probably the case with any government that, once a
parliamentary system has been adopted, it cannot manage to govern by

1 33

1 34

CONCLUSION

taking a stance aloof from and superior to the political parties.10 That party
governments had not been formed in Germany was solely due to
Bismarck's political leadership. Once Bismarck passed on, Anson pre
dicted, even Germany would not be able to avoid this development.
According to Anson, once a constitutional government had been estab
lished, the road toward party politics was inevitable. His counsel was that
what was important was to make this process as smooth as possible.
Historiography as a national enterprise
The commentators may have been divided in terms of emphasizing either
the German or British aspects of the Meiji Constitution, but they were
united in giving the document itself high marks. The question was what
would happen next. In r876, the Ottoman Empire in Turkey had estab
lished the first constitution outside the sphere of western European cul
ture, but it did not function well and was suspended only a year later.
Popular opinion in Europe and America was rife with the cynical assess
ment that no matter how modern its constitution, Japan was likely to fol
low in the wake of Turkey.
Stein, however, preached the value of historiography in eliminating this
Western prejudice. " S urely, he wrote, "there must be a history behind the
establishment of this constitution in Japan. If you do not accompany the
constitution with an account of the history intimately related to it, then
people are likely to simply view it in the same way as the Turkish consti
tution . " Stein says that "history is undoubtably the most valuable and
indispensable science for understanding the founding of the nation and
the ancestry of its people, " and asks rhetorically, "Without knowing the
history of Japan, how can the independence and maj esty of the imperial
house be upheld?" Stein's advice was to make historiographical research
a national enterprise. 1 1
Herbert Spencer, the proponent o f Social Darwinism, and Oliver
Wendell Holmes, the star of American jurisprudence, also stressed the
importance of history. Spencer' s advice was along the same lines as
Stein's: With the convening of the Diet only a year away, he argued that
Japan's most urgent task was "to compile a history of Japan for transla
tion and publication in the European languages. " 1 2

T H E M E I J ! C o N STITUT I O N S E E N F R O M A B R O A D

With regard to understanding national laws and institutions as the prod

uct of a country's history and culture, Spencer's concept of social evolution
scarcely differed from the German historical school of jurisprudence. If it
was demonstrated that the newly written constitution was not a complete
departure from Japan's history, then the first hurdle in the introduction of
a constitutional system would be cleared. This would leave the second hur
dle, that of domesticating the constitutional system, of which Spencer
wrote:
With its history and customs as a foundation, Japan must at the same time
adopt the constitutional thought of Europe and America, and adapt its tradi
tional form of government to European constitutionalism. 1 3

This "gradual conservatism" was the key point of Spencer's doctrine of

social evolution-though in his vision it would culminate in "small gov
ernment" founded on the principle of laissez-faire, 14 According to him,
"the affairs of the government shall gradually diminish, leaving the peo
ple, as individuals, to manage their own affairs . " 1 5 Spencer's ideal of a rad
ical diminution of the functions of government was likely something that
did not yet resonate with Kaneko's experience.
An exquisite blend of Japan and the West
Holmes offered opinions similar to Spencer's :
The thing that makes m e happiest about this constitution is that its roots are
grounded in Japan's ancient history, institutions, and customs, though the logic
of Western jurisprudence has been applied to embellishing it. 1 6

Kaneko presented Holmes with the Commentaries on the Constitution,

which in addition to citations from Western sources, made liberal refer
ence to the Kojiki, Man 'yoshu, and other Japanese classics. For Holmes,
this was evidence that "the Japanese constitution could not but take its
shape from Japan's history and its established institutional practices . " At
the same time, this constitution also guaranteed "a form of government
that not even the emperor can willfully alter" and "in which the people
also gain the right to participate in government. " 1 7 The essence of consti
tutionalism-limitations on the rights of the sovereign and popular

135

13 6

CoNcLusioN

partiCipation i n government-was firmly upheld. While praising the

Japanese constitution as the product of an exquisite blend of Japan's his
torical traditions with Western constitutionalism, Holmes offered this
advice:
After the Diet is convened this year, I hope that Japan's politicians , basing
themselves on the spirit of this constitution, will in governing also study the
ancient laws and customs, and using the nation's historical precedents as a
standard, will gradually apply the logic of Western constitutionalism. In any
case, as I have said before, European and American jurisprudence is in a state
of flux, without fixed principles, completely dominated by the political realities
and conditions pertaining in each country, and thus extremely volatile. 18

H olmes fervently hoped that Western parliamentary politics would be

established in Japan and believed that such an example would make a
major contribution to Western jurisprudence. This was because the
Japanese experience would assist in a broader examination of the legal
principles making constitutional government possible. Holmes conclud
ed by saying,
I am firmly convinced that bringing an understanding of Japanese history and
customs to the Western scholarly community would not only be in the interests
of Japan, but would also serve to advance universal knowledge. 19

"Truly gratifying"
That the Meiji Constitution won favorable reviews from all of the experts
was not solely because of the quality of the document itself. Commentaries
on the Constitution, carefully crafted to navigate the current of historicism
sweeping Western scholarship at the time, contributed immensely to the
constitution's widespread acceptance.20 The presentation of the text of the
constitution and the commentaries as a matching set was instrumental in
winning an assessment from a number of Western experts that the con
stitution was a unique document authentically grounded in Japanese his
tory and not merely an imitation of either the German or English models.
Upon hearing Kaneko's report following his return to Japan, Ito took
satisfaction that things had gone according to his plan:

T H E M E I J I C o N STITUTI O N S E E N F R O M A B R O A D

A portion of the official

text of the Constitution of
the Empire of japan,
showing the signature
and seal of the emperor,
the signatures of the cabi
net ministers, and the
first five articles.

From the time you left the country until your return I have been in my villa in
Odawara, privately worrying both day and night about what the reaction of
Western politicians and constitutional scholars would be, but having heard your
detailed report I am much relieved. Not only to have escaped criticism, but to
hear such praise is truly gratifying. Tomorrow I will hasten to Tokyo, request
an audience with the emperor, and ask to be relieved of my responsibilities
with regard to the drafting of the constitution. 2 1

Constitutional gradualism
Even before dispatching Kaneko to Europe, Ito had written to Stein in
Vienna asserting that the constitution was "in every respect, not merely
an imitation of this or that other constitution" but "from beginning to end
a completely Japanese affair . " 22 He was keenly aware, without any
Westerner pointing it out to him, that to be acknowledged in Europe and
America, the constitution had to be "Japanese."
But what was it that Ito claimed to be "Japanese" about the document?
Was this merely a matter of its surface historical trappings ? Or did Ito
think something more profoundly and authentically Japanese permeated
its text? Thorough answers to these questions await further research, but
it would be a mistake to conclude that Ito was merely trying to legitimize
a superficially "constitutionalist" constitution that in fact reserved sweep
ing powers for the emperor and an almost mystical reverence for "the
national essence" (kokutai) . The evidence presented in this book confirms,
rather, that Ito directed his "constitutional charisma" toward limiting the
political prerogatives of the emperor and gradually implementing a par
liamentary system.

13 7

13 8

CONCLUSION

A s the Iwakura Embassy learned through experience, the logic of

Western civilization was, above all, one of power. To join the ranks of the
civilized nations required, through the constitution, a continual mobi
lization of the political energies of the people and their incorporation into
the process of national government. It was therefore necessary to guaran
tee the parliamentary system as a forum for popular participation in poli
tics and as a stimulus to the political energies of the nation-state.
This, however, was a double-edged sword. In Europe, Ito developed an
appreciation for the difficulties of managing a parliamentary system. He
sought, as a result, to develop a variety of institutional safeguards to ensure
that the transplantation to Japan of these organs of civilization would not
destroy the immune system of their host. The political energies of the peo
ple must be channeled in an orderly way. His basic lesson from Stein had
been that the key to constitutional government lay in the balance of the
three organs of government: the sovereign, the legislative, and the execu
tive. This required the meticulous arrangement of a variety of institutions
so that no one of the three could run riot politically.
This was why Ito gave such careful thought to the initially broad
restraints on the powers of the Diet, the variety of measures to transform
the emperor into a constitutional monarch, and the legal framework for
the modernization of Japan's administrative system. It was the totality of
these institutions constituting the national structure that Ito was probably
referring to when he spoke of the M eij i Constitution as "a completely
Japanese affair." Although it shared its ideals of civilization with the West,
the constitution displayed a great deal of creative ingenuity in the methods
and forms through which this Japanese-style constitutional state was to
be expressed.
Initially, this did not go beyond defining the skeleton of the system. The
practice of constitutional government that would flesh out the state, and
the precedents it would establish were as yet unknown. The spirit of con
stitutional government would have to be gradually infused into the newly
created framework of national institutions through ongoing political prac
tice. As constitutional government matured, the institutions would change.
For Ito, the constitutional order was not definitively established by the pro
mulgation of the constitution; it would have to continually evolve in pace
with historical developments . This, in the parlance of the times, was
gradualism.

T H E M E I J ! C O N STITUT I O N S E E N F R O M A B R O A D

Kido and Okubo had discovered gradualism as a key concept for the
importation of "civilization" and developed an argument for constitutional
government around it after their return to J apan from the Iwakura
Embassy. Ito, in turn, successfully guarded this gradualist approach
through the crossfire of the memorials on the constitution submitted by
Okuma Shigenobu and by Iwakura Tomomi and Inoue Kowashi and even
tually launch the Meij i ship of state into international waters equipped
with all the institutions of modern constitutional government.
A return to the spirit of the Meiji Restoration
It would not, however, be smooth sailing. As Ito pushed forward with his
plans for constitutional government, Yamagata dragged his heels. The
intense rivalry between these two men in their later years did much to
define the Meiji constitutional order, but their skirmishing began earlier,
during the process of drafting the constitution. Yamagata worked to cre
ate a network of constraints, using both personnel and institutions, to
inhibit the development of the Meij i state as envisioned by Ito and suc
ceeded in making them part of its very structure. It is worth pointing out
some of the aspects of the Meiji state that were Yamagata's legacy.
In contrast to Ito's concept of the evolution of national institutions ,
Yamagata was adamant in seeking an unchanging national structure. This
was a profound reflection of the differing mentalities of the two men,
which the following anecdote emphasizes.
Every year Yamagata vacationed at his villa Murin' an in Kyoto. On each
visit he would make a pilgrimage to Ryozen, a shrine on a mountain in the
Higashiyama district of the city dedicated to the activists who fell in the
years of conflict leading up to the Meiji Restoration, to pray at the graves
of his former comrades. He continued this custom to quite an advanced
age, until his aides said that they would make the climb in his place while
he offered his prayers from the foot of the mountain. Yamagata replied,
"No, as long as I can still stand on my own two feet I won't be able to rest
easy unless I go myself. " And so, "he set off up that steep slope, climbing
five paces and resting, climbing ten paces and stopping again to rest, until
finally he was able to complete his pilgrimage. " 23 Citing this episode,
George Akita and Ito Takashi see in the elderly Yamagata "an extremely
strong compulsion to protect the things that he had striven to create, not
simply from external threats , but from internal disorder. "24

13 9

CoNCLUSION

I t would seem that sentiments of this kind also drove him earlier in life,
during the period covered by this book. When word of the constitution's
promulgation reached him in Europe, Yamagata called the event "the third
Restoration" (dai san no ishin)25 Yet he did not use the term ishin in its
original sense of "renovation" or "renewal."26 Instead, he employed it to
urge a return to the historical experience of the Meij i Restoration, which
had attained mythic proportions. Yamagata's intent was to defend the great
work of the Restoration from the internal disorder that he believed would
result from the establishment of the constitution. His thought would con
stantly return to the myth of the Restoration. In this respect, he stands in
marked contrast to Ito, whose thinking was evolutionary, and open to the
future.
Unity and Harmony
The policies Yamagata envisioned for his "third Restoration" were the sys
tem of local government and the cabinet system touched on at the end of
the last chapter.
Yamagata stated in a speech he made after returning to Japan from
Europe and the United States that the significance of local government
was to be found in combating the expanding power of the political parties .
At the time, the local scene was becoming "an arena for political disputes."
According to Yamagata,
This stems from the fact that people are confusing local administration with
central government, forgetting the public interests of the cities, towns, and vil
lages and rushing about like madmen debating the great issues of the dayP

What Yamagata hoped to see from local self-government was not indul
gence in a lot of abstract political argument but the fostering through par
ticipation in local affairs of "loyal subj ects" who would serve as the
cornerstones of the national interest: "Good citizens do not allow them
selves to be distracted by public opinion, to the neglect of their true occu
pations . "28 Yamagata was seeking to rid the public sphere as much as
possible of political debate and partisan conflict. " I f," he said, "our legal
system is not based upon a spirit of harmony and cooperation among the
people, it will be impossible to administer it securely. "29

T H E M E I J I C O N ST I T U T I O N S E E N F R O M A B R O A D

Yamagata saw the essence of the cabinet system, meanwhile, as resid

ing in a spirit of "unity and cooperation" among the men shouldering the
burden of responsibility for governing the nation. What Yamagata devised
to manifest that spirit was a revision of the Cabinet Law.
In December 1 8 8 9 , Yamagata formed his first cabinet as prime minis
ter. He had accepted his appointment and the order to form a cabinet on
one condition: a reform in the Cabinet Law that increased the autonomy
of the individual ministers. This was a major alteration in the fundamen
tal organizing principles of the cabinet. Previously, the issuance of an ordi
nance or directive from one of the government ministries had to be
co-signed by the responsible minister and the prime minister. Yamagata's
reform eliminated the need for the prime minister's signature. This
change dispensed with the idea of a strong prime minister playing the role
of chief executive in controlling the administrative machinery of the gov
ernment and setting the course for national policy. Now, each cabinet min
ister would have a specific sphere of duties and be directly responsible to
the emperor for the execution of those duties. This, presumably, would
correct the dissension and wrangling that had plagued earlier cabinets
over the issue of treaty revision and bring to the fore the idea, as a means
of restoring "unity and cooperation," that the cabinet was empowered by
and served the emperor. 30
Creating loyal subjects
The character and the activities of individuals were crucial to the develop
ment of Yamagata's thinking on the cabinet.
It is men who control it [government] . It is men who determine and imple
ment it. And men alone have the power to elicit good results from it. Everything
depends upon whether or not there is unity and harmony in the cabinet.3 1

What Yamagata demanded from the men who led the nation as members
of the cabinet was that they set aside internal dissension and address the
affairs of state "in unity and cooperation. "
Yamagata's concept o f order, extending from local government a t the
base to the cabinet at the top, consistently centered on the human factor.
His "men" were good citizens or, perhaps more accurately, good subjects:
apolitical and above all, loyal. To inculcate this spirit of the loyal imperial

14 1

CoNCLUSION

subj ect, Yamagata had the Imperial Rescript o n Education drafted and
issued in October r 8 9 o . 32 Earlier, in r 8 8 2 , Yamagata was instrumental,
as minister of the army, in the issuing of the Imperial Rescript to Soldiers
and Sailors. It defined the basic stance to be adopted by loyal military
men as "not to be misled by popular opinion, nor involve yourselves in
politics."33
Yamagata liked to refer to himself as "a simple soldier, " but the scope
of his activities gradually expanded into virtually every area of national gov
ernment. In the proces s , Yamagata sought to extend the spirit of the
Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors to all facets of life in Japan. The
system of local government and the Imperial Rescript on Education were
both a part of this effort. Yamagata admitted as much in later years when
he reminisced about working on the I mperial Rescript on Education:
" S ince I had the Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors on my mind, I
thought something similar could be done with regard to education. "34
Yamagata thus hoped to position his ideal men not only throughout the
military but in every sector of national life. His vision was that this would
create checks on the development of constitutional government, and in
some cases, forestall it completely.
Centripetal and centrifugal forces
The Meij i constitutional order initially established in r 8 8 9 was far from
monolithic. The fundamental law of any nation might be said to be the
product of competition and compromise among a variety of political
forces. The structure of the Meiji state as established by its constitutional
system also embodied at least two contradictory forces at its inception.
It had a centripetal force pulling it toward the constitution and a cen
trifugal force pulling it away. The former resulted from the elements of the
Meij i state identified with Ito, the latter from elements associated with
Yamagata. By drafting a constitution and introducing the parliamentary
system to Japan, Ito hoped to unify the people politically and, eventually,
to achieve a full-fledged constitutional political order through the cooper
ation of the Diet and the government. In contrast, by seeding the central
and local administrative bureaucracies and the military with the men of
his clique, and by the permeation of primary education with the spirit
of the Imperial Rescript on Education, Yamagata sought to isolate these
institutions from constitutional government.

T H E M E I J I C O N ST I T UT I O N S E E N F R O M A B R O A D

Ito's European trip had opened his eyes to the technique of using the
executive to counterbalance a constitutional approach leaning too strong
ly in the direction of parliamentary politics . This, he had learned, achieved
a more stable functioning of constitutional government. The executive,
the sovereign, and the other state institutions outside the parliamentary
framework were, to Ito, the organically connected parts from which the
constitutional order was configured. For Yamagata, the thrust was to
secure autonomy for the institutions outside the Diet, so that their unim
peded growth might neutralize the parliamentary system.
Meij i Japan contained within it the latent conflict between these two
forces, and the shape of the nation developed and changed as a result of
their clashes and competition. This book only sketches the beginning of
this process. The later development of the Meij i constitution (in the sense
of the structure of the nation-state) no doubt requires another book.

1 43

AFTERWORD

The late Kosaka Masaaki, an eminent scholar of international politics, was

fond of saying, "Constitutions are just conventions, you know. " 1 It was a
comment steeped in his profound understanding of British politics . To
this day, Britain has no single legal document that can be called a consti
tution; instead, the corpus of its laws, including customary law, functions
as a de facto constitution. Yet as Sato Koj i has also pointed out, there is an
even deeper implication to Kosaka's words .
It was Friedrich Carl von S avigny, founder of the German historical
school of jurisprudence, who proclaimed that all law is customary law. He
stressed that laws are but one part of the complex environment in which
human beings are embedded-a part of a natural order that transcends
human agency. The first task for the jurist was to gain a "living under
standing" (lebendige Anschauung) of this aspect of the law.
German jurisprudence after Savigny did not fall victim to a simple deter
minism. In The Struggle for Rights, Jhering, though well-schooled in the
historicist tradition, emphasized the birth of law out of the autonomous
struggle of individual human actors . An evolutionist, he believed that
human beings, while conditioned by their environment, also confronted
it as autonomous agents . He understood law as a medium for the inter
action between human beings and their environment. Savigny's immor
tal statement-"The essence of the law is the life of mankind regarded
from a specific perspective" -should also be understood in these terms.
The Meiji Constitution was no exception to this. It was established in
response to the far from peaceful international and domestic environ
ments of the time, and behind its establishment were individuals willing
to entrust the fate of their nation and its future to that constitution. Their
efforts and experience in framing the constitution paved the way for the
subsequent political life of the Japanese people. The various events and
phenomena encountered on that path developed into practices and insti
tutions that in turn either augmented or altered the constitution. Even
with the discontinuity introduced by the postwar rewriting of J apan's con
stitution, we are not, in our times, cut off from the constitutional customs
and practices that developed under the Meiji Constitution-some of which
undoubtedly deserve to be ranked among "the achievements of the
I 45

Japanese people" (in the words of the Final Report of the Committee on
Administrative Reform) . Perhaps I have strayed a bit from the theme of this
book in the foregoing remarks, but these are concerns I thought and spoke
of frequently during the process of writing it.
I was abroad doing research in Vienna when, at the suggestion of
Professor Yamanouchi Susumu of Hitotsubashi University, Mr. Shozawa
J un of the publishing company Kodansha, Ltd. first approached me about
doing a history of the Meiji Constitution for the general reader. But there
is already a rich historiographic tradition concerning the establishment of
the Meiji Constitution, built upon the work of many eminent scholars,
including Inada Masatsugu, Okubo Toshiaki, Osatake Takeki, Koj ima
Kazushi, Shimizu Shin, and Suzuki Yasuzo. I was initially reluctant, feel
ing that there was little reason for a young scholar such as myself to
attempt to join their ranks . In conversations with Mr. Shozawa, however,
I came to feel that I might be able contribute something to the historical
writing on this subj ect by treating the Meiji Constitution in terms of the
process of the reception and adaptation of Western civilization in Meij i
Japan, and eventually agreed to the assignment.
As I began my research, however, I became painfully aware of what a
blindly ambitious task I taken on. Moreover, in the nearly six years that
have passed since the idea was first raised, a variety of other matters have
diverted me from present volume: the publication of other work, joining
the faculty at the university where I now teach, preparing for my classes
there, sponsoring and participating in scholarly conferences, and so forth.
However, this book (and anxiety over its completion) were never far from
my mind, and I continued to work and struggle with it.
I write this afterword with the sense of liberation from that struggle.
But I am also aware that this labor has propelled me a step forward in my
scholarly work. The methods, arguments, and evidence of this book feel
unfinished and rough-hewn, and it was not without hesitation that I let
the manuscript leave my hands. Nevertheless, I hope that with the aid of
rigorous criticism from my readers I will in future be able to bring theo
retical and empirical refinement to the sketch presented here.
I am indebted to Professor Yamanouchi Susumu for the invaluable
opportunity to publish in the Metier series. For years it appeared that this
book might never see the light of day, and that I would betray the trust he

AFTE RWO RD

had expressed with his recommendation t o the publisher. Now that i t is

finally seeing print, I can only thank him for his patience and confess that
it certainly does not approach in scope or quality his own masterpiece in
this series, Kita no jujigun (The Northern Crusade) .
I must also mention three groups of professional colleagues who have
provided me with a training ground: the Hikaku Hoshi Gakkai (Associa
tion for Comparative Legal History) , the Kemposhi Kenkyukai (Associa
tion for Research in Constitutional History) , and the Niju Seiki to Nihon
Kenkyukai ( Research Association on Japan and the Twentieth Century) .
The stimulus and encouragement, both direct and indirect, that I received
from all three groups always inspired me to return to the writing of this
book with renewed spirits. I would like to take this opportunity to thank
the gentlemen-each a faculty member of the Graduate School of Law at
Kyoto University-who lead these associations : Professor Kawakami
Rin'itsu (Western legal history) , Professor Oishi Makoto (constitutional
law) , and Professor Ito Yukio (Japanese political and diplomatic history) .
Professor Ito in particular gave me the chance to present an outline of this
book to his association and to publish it in a collection of the association's
research.2 Time and again Professor Ito took me to task, saying, "Haven't
you finished that book for Metier yet? " This, plus the example of his mag
isterial Seito seiji to tenno ( Party politics and the emperor) , volume 22 in
Kodansha's Nihon no Rekishi ( History of Japan) series, served as invalu
able pressure and motivation for me to bring my own work to completion.
Finally, I would like to thank Misa, who became my wife while this book
was in progress. Not only was she willing to put up with a new husband
constantly busy with its preparation and writing, she even read the final
manuscript, checking it for mistakes I had missed. No one more eagerly
awaited this book's publication than Misa and Mr. Shozawa, and I thank
the two of them, its first readers, from the bottom of my heart.
Takii Kazuhiro
January 3 , 2 0 0 3

The anniversary of the Constitution ofjapan

1 47

APPENDIX

TH E

CONSTITUTION OF TH E
E M P I RE OF JAPAN
(MEIJI

C ON STITUTIO N )

PREAMBLE

Having, by virtue of the glories of Our Ancestors, ascended the Throne of a

lineal succession unbroken for ages eternal; desiring to promote the welfare
of, and to give development to the moral and intellectual faculties of Our
beloved subjects, the very same that have been favoured with the benevolent
care and affectionate vigilance of Our Ancestors; and hoping to maitain the
prosperity of the State, in concert with Our people and with their support,
We hereby promulgate, in pursuance of Our I mperial Rescript of the r 2th
day of the r oth month of the 1 4 th year of Meiji, a fundamental law of State,
to exhibit the principles by which We are to be guided in Our conduct, and
to point out what Our descendants and Our subj ects and their descendants
are forever to conform.
The rights of sovereignty of the S tate , We have inherited from Our
Ancestors, and We shall bequeath them to Our descendants. Neither We nor
they shall in future fail to wield them, in accordance with the provisions of
the Constitution hereby granted.
We now declare to respect and protect the security of the rights and of the
property of Our people, and to secure to them the complete enj oyment of the
same, within the extent of the provisions of the present Constitution and of
the law.
The Imperial Diet shall first be convoked for the 2 3 rd year of Meiji, and
the time of its opening shall be the date when the present. Constitution
comes into force.
When, in the future, it may become necessary to amend any of the provi
sions of the present Constitution, We or Our successors shall assume the ini
tiative right, and submit a proj ect for the same to the Imperial Diet. The
Imperial Diet shall pass its vote upon it, according to the conditions imposed by
the present Constitution, and in no otherwise shall Our descendants or Our
subjects be permitted to attempt any alteration thereof.
1 49

150

APPENDIX

Our Ministers of State, on Our behalf, shall be held responsible for the car
rying out of the present Constitution, and Our present and future subjects shall
forever assume the duty of allegiance to the present Constitution.
(His Imperial Majesty's Sign-Manual.)
(Privy Seal.)
The nlth day of the znd month of the 22nd year of Meiji.
(Countersigned)
Count Kuroda Kiyotaka,
Minister President of State.
Count Ito Hirobumi,
President of the Privy Council.
Count Okuma Shigenobu,
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
Count Saigo Tsukumichi,
Minister of State for the Navy.
Count Inoue Kaoru,
Minister of State for Agriculture and Commerce.
Count Yamada Akiyoshi,
Minister of State for justice.
Count Matsukata Masayoshi,
Minister of State for Finance and Minister of State
for Home Affairs.
Count Oyama lwao,
Minister of State for War.
Viscount Mori Arinori,
Minister of State for Education.
Viscount Enomoto Takeaki,
Minister of State for Communications.

CHAPTER I

THE E M P EROR
ARTICLE I
The Empire of J apan shall be reigned over and governed by a line of
Emperors unbroken for ages eternal.
ARTI CLE I I
The I mperial Throne shall b e succeeded t o b y Imperial male descendants ,
according to the provisions of the Imperial House Law.

MEIJI CoNSTITUTION

ARTICLE I I I
The Emperor i s sacred and inviolable.
ARTI CLE IV
The Emperor is the head of the Empire, combining in Himself the rights of
sovereignty and exercises them, according to the provisions of the present
Constitution.
ARTI CLE V
The Emperor exercises the legislative power with the consent of the Imperial
Diet.
ARTICLE VI
The Emperor gives sanction to laws, and orders them to be promulgated
and executed.
ARTI CLE VI I
The Emperor convokes the Imperial Diet, opens, closes and prorogues it, and
dissolves the House of Representatives.
ARTI CLE VI I I
The Emperor, in consequence o f a n urgent necessity to maintain public
safety or to avert public calamities, issues, when the Imperial Diet is not sit
ting, Imperial Ordinances in the place of law.
Such Imperial Ordinances are to be laid before the Imperial Diet at its next
session, and when the Diet does not approve the said Ordinances , the
Government shall declare them to be invalid for the future.
ARTI CLE IX
The Emperor issues or causes to be issued, the Ordinances necessary for the
carrying out of the laws , or for the maintenance of the public peace and
order, and for the promotion of the welfare of the subjects. But no Ordinance
shall in any way alter any of the existing laws.
ARTICLE X
The Emperor determines the organization of the different branches of the
administration and the salaries of all civil and military officers, and appoints
and dismisses the same. Exceptions especially provided for in the present
Constitution or in other laws, shall be in accordance with the respective pro
visions (bearing thereon) .

151

152

APPENDIX

ARTI CLE XI
The Emperor has the supreme command of the Army and Navy.
ARTICLE XII
The Emperor determines the organization and peace standing of the Army
and Navy.
ARTI CLE XI I I
The Emperor declares war, makes peace, and concludes treaties.
ARTICLE XIV
The Emperor declares a state of siege.
The conditions and effects of a state of siege shall be determined by law.
ARTICLE XV
The Emperor confers titles of nobility, rank, orders and other marks of
honor.
ARTI CLE XVI
The Emperor orders amnesty, pardon, commutation of punishments and
rehabilitation.
ARTICLE XVI I
A Regency shall be instituted in conformity with the provisions of the
Imperial House Law.
The Regent shall exercise the powers appertaining to the Emperor in His
name.

CHAPTER II

RIG HTS AND D UTI E S OF S U B J ECTS

ARTI CLE XVI I I
The conditions necessary for being a Japanese subject shall b e determined by
law.
ARTI CLE XIX
Japanese subj ects may, according to qualifications determined in laws or
ordinances , be appointed to civil or military or any other public offices

ME!)! CONSTITUTION

equally.
ARTI CLE XX
Japanese subjects are amenable to service in the Army or Navy, according to
the provisions of law.
ARTI CLE XXI
Japanese subjects are amenable to the duty of paying taxes, according to the
provisions of law.
ARTICLE XXI I
Japanese subjects shall have the liberty o f abode and o f changing the same
within the limits of law.
ARTICLE XXI I I
N o J apanese subject shall b e arrested, detained, tried, o r punished, unless
according to law.
ARTI CLE XXIV
No Japanese subject shall be deprived of his right of being tried by the judges
determined by law.
ARTICLE XXV
Except in the cases provided for in the law, the house of no Japanese subj ect
shall be entered or searched without his consent.
ARTI CLE XXVI
Except in the cases mentioned in the law, the secrecy of the letters of every
Japanese subj ect shall remain inviolate.
ARTI CLE XXVI I
The right o f property o f every J apanese subj ect shall remain inviolate.
Measures necessary to be taken for the public benefit shall be provided for by
law.
A RTICLE XXVI I I
J apanese subj ects shall, within limits not prej udicial to peace and order,
and not antagonistic to their duties as subj ects , enjoy freedom of religious
belief.

1 53

54

APPENDIX

ARTICLE XXIX
J apanese subj ects shall, within limits of law, enjoy the liberty of speech, writ
ing, publication, public meetings and associations .
ARTI CLE XXX
Japanese subj ects may present petitions, by observing the proper forms of
respect, and by complying with the rules specially provided for the same.
ARTI CLE XXXI
The provisions contained in the present Chapter shall not affect the exercise
of the powers appertaining to the Emperor, in times of war or in cases of a
national emergency.
ARTI CLE XXX I I
Each and every one o f the provisions contained i n the preceding Articles o f the
present Chapter, that are not in conflict with the laws or the rules and disci
pline of the Army and Navy, shall apply to the officers and men of the Army
and of the Navy.

CHAPTE R I II

TH E I M P E RIAL D I ET
ARTI CLE XXXI I I
The Imperial Diet shall consist of two Houses, a House o f Peers and a House
of Representatives.
ARTI CLE XXXIV
The House of Peers shall, in accordance with the Ordinance concerning the
House of Peers, be composed of the members of the Imperial Family, of the
orders of the nobility, and of those persons, who have been nominated
thereto by the Emperor.
ARTI CLE XXXV
The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members elected by the
people, according to the provisions of the Law of Election.

MEIJI CONSTITUTION

ARTI CLE XXXVI

No one can at one and the same time be a Member of both Houses .
ARTI CLE XXXVI I
Every law requires the consent of the Imperial Diet.
ARTICLE XXXVI I I
Both H ouses shall vote upon proj ects o f law submitted to it by the
Government, and may respectively initiate proj ects of law.
ARTICLE XXXIX
A Bill, which has been rej ected by either the one or the other of the two
Houses, shall not be again brought in during the same session.
ARTI CLE XL
Both Houses can make representations to the Government, as to laws or
upon any other subject. When, however, such representations are not
accepted, they cannot be made a second time during the same session.
ARTI CLE XLI
The I mperial Diet shall be convoked every year.
ARTI CLE XLI I
A session of the Imperial Diet shall last during three months. In case of
necessity, the duration of a session may be prolonged by Imperial Order.
ARTICLE XLI I I
When urgent necessity arises, a n extraordinary session may b e convoked, in
addition to the ordinary one.
The duration of an extraordinary session shall be determined by Imperial
Order.
ARTICLE XLIV
The opening, closing, prolongation of session and the prorogation of the
Imperial Diet, shall be effected simultaneously for both Houses .
In case the House of Representatives has been ordered to dissolve, the
House of Peers shall at the same time be prorogued.

155

I5 6

APPENDIX

ARTICLE XLV
When the House of Representatives has been ordered to dissolve, Members
shall be caused by Imperial Order to be newly elected, and the new House shall
be convoked within five months from the day of dissolution.
ARTI CLE XLVI
No debate can be opened and no vote can be taken in either House of the
I mperial Diet, unless not less than one third of the whole number of
Members thereof is present.
ARTI CLE XLVII
Votes shall be taken in both Houses by absolute majority. In the case of a tie
vote, the President shall have the casting vote.
ARTI CLE XLVI I I
The deliberations o f both Houses shall b e held i n public. The deliberations
may, however, upon demand of the Government or by resolution of the
House, be held in secret sitting.
ARTICLE XLIX
Both Houses of the Imperial Diet may respectively present addresses to the
Emperor.
ARTICLE L
Both Houses may receive petitions presented by subj ects .
ARTICLE LI
Both H ouses may enact, besides what is provided for in the present
Constitution and in the Law of the Houses , rules necessary for the manage
ment of their internal affairs .
ARTI CLE LI I
No Member of either House shall be held responsible outside the respective
House, for any opinion uttered or for any vote given in the House. When,
however, a Member himself has given publicity to his opinions by public
speech, by documents in print or in writing, or by any other similar means, he
shall, in the matter, be amenable to the general law.

MEIJI CONSTITUTION

ARTI CLE LI I I
The Members o f both Houses shall, during the session, b e free from arrest,
unless with the consent of the Houses, except in cases of flagrant delicts, or
of offences connected with a state of internal commotion or with a foreign
trouble.
ARTI CLE LIV
The Ministers of State and the Delegates of the Government may, at any
time, take seats and speak in either House.
C HAPTER IV

THE M I N I STERS O F STATE AND THE P RIVY COUNC I L

ARTI CLE LV
The respective Ministers of State shall give their advice to the Emperor, and be
responsible for it.
All Laws , Imperial Ordinances and Imperial Rescripts of whatever kind,
that relate to the affairs of the S tate , require the countersignature of a
Minister of State.
ARTI CLE LVI
The Privy Councillors shall, in accordance with the provisions for the orga
nization of the Privy Council, deliberate upon important matters of State,
when they have been consulted by the Emperor.

CHAPTER V

THE J U D I CATU RE
ARTICLE LVI I
The Judicature shall b e exercised by the Courts o f Law according to law i n the
name of the Emperor.
The organization of the Courts of Law shall be determined by law.

15 7

158

APPENDIX

ARTICLE LVI I I
The judges shall b e appointed from among those, who possess proper quali
fications according to law.
No judge shall be deprived of his position, unless by way of criminal sen
tence or disciplinary punishment.
Rules for disciplinary punishment shall be determined by law.
ARTI CLE LIX
Trials and judgements of a Court shall be conducted publicly. When, however,
there exists any fear, that such publicity may be prejudicial to peace and order,
or to the maintenance of public morality, the public trial may be suspended
by provision of law or by the decision of the Court of law.
ARTICLE LX
All matters, that fall within the competency of a special Court, shall be spe
cially provided for by law.
ARTI CLE LXI
No suit at law, which relates to rights alleged to have been infringed by the ille
gal measures of the administrative authorities, and which shall come within
the competency of the Court of Administrative Litigation specially estab
lished by law, shall be taken cognizance of by a Court of Law.

CHAPTE R VI

F I NANCE
ARTI CLE LXI I
The imposition o f a new tax o r the modification o f the rates (of a n existing
one) shall be determined by law.
However, all such administrative fees or other revenue having the nature of
compensation shall not fall within the category of the above clause.
The raising of national loans and the contracting of other liabilities to the
charge of the National Treasury, except those that are provided for in the
Budget, shall require the consent of the Imperial Diet.

MEIJI CONSTITUTION

ARTI CLE LXI I I

The taxes levied at present shall, in s o far a s they are not remodelled by a new
law, be collected according to the old system.
ARTICLE LXIV
The expenditure and revenue of the State require the consent of the Imperial
Diet by means of an annual Budget.
Any and all expenditures overpassing the appropriations set forth in the
Titles and Paragraphs of the Budget, or that are not provided for in the
Budget, shall subsequently require the approbation of the Imperial Diet.
ARTI CLE LXV
The Budget shall be first laid before the House of Representatives.
ARTICLE LXVI
The expenditures of the Imperial House shall be defrayed every year out of the
National Treasury, according to the present fixed amount for the same, and
shall not require the consent thereto of the Imperial Diet, except in case an
increase thereof is found necessary.
ARTI CLE LXVII
Those already fixed expenditures based by the Constitution upon the powers
appertaining to the Emperor, and such expenditures as may have arisen by the
effect of law, or that appertain to the legal obligations of the Government, shall
be neither rejected nor reduced by the Imperial Diet, without the concurrence
of the Government.
ARTI CLE LXVI I I
I n order to meet special requirements, the Government may ask the consent
of the Imperial Diet to a certain amount as a Continuing Expenditure Fund,
for a previously fixed number of years.
ARTI CLE LXIX
In order to supply deficiencies , which are unavoidable, in the Budget, and to
meet requirements unprovided for in the same, a Reserve Fund shall be
provided for in the Budget.

159

16 0

APPENDIX

ARTICLE LXX
When the Imperial Diet cannot be convoked, owing to the external or internal
condition of the country, in case of urgent need for the maintenance of pub
lic safety, the Government may take all necessary financial measures, by
means of an Imperial Ordinance.
In the case mentioned in the preceding clause, the matter shall be sub
mitted to the Imperial Diet at its next session, and its approbation shall be
obtained thereto.
ARTI CLE LXXI
When the Imperial Diet has not voted on the Budget, or when the Budget has
not been brought into actual existence, the Government shall carry out the
Budget of the preceding year.
ARTICLE LXXI I
The final account o f the expenditures and revenue o f the State shall b e verified
and confirmed by the Board of Audit, and it shall be submitted by the
Government to the Imperial Diet, together with the report of verification of
the said Board.
The organization and competency of the Board of Audit shall be deter
mined by law separately.

CHAPTER VII

S U P P LEM ENTARY RULES

ARTI CLE LXXI I I
When it has become necessary i n future to amend the provisions o f the pre
sent Constitution, a proj ect to that effect shall be submitted to the I mperial
Diet by Imperial Order.
In the above case, neither House can open the debate, unless not less
than two thirds of the whole number of M embers are present, and no
amendment can be passed, unless a majority of not less than two-thirds of the
Members present is obtained.
ARTI CLE LXXIV
No modification of the Imperial House Law shall be required to be submitted
to the deliberation of the Imperial Diet.

MEI)I CONSTITUTION

N o provision o f the present Constitution can b e modified b y the Imperial

House Law.
ARTICLE LXXV
No modification can be introduced into the Constitution, or into the Imperial
House Law, during the time of a Regency.
ARTI CLE LXXVI
Existing legal enactments, such as laws, regulations, Ordinances, or by what
ever names they may be called, shall, so far as they do not conflict with the
present Constitution, continue in force.
All existing contracts or orders , that entail obligations upon the
Government, and that are connected with expenditure, shall come within
the scope of Article LXVI I .

A s translated by Baron Miyoshi Ito in

Commentaries on the Constitution of

the Empire ofjapan, second edition
(Tokyo: Chuo Daigaku, 1 9 0 6 ) .

r6r

NOTES

Preface: The Meiji Constitution and Japan's Experience of the West

1. N itobe Inazo ( 1 8 6 2 - 1 9 3 3 ) was a scholar, educator, and diplomat who later

served as under-secretary general of the League of Nations and was the author
of Bushido: T he Soul ofjapan ( 1 8 9 9 ) . At the time of the encounter described
here, he was a doctoral student at a German university.
2. " Kigan no ashi" [ Reeds for the wild geese] , in Nitobe Inazo zenshu [Collected
Works of Nitobe Inazo] , 2 5 vols. (Tokyo: Kyobunkan, 1 9 6 9-2001), 6: 47ff.
3- Ienaga Saburo, Nihon kindai kempo shisoshi kenky u [A historical study of modern
Japanese constitutional thought (Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1 9 67), 78-79.
4 " Jinshin kyodo iken an" [A proposal for educating the minds of the people] , in
Inoue Kowashi den [ B iography of I noue Kowashi] , 7 vols. (Tokyo : Kokugakuin
Daigaku Toshokan, 1 986-94) , 1: 2 5 1 .
5 H elmut Coing, Yorropa hoshi ron [ European legal history] trans. S asaki Yushi,
( S obunsha, 1 9 8 o ) ; and Coing, Yoroppa ho bunka no nagare [Currents of
European legal culture] trans. Ueyama Yasutoshi ( Kyoto: M ineruba S hobo,
1983)
6 . Sato Koj i, Kempa t o sono "monogatari " sei [The constitution and its "narrativity"]
(Tokyo: Yuhikaku, 2 0 0 3 ) , 128-29. S ee also Sato, Nihon kempo shi to "ho no shi
hai " [J apanese constitutional history and "the rule of law"] (Tokyo: Yuhikaku,
2002), 1 9 1 ff.
7 Lorenz von Stein, " N ihon teikoku shi oyobi ho shi no kenkyu" [A historical
study of the J apanese Empire and its laws] trans . Takii Kazuhiro , in
jurisprudentia: kokusai hikaku hosei kenky u [Jurisprudentia: comparative studies
in international legal systems] ( Kyoto: Mineruba Shobo, 1 9 9 5 ) , no. 4, 5 9
8 . Titus Livius, " Roma-shi kensetsu irai n o rekishi ( IX) " [ A history of Rome from
the founding of the city (IX) ] , trans. Suzuki Kazukuni, in Ronshu ( Kobe Daigaku
Ky oy obu kiyo), no. 33 (1 984) : 1 3 0 . See also Funada Kyoji, Roma ho [Roman law]
(Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1 9 8 6 ) , vol. 1: n 6 .
9 S hiono Nanao, Romajin no monogatari [The story of the Roman people]
(Shinchosha, 1 9 9 2 ) , 88ff.
ro. See the previously cited works by Sa to Koji, who has been a central figure in this
series of reforms.
Chapter One: The Iwakura Embassy

1. A number of valuable books and monographs have been published on the

Iwakura Embassy by such scholars as Okubo Toshiaki, Tanaka Akira, H aga
Toru, N ishikawa Nagao, and I zumi S aburo . Among them, Tanaka Akira ' s
Iwakura shisetsudan no rekishiteki kenky u [A historical study of the Iwakura

163

16 4

NOTES
Embassy] (Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 2002) is especially valuable, as it represents
the current position of a scholar who has been a leader in research in this field
for many years . Fundamental source materials related to the mission are col
lected in Okubo Toshiaki, ed. Iwakura shisetsu no kenky u [ Research on the
Iwakura Mission] ( Kyoto: Munetaka Shobo, I976) . In addition, the vast collec
tion of materials in the N ational Archives of Japan related to the mission has
been converted to microfilm under the supervision of Tanaka Akira (Tokyo :
Yumani S habo, I 9 94) and made available for general use. In addition to the
work by Tanaka mentioned above, other notable recent publications include the
reports of international conferences on the Iwakura Embassy organized by Ian
Nish, I zumi S aburo, and H aga Toru, repectively: Ian Nish, ed., T he Iwakura
Mission in America and Europe: A New Assessment ( Richmond, Surrey: Curzon
Pres s , I 9 9 8 ) ; 0 - B ei Kairan no Kai, e d . , Iwakura shisetsudan no saihakken
[Rediscovering the Iwakura Embassy] ( Kyoto: Shibunkaku Shuppan, 2003); and
H aga Toru, ed. Iwakura shisetsudan no hikaku bunkashiteki kenky u [The Iwakura
Embassy as comparative cultural history] (Kyoto: Shibunkaku Shuppan, 2003).
2 . Takahashi Hidenao, " H aihan seifu ron-kudeta kara shisetsudan e" [The gov
ernment that dissolved the domains-from coup d'etat to overseas mission] ,
Nihonshi kenky u, no. 3 5 6 ( I 9 9 2 ) .
3 - Okubo Toshiaki , ed. Iwakura shisetsu no kenky u [Research on t h e Iwakura
Embassy] (Tokyo: Munetaka Shabo, I976), I 6 I .
4- Ibid., I 6 I-6 2 .
5 Quoted i n Kengi Hamada, Prince Ito (Tokyo: Sanseido, I 9 3 6 ; Washington, D .C. :
University Publications of America, I979), 6 6 .
6 . Takahashi, " H aihan seifu," 7 6 .
7 Okubo, Iwakura shisetsu, I76.
8 . For an example of leading research in this area, see Hamashita Takeshi, Choko
shisutemu to kindai Ajia [The tribute system and modern Asia] (Tokyo: Iwanami
Shoten, I997) The national seclusion policies of the Tokugawa shogunate were
an attempt to construct a world order with J apan at the civilized center as an
antithesis to the Chinese world order. In this regard, see Ronald Toby, State and
Diplomacy in Early -Modern japan: Asia in the Development of the T okugawa
Bakufu (Princeton University Press, I 9 84 ; Stanford University Press, I 9 9 I ) .
9 Okubo, Iwakura shisetsu, I64-

IO. Yamanouchi S usumu, " M eiji kokka ni okeru 'bummei' to kokusai ho"
["Civilization" and international law in the Meiji state], Hitotsubashi ronso, vol.
1 1 5 , no. I ( I 9 9 6 ) .
I I . J ames Lorimer, T he Institutes o f the L a w o f Nations, 2 vol s . ( E dinburgh and
London: W. Blackwood and sons, I883), I : IOI-02. See also Yamanouchi, "Meiji
kokka, " 24.
I2. William Edward Hall, A T reatise on International Law ( S econd edition, Oxford:
Clarendon Press, 1884) , 40. Quoted in Yamanouchi, "Meij i kokka," 23IJ. Izumi Saburo, Dodotaru Nihonjin-shirarezaru Iwakura shisetsudan: kono kuni no
katachi to shinro o kimeta otokotachi [ M agnificent J apanese-the unknown

NOTES
Iwakura Embassy: the men who determined the shape and course of our nation]
(Tokyo: Shodensha, 1996).
14. Okubo, Iwakura shisetsu, r 87.
I 5 . Okubo, Iwakura shisetsu, I74
r6. Hogo hiroi: Sasaki T akay uki nikld [The scrap collector: The diary of S a s aki
Takayuki], 5 vols. (Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press, 1 974) , 5: 240.
17. Oyama Shikitaro, ed., Wakayama Norikazu zenshu [Collected works ofWakayama
Norikazu], 2 vols. (Tokyo: Toyo Keizai Shimposha, 1940) , 2: 498. Wakayama
Norikazu (r84o-9r) was an economist of the early Meiji period. He accompa
nied the Iwakura Embassy to America and Europe, and remained in the West to
study economics.
r8. Kume hakushi kujunen kaikoroku [A record of Professor Kume's recollections of
his ninety years] (Tokyo : Munetaka Shobo: r 9 8 5 ; Tokyo : Waseda Daigaku
Shuppanbu, 1934), vol. 2 : r86.
19. Ibid. , r8r.
20. Ibid. , r85.
2r. S e e Kanai M adoka, T omii to iu na no Nihonjin [A J apanese named Tommy]
(Tokyo: Bun'ichi Sogo Shuppan, 1979); Imai I chiro, " Kanazawa han chugaku
higashiko kyoshi Nagano Keijiro den-M an'en kembei shisetsu Tomii shonen
no shogai" [A biography of Nagano Keijiro, instructor at the east campus of the
Kanazawa Domain Middle School-the life of Tommy, the boy who went with
the r 8 6 o mission to America], in Ishikawa kyi5doshi gakkai kaishi, no. 14 ( r 9 8 r ) ;
Akatsuka Yukio, Kimi w a T omii poruka w o kiita k a [Have you heard the Tommy
Polka ?] (Nagoya: Fubaisha, 1999).
22. Hogo hiroi, vol. 5 : 244.
23. Ibid., 244.
24. Kido T akay oshi kankei monjo [ Kido Takayoshi papers] , vol. 4: 33 (Tokyo:
University of Tokyo Press, 2007). Letter of Meiji 4.12.20 to Sugi Magoshichiro,
Kashiwamura Shin, and Kubo Danzo.
25. Hogo hiroi, vol. 5: 243.
26. Ibid. , 2 5 r .
27. Ibid . , 2 5 r .
28. F o r an earlier discussion o f the changes i n lwakura' s style o f dress during the
course of the embassy, see Tanaka Akira, "Datsu A" no Meiji ishin-Iwakura
shisetsudan o ou tabi kara [The Meiji Restoration as an "escape from Asia"-in
the footsteps of the lwakura Embassy] (Tokyo : N ihon Hoso Shuppan Kyokai,
I984)
29. Hogo hiroi, vol. 5 : 289.
3 0 . On Meiji 5.I . r 3 , just as the embassy was departing San Francisco for Washington,
the Japanese government revised its rules for official dress, switching to Western
style formal attire. So Iwakura's abandonment of Japanese dress was mandated
by law. According to H ayashi Tadasu, when the leaders of the mission met with
the president in Washington they wore Japanese court dress, but for their next

16 5

r66

NoTES
stop, Great Britain, it was decided to wear Western formal attire in keeping with
the recent government decree. H ayashi was sent ahead to Britain to have the
clothing made to order, and H ayashi says that the style and design selected at
that time became, almost without alteration, the new court dress of J apan.
H ayashi Tadasu, Nochi wa mukashi no ki nari-Hayashi Shigeru kaikoroku [The
rest is history-the memoirs of Hayashi Shigeru] (Tokyo: Heibonsha, 1 970) , 171.
31. Kume kaikoroku, r 84-85 .
3 2 . Hogo hiroi, vol. s : 245.
3 3 - Ito Hirobumi den [ B iography of Ito H irobumi] , 3 vol s . (Tokyo : S humpo-ko
Tsuishokai, 1940), r : 5 9 r ff.
34 The English text of the speech is reproduced in Ito den, vol. r : r o r3-17, from
which the following quotations are taken.
35 Hogo hiroi, vol. s : 2 5 3 . 2 9 0 - 9 1 . Opinions vary as to Ito's English ability, but a
British diplomat who received him at the British consulate in Tokyo before the
embassy's departure reported to his government that Ito was quite fluent.
William G. Beasley, japan Encounters the Barbarians ( N ew H aven, CT. : Yale
University Press , 1 9 9 5 ) , r 6 r .
3 6 . Ito Shin'ichi, "Chichi, Hirobumi o kataru" [Speaking o f m y father, H irobumi] in
Muramatsu Takeshi, Nihon bunka o kangaeru (taidan shu) [Considerations on
Japanese Culture (A Collection of Dialogues)] (Tokyo: Nihon Kyobunsha, 1979),
4!.
37 Ito den, vol. r , 708-09.
3 8 . Ito Shin'ichi, "Chichi, Hirobumi."
39 Hogo hiroi, vol. s : 2 9 1 .
40. Shimomura Fuj io, Meiji shoki joyaku kaisei shi n o kenky u [ A historical study of
treaty revision in the early Meiji period] (Tokyo: Yoshikawa Kobunkan, 1 9 6 2 ) ;
a n d I shii Takashi, Meiji shoki n o kokusai kankei [I nternational relations in the
early Meiji period] (Tokyo: Yoshikawa Kobunkan, 1 977) .
4 1 . I shii, Meiji shoki no kokusai kankei, 3 8 .
42. Ibid., so .
43 Ibid., 5 r .
4 4 Nihon Shiseki Kyokai, e d . , Kido T akay oshi nikki [Kido Takayoshi diary] , 3 vols.
(Tokyo: Nihon Shiseki Kyokai, 1932; Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press, 1985). 2:
148-49 (entry for Meiji 5.2.r8). Translated by Sidney Devere Brown and Akiko
Hirota as The Diary of Kido T akayoshi, 2 vols. (Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press,
1983). 2: 142 (entry for March 2 6 , r872) .
4 5 Ibid., vol. 2: 179-80 (entry for Meiji 54.20). Brown and H irota, vol. 2: r 6 8-6 9
(May 2 6 , r872)]
4 6 . Ibid., vol. 2: 154-55 (entries for Meiji 5 . 2 . 3 0 and 5 - J . I ) . Brown and Hirota, vol. 2:
147-48 (April 7 and 8 , r872) .
47 Ito den, vol. r: 709-ro.
48. According to I to ' s conversation cited in the previous note, when the mission
reached Germany Aoki Shuzo and Shinagawa Yajiro were so concerned about

the relationship between Kido and Ito that they offered to mediate between the
two, but Ito declined the offer.
49 Kido monjo, vol. 4 : 431. Letter of Meiji 5 . 2 . 1 1 to Sugiyama Takatoshi.
50. Kido monjo, vol. 4: 346. Letter of Meiji 5 . 3 . 1 1 to I noue Kaoru.
5 1 . Kido monjo, vol. 4: 3 6 6 . Letter of Meiji 571 to Kashimura Shin.
52. Kido monjo, vol. 4: 374 Letter of Meiji 5 .7.2 to Sugi Magoshichiro.
5 3 Makino Nobuaki, Kaikoroku (Memoirs] , 2 vols. (Chuko Bunko, 1 977) , 1: 2 5 .
5 4 Interview with Kume Kunitake i n Matsubara Chion, e d . , Okubo T oshimichi, second edition (Matsuno Shoten, 2003; 1st ed. , Tokyo: Shinchosha, 1 9 1 2 ) , 119ff.
5 5 Ibid.
56. Ibid., 1 2 0 .
5 7 Ibid.
58. Ibid. , 1 2 1 .
5 9 Ibid., 125-26.
6 o . Takahashi, " Haihan seifu," 91.
6 1 . Nihon Shiseki Kyokai, ed. Okubo T oshimichi monjo [Okubo Toshimichi papers],
1 0 vols. (Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press, 1 973; 1st edition 1928), 4 : 484. Letter
to Nishi Tokuj iro of Meiji 6 . 1 . 17.
62. Matsubara, ed., Okubo T oshimichi, 123-24.
63. Kume Kunitake, T okumei zenken taishi Bei-0 kairan jikki [A True Account of a
J ourney of Observation through the United States and Europe] , ed. and anno
tated by Tanaka Akira, 5 vols. (Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1977-82 ) , 5= 149. A com
plete E nglish translation of this work is now available: T he lwakura Embassy ,
1 8 71 -73 : A T rue Account of the Ambassador Extraordinary ll[ Plenipotentiary 's
journey of Observation Through the United States of America and Europe, 5 vols. ,
compiled b y Kume Kunitake; Graham Healey and Chushichi Tsuzuki, editors
in-chief (Matsudo, Chiba: The Japan Documents, 2 0 0 2 ) .
64. Kume, ]ikki, vol. 5 149; trans. in lwakura Embassy , vol. 5 : 1 4 9 .
6 5 . Fukuzawa Yukichi, Bummeiron no gairyaku (Outline of a theory of civilization]
( I wanami Bunko, 1 9 6 2 ) , 2 2 9 ff. The passages quoted are from pages 254 and
2 5 9 , respectively.
6 6 . Kume, ]ikki, vol. 5= 1 6 0 ; trans. in Iwakura Embassy , vol. s : 1 6 1 .
6 7 . Ibid. , vol 5 : 149 , trans. i n lwakura Embassy , vol. 5 = 1 4 9 .
68. Nishikawa Nagao, "Togo sareta Europa" in Nishikawa Nagao and Matsumiya
H ideharu, eds . , Bei-0 kairan jikki o y omu-1 870 nendai no sekai to Nihon
( Reading the Bei-0 kairan jikki-The world of the 1 8 7 o s and J apan] ( Kyoto:
Horitsu Bunkasha, 1 9 9 5 ) , 244.
69. Kume, ]ikki, vol. 5 : 16o; trans. in lwakura Embassy , vol. 5 : 1 6 1 .
70. Ibid. , vol s: 146; trans. in lwakura Embassy , vol. 5= 146.
71. Ibid. , vol. 3 : 116; trans. in Iwakura Embassy , vol. 3 : 1 0 5 .

72. Ibid., vol. s : 221; trans. in Iwakura Embassy , vol. 5 = 234.

73 - Ibid., vol. 2: 195; trans. in Iwakura Embassy , vol. 2 : 2 0 6 .

r68

NOTES
74 Ibid., vol. r : 2 97; trans. in Iwakura Embassy , vol. r: 3 I I
75 Ibid., vol. 3 : r 6 7 ; trans. i n Iwakura Embassy , vol. y I 5 9
7 6 . Ibid., vol. 2 : n 4 ; trans. i n Iwakura Embassy , vol. 2 : 109.
77 Ibid., vol. s : 2rff; trans. in Iwakura Embassy , vol. s : 9ff.
78. Ibid., vol. 2 : rr4; trans. in Iwakura Embassy , vol. 2 : no.
7 9 Ibid., vol. y 2 2 1 ; trans. in Iwakura Embassy , vol. y 213-14.
8o. Ibid., vol. 2 : rr4; trans. in Iwakura Embassy , vol. 2 : !09-IO.
8 r . Ibid., vol. y 71; trans. in Iwakura Embassy , vol. y 59
82. Ibid., vol. 2 : 331.
83. Fukuzawa Yukichi, Bummeiron no gairyaku, 30.
84. Kume, jikki, vol. 5 : 158; trans . in Iwakura Embassy , vol. S : I 59
8 5 . Recent research focusing on Kido' s investigation into Western constitutions
includes Sidney Brown, " Iwakura shisetsudan ni okeru Kido Takayoshi no
yakuwari" [The role of Kido Takayoshi in the Iwakura Embas sy] , trans . Ota
Akiko, in Haga, ed., Iwakura shisetsudan no hikaku bunkashiteki kenky u, 1 9 5ff.
8 6 . Kido nikki, vol. 2 : 142 (entry for Meiji 5 . 1 . 2 2 ) . Brown and H irota, vol. 2 : p. 134
(entry for March r , r872 ) .
8 7 . Ibid., (entry for Meiji 6-4-23). Brown and Hirota, vol. 2 : p. 133-34 (entry for April
23, 1873 ) .
88. Kido monjo, vol. + 424. Letter of Meiji 5 . r r .27 t o Watanabe Koki.
8 9 . Ibid., vol. 5: 1 5 . Letter of Meiji 6-3.20 to Miura Goro.
90. Ibid., vol. 4: 371. Letter of Meiji 5.7.2 to Yamada Akiyoshi.
9 1 . The memorials on the constitution submitted by Kido and Okubo have been
given a comparative analysis by Toriumi Yasushi in Nihon kindaishi kogi
[Lectures in modern Japanese history] (Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press, 1988),
soff. Toriumi points to the more progressive nature of Okubo's memorial com
pared with Kido's.
9 2 . Kido monjo, vol. 8 , 1 2 3 . " Kempo seitei no kengen sho" [Memorial on the establishment of a constitution] .
9 3 Ibid., rr8.
94- Ibid., II9.
9 5 Ibid., rr8.
9 6 . Kido nikki, vol. 2 : 420 (entry for November 2 0 , r873 ) . in Brown and Hirota, vol.
2: 3 9 8 . Kido uses the English word despotic in katakana.
97 Kido monjo, vol. 8: 123. " Kempo seitei no kengensho."
98. Ibid., 121-22.
99 Ibid., 123-34.
roo. Ibid., 128.
r o r . Kido nikki, vol. 2 : 420 (entry for September 3 , r873 ) . Brown and H irota, vol. 2:
37!.
102. Okubo monjo, vol. 4 : 484. Letter of January 27, r873 to Nishi Tokujiro.
103. Ibid.

104- Okubo monjo, vol. 4 : 4 9 2 . Letter of M arch 2 1 , 1 873 to S aigo Takamori and
Yoshii Tomozane.
1 0 5 . Okubo monjo, vol. 4= so r . Letter of March 27, 1 873 to Nishi Tokujiro.
1 0 6 . Kume, ]ikki, vol. 3 = 3 2 9 ; trans. in Iwakura Embassy , vol. 3= 323
107. Ibid.
ro8. Ibid.
109. Ibid., 330; trans. in Iwakura Embassy , vol. r 324
no. Ito den, vol. 1: 798.
III. Okubo monjo, vol. s : 184. " Rikken seitai ni kansuru ikensho" (Memorandum on
constitutional government) .
II2. Ibid., 188.
II3. Ibid., 186.
II4- See Toriumi, Nihon kindaishi kogi, s r . Fuj ita M asaharu' s "Seijika " Okubo
T oshimichi [The politician Okubo Toshimichi] (Tokyo: Kodansha, 2 003) con
tains a discus sion of Okubo's memorandum beginning on p. 1 5 4 . S as aki
S uguru ' s Okubo T oshimichi to Meiji ishin [Okubo Toshimichi and the Meiji
Restoration] (Tokyo: Yoshikawa Kobunkan, 1 9 9 8) raises some important points
on p. 1 6 3 us. Okubo monjo, vol. s : 1 8 8 . " Rikken seitai n i kansuru ikensho" (Memorandum on
constitutional government) .
u 6 . Ibid., vol. s : 2 0 6 .
I I7. The lecture was published i n book form as Rudolf von Jhering, Der Kampf ums
Recht, 1 8 7 2 . Translated by Murakami Jun' ichi as Kenri no tame no tOso
( I wanami Bunko, 1 9 8 2 ) . For the background of this speech and its place in
Western legal history, see Murakami Jun'ichi, "Kenri no tame no toso " o y omu
[Reading The Struggle for Rights] (Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1983).
u 8 . Yamanouchi, "Meij i kokka," 1 9 .
Chapter Two: Ito Hirobumi's European Research

r. For concise and balanced overviews of these developments , see Toriumi, Nihon
kindaishi kogi, 57ff; and Oishi Makoto, Nihon kemposhi [Japanese constitutional
history] (Tokyo: Yuhikaku, 1 9 9 5 ) , 25ff.
2. On the Political Crisis of 1881, see Sakamoto Kazuto, Ito Hirobumi to Meiji kokka
keisei [Ito H irobumi and the formation of the Meiji state] (Tokyo: Yoshikawa
Kobunkan, 1 9 9 1 ) , 41ff. I have also written previously on this subject; see Takii
Kazuhiro, Doitsu kokkagaku to Meiji kokusei [German political economy and the
constitution of the Meiji state] (Kyoto: Mineruba Shobo, 1 9 9 9 ) , 186ff. The pres
ent volume expands upon the theme of chapter 5 in this previous book, rework
ing it and adding material on Germany and Austria from the perspective of
comparative constitutional history.
3 ItO den, vol. 2: 207. Letter of Meiji 14.7.2 to Iwakura Tomomi.
4 Inada Masatsugu, Meiji kempo seiritsushi no kenky u [History of the establish
ment of the Meiji Constitution], 2 vols . (Tokyo: Yuhikaku, 1 9 60-6 2 ) , 1 : 525

170

NoTES
5 Kido nikki, vol. 2: 452ff (entry for Meiji 6 . I r . 2 o ) .
6 . Okuma-ko H achijugonenshi Hensankai eds . , Okuma k o hachijugonen shi [An
85-year history of Count Okuma) , 3 vols. (Tokyo: Hara Shabo, I97o) , I: 2 6 r .
7 Okubo Toshiaki, "Meiji I4-nen n o Seihen-Sat-Cho hambatsu seiken n o kaku
ritsu" [The Political Crisis of I 8 8 I-the establishment of the Satsuma-Choshu
clique government] (first published in I 9 5 2 ) , in Meiji kokka no keisei: Okubo
T oshiaki rekishi chosaku shu [The formation of the Meiji state : The historical
works of Okubo Toshiaki] (Tokyo: Yoshikawa Kobunkan, I 9 8 6 ) , vol. 2 . This is a
classic analysis of the Political Crisis of I88I and Inoue Kowashi's emergence on
the political scene. S akamoto, Ito Hirobumi to Meiji kokka keisei also discusses
I noue's pivotal role.
8. Tada Komon, ed., Iwakura ko jikki [The true record of Prince Iwakura) (Tokyo:
H ara Shabo, I 9 6 8 ) , 7I5ff.
9 Hogo Hirai, vol.

n:

22-23

IO. I nada, Seiritsushi, vol. I : 545

II. The nine official members were : Yamasaki Naotane ( Daj okan secretary) , Ito
Miyoji (assistant to a member of the Sanj ikan), Kawashima Atsushi (secretary to
the Minister of Finance ) , Yoshida Masaharu (secretary in the Foreign Office) ,
H irata Tosuke (j unior s ecretary in the Ministry of Finance) , M iyoshi Taizo
(j udge in the Daishin 'in) , and Saionji Kimmochi , Iwakura Tomosada, and
H irohashi Kenko (all assistants to councillors of the Sanjiin) .
At the time, prior to the establishment of a cabinet system, the Meiji govern
ment was headed by the Dajokan, which functioned as a kind of cabinet office
for the dajo daijin (grand minister of state), assisted by the ministers of the left
and right, who presided over a council called the Sanjiin, a legislative bureau
comprised of the sangi, or councillors , who concurrently served as heads of the
various government ministries. The term Dajokan was also often used loosely to
refer to the government as a whole.
I 2 . Ito den, vol. 2: 256ff.
I3. Ikeda Hiroshi, ed., Omori Shoichi (privately published, I 9 3 0 ) , 102.
I4- Inoue Kaoru Monjo [Papers of Inoue Kaoru) (Collection of the Modern Japanese
Political History Materials Room of the National Diet Library) , 255-(2). Letter of
February 22, I882 from Fukuchi Gen'ichiro to Inoue.
I5. I noue Kaoru M o n j o , 2 5 5 - ( 3 ) . Letter of F ebruary 2 6 , I 8 8 2 from Fukuchi
Gen'ichiro to Inoue.
I 6 . Takii, Doitsu kokkagaku to Meiji no kokusei.
I7. " Ryukakusai nikki" [ Ryukakusai diary) , in Ono Azusa zenshu [The complete
works of Ono Azusa) , 6 vols. (Tokyo: Waseda University Press , I 9 8 2 ) , 3 : 388.
I 8 . As recollected by Yos hida M a s aharu in O s atake Takeki , Nihon kensei shi
[ H istory of the Japanese constitutional system) (Tokyo: N ihon Hyoron Sha,
I 9 3 0 ) , 338.
I 9 . Kawakami Rin'itsu, Ho no bunka shakai shi [A sociocultural history of law)
( Kyoto: Mineruba Shabo, I 9 8 9 ) .
20. Osatake, Nihon kensei shi, 338-3 9 .

NOTES
2 1 . Ito den, vol. 2: 271. Letter of Meiji 1 5 . 5 .24 to Matsukata.
22. Ibid. , vol. 2, 314. Letter of M eiji 1 5 . 9 . 6 to Matsukata.
23. Ibid.
24. The following discussion owes much to Ernst Rudolph H uber, Deutsche
Veifassunggeschichte, B d . IV ( S tuttgart, u . a . , 1 9 6 9 ) , 142ff; and Lothar Gall,
Bismarck: der weisse Revolutionar. Translated by Ouchi H irokazu as Bismarck:
Hakushoku no kakumeika [Bismarck, the White Revolutionary] (Tokyo: Sobun
sha, 1 9 8 8 ) , 68off.
25. Ito den, vol. 2: 271-22. Letter of Meij i 1 5 . 5 .24 to Matsukata.
2 6 . "Mosse-shi kogi hikki" [Notes on Mr. Masse' lectures], manuscript in Ito Miyoji
Kankei Monj o [Ito Miyoj i Papers] (Collection of the M odern Japanese Political
H istory M aterials Room of the National Diet Library) ; later published in
Shimizu Shin, Meiji kempo seiteishi (jo) : Doku-0 ni okeru Ito Hirobumi no kempo
chosa [ H i s tory of the establishment of the Meiji Constitution (vol . 1 ) : Ito
Hirobum i ' s constitutional research in G ermany and Austria] (Tokyo : H ara
Shabo, 1971).
27. Inoue Kaoru Monjo, 628-2 9 . Letter of Meij i 1575 from Ito to Inoue Kaoru.
28. H iratsuka Atsushi ed., Ito Hirobumi hiroku [Private Records of Ito H irobumi]
(Tokyo: Shunjusha, 1 9 2 9 ) , 2 9 2 .
2 9 . Inoue Kaoru Monjo, 628-2 9 . Letter of Meij i 1575 from I t o t o Inoue Kaoru.
3 0 . Shimizu, Seiteishi, 3 6 .
3 1 . I t o H irobumi Kankei M o n j o Kenkyukai, e d . , Ito Hirobumi kankei monjo [ I to
Hirobumi papers], 9 vols. (Tokyo: Hanawa Shabo, 1 973-8 1 ) , 7: 218ff.
3 2 . Ito den, vol. 2: 271. Letter of Meiji 1 5 . 5 . 24 to Matsukata.
3 3 Aoki Shuzo jiden [The autobiography of Aoki Shuzo] , ed. and annotated by
Sakane Yoshihisa (Tokyo: H eibonsha, 1970), 234ff.
34 Ibid.
35 Ito den, vol. 2: 282ff. Letter of Meiji 1 5 . 8 . 4 to Yamagata Aritomo, I noue Kaoru,
and Yamada Akiyoshi.
36. "Tai 0 chu kokujo to ni kansuru tsushin bun no an" ( Draft of a communique on
national affairs written in Europe), Ito Hirobumi Kankei Monjo [Ito H irobumi
Papers] (Collection of the Modern Japanese Political H istory Materials Room of
the National Diet Library) , n2.
37 Ito den, vol. 2 : 283- Letter of Meiji 15.8.4 to Yamagata Aritomo, Inoue Kaoru, and
Yamada Akiyoshi.
38. Yoshino S akuzo, " S utain Gunaisuto to I to H irobumi" [ S tein, Gneist, and Ito
H irobumi] , in Yoshino Sakuzo senshu [ S elected works of Yoshino S akuzo] , 1 6
vols. (Tokyo: lwanami Shoten, 1 9 9 5-97; first published 1 9 3 3 ) , vol. n : 342-63 .
3 9 " Hyakusei n o chi wa gakusei o kaisei shite ikkoku n o shiso o itsu n i suru ni
shikazaru gi" ["Why government that will endure for a hundred generations
must reform the educational system and unify the thought of the nation, "] in
Kawakami Atsushi ko "Gakusei kaisei ni tsuki Kawashima Atsushi no kengi oy obi
hon kengi ni tsuki Fukuoka Monbukyo Kuki Ry uichi Kato Hiroyuki to no shuhi

171

172

NOTES
[" Kawakami Atsushi's memorial on reform of the educational system, with anno
tations by Minister of Education Fukuoka, Kuki Ryflichi, Kato H iroyuki, and
others ,"] manuscript in the collection of Tosho Bunko, catalogue no. u o j u .
40. Yoshida in Osatake Takeki, Nihon kensei shi, 338.
4 1 . Shimizu, Seiteishi, 37
42. S ato Takashi, " M eiji shoki ichi gaikokan no kiseki: H omma Kiyoo " [H omma
Kiyoo: the legacy of an early Meiji diplomat] , in Yokohama Kaiko Shiryokan ho,
no. 12 (r985), 67. Letter of Meiji rs . 8 . r o from Ida to Homma Kiyoo.
43 Ito monjo, vol. r : rq. Letter of Meiji 1 5 . 8 . 1 9 from Ida to Ito.
44 Keio University ed., Fukuzawa Yukichi zenshu [Collected works of Fukuzawa
Yukichi] , 24 vols. (Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1 9 5 8-64) , 21: 3 6 8 .
45 Ito den, vol. 2 : 2 9 6-97. Letter o f Meiji rs . 8 . u t o Iwakura Tomomi.
46. Ito den, vol. 2: 3 0 0 . Letter of Meiji 15.8 .27 to Yamada Akiyoshi.
47 Two sets of manuscript notes on the lectures Stein gave to Ito have been pre
served among the Ito Miyoj i Papers in the collection of the Kensei Shiryoshitsu
( M odern J apanese Political H istory M aterials Room of the N ational Diet
Library) . The first is "Junri shakuwa" [Lectures on (legal) principles], and the sec
ond, " Dai hakase Sutein shi kogi hikki" [M anuscript notes on lectures by the
great Doctor Stein] . The latter has been reprinted in Shimizu, Seiteishi, vol. r ,
233ff, and that is the version cited here.
In addition, though not of the same period, there is a set of notes in the Ito
H irobumi Papers , again in the collection of the Kensei Shiryoshitsu, entitled
" S utain shi no kogi hikki" [Manuscript notes on Mr. Stein' s lectures]; and the
Kanagawa Prefectural Kanazawa Bunko has in its collection an archive entitled
" I to Hirobumi Kizo Kempo Shiryo" [Documents on the constitution donated by
Ito Hirobumi] which includes a collection of Stein's lectures entitled " Kempo
oyobi gyosei ho kogi" [ Lectures on the constitution and administrative law] ,
edited and translated by Kawashima Jun, and the English originals upon which
those translations was based, " Inquiries into Constitutions" and " Some Remarks
on the Principles of Administrative Organization. " Moreover, we also have notes
taken on Stei n ' s lectures by the numerous J apanese who made the famous
"Stein pilgrimage. "
48. "Junri Shakuwa. "
4 9 " S upplementary Notes on S tate-S cience , " in Kazuhiro Takii, ed . , Lorenz von
Steins Arbeiten fur japan (Frankfurt a. M . , u.a. 1 9 9 8 ) , S. n sf. The original manu
script of these lecture notes is preserved in the Kanagawa Prefectural Kanazawa
Bunko . My J apanese translation of them has been published as Sutain kokka
gaku nato [Notes on Stein's Staatswissenschaft] , Nihon Kemposhi Sosho [Library
of Japanese Constitutional History] (Tokyo: Shinzansha, 2 0 0 5 ) .
5 0 . Ibid., S . 1 4 3 f.
5 1 . Shimizu, Seiteishi, 353
5 2 . Ibid., 364.
5 3 Ibid., Seiteishi, 365.
54 "Junri Shakuwa. "

NOTES
55 Shimizu, Seiteishi, 4 1 6 .
5 6 . Ito den, vol. 2 : 320. Letter of Meiji 1 5 . 1 0 . 2 2 t o Inoue Kaoru.
57 Hiratsuka Atsushi ed. , Zoku Ito Hirobumi hiroku [Additional private records of
Ito Hirobumi] (Tokyo: Shunjusha, 1930), 46-47.
5s. rbid., 45-4 6 .
5 9 H iratsuka Atsushi, ed. , Ito Hirobumi hiroku [Private records of I t o H irobumi]
(Tokyo: Shunjusha, 1 9 2 9 ) , 307.
6o. Ito den, vol. 2 : 314. Letter of Meiji 1 5 . 9 . 6 to Matsukata.
6 r . Ito den, vol. 2: 3 0 5 . Letter of Meiji 15.8.27 to Yamada Akiyoshi,
62. For Austria under the Ausgleich, see Wilhelm B rauneder, Osterreichische
Veifassunggeschichte, 8.Aufl. , 2001 , S. 154ff.
63. For constitutional government in Austria during this period, in addition to the
aforementioned sources, see Brauneder, Osterreichische Veifassunggeschichte; and
Brauneder " Die Verfassungsentwicklung in bsterreich 1848 bis 1 9 1 8 , " in Die
Habsburgermonarchie 1 848-1 9 1 8 , Bd. V I I (Wien, 2 0 0 0 ) . In addition, Kaneko
Kentaro, who traveled in Europe in 1889 to publicize the Meiji Constitution (see
the concluding chapter of this book) , offers the following observations on con
temporary Austria:
Of the contemporary European empires, the one most likely to experience
political difficulties in the future is Austria. This is easily imaginable when
one sees that at present, because the country includes within its territory
eighteen different languages and a tangle of ethnic groups , all with differ
ing manners and customs, when a law is promulgated, the official govern
ment version is in the German language, while the people are informed of
this in the language of their particular region. Whether or not Austria will
in future be able to further develop its constitutional government and
achieve national unity is a question I hope to investigate at some other
time. ( Kaneko Ken taro, 6bei giin seido torishirabe junkaikii [Record of an
inspection tour of European and American legislative systems] ed. and
annotated by Obuchi Kazunori (Tokyo; Shinzansha Shuppan, 2 0 0 1 ) , 5 3
64. Mark Twain produced a hilarious piece of reportage on the depressing state o f
parliamentary affairs in Austria a t the e n d of the nineteenth century: " S tirring
Times in Austria, " Harper's New Monthly Magazine, March 1 8 9 8 , vol. 9 6 : 5304 0 . It was translated by Nagao Ryuichi as "Austria gikai kembunroku, " Seikei
kenky u, vol. 3T no. 3 (2ooo), 239-85.
6 5 . On Franz Joseph as a ruler, see the classic work by Joseph Redlich, Kaiser Franz
joseph von Osterreich (Berlin, 1 9 2 9 ) ; and Steven Beller, Francis joseph (New York
and London: Addison Wesley Longman, 1 9 9 6 . )
6 6 . Eric W. Streissler a n d M onika Streissler, eds . , Carl Menger's Lectures to Crown
Prince Rudolf of Austria, trans. by M onica S treissler and Davie F. Good
(Aldershot, Hants, England: E . Elgar, 1994), 5 It appears that Stein's sympathies
lay more with Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria, who held more liberal views and
clashed with his father, Franz Joseph. When a tutor was being selected to teach
the crown prince statecraft, S tein recommended one of his own students,
Inama-Sternegg. But the person actually appointed to the post was Carl Menger

173

174

NOTES
( I 840-I 9 2 I ) , famous as one of the founders of modern economics. Rudolf,
under the psychological stres s of his strained relationship with his father,
among other factors, ended his life in a scandalous manner, committing suicide
along with his lover, a young actress, at Mayerling on the outskirts of Vienna.
67. H iratsuka, Ito Hirobumi hiroku, 3 07ff.
6 8 . Shimizu, Seiteishi, 3 6-37.
6 9 . Ritsumeikan Daigaku S aionji Kimmochi Den Hensan I inkai, eds . , Saionji
Kimmochi den [Biography of S aionj i Kimmochi ] , 6 vol s . (Tokyo: Iwanami
S hoten, I 9 9 0 ) , I: 4 1 1 ff; and Iwai Tadakuma, Saionji Kimmochi ( I wanami
Shinsho, 2003), 5 I ff.
70. The "Stein pilgrimage" is discussed in chapter 3 71. Alexander Freiherrn von Siebold, " Personliche Erinnrungen a n den Fursten Ito
H irobumi, " Deutsche Revue, Jg. 35, Bd. 2, I 9 I O , 226ff. This was a remembrance
of Ito published at the time of his death. I understand that there is a pamphlet
containing an English translation of this text, entitled " Personal Reminiscences
of Ito H irobum i , " in the collection of the Siebold Memorial Museum in
Nagasaki.
72. Siebold's diary from this period has been preserved, and from it we have a clear
picture of Ito's movements during his second stay in Berlin. Vera Schmidt,
Alexander von Siebold: Der Tagebucher, A 1866-1 892 (Acta Sieboldiana VII) , I992 ,
Wiesbaden, S 338ff.
73 Ibid. See also a letter from I to to Siebold dated Meiji I 6 . 3 . 2 2 , in Arcadio
Schwade ( H rsg. ) , Briefe aus dem Familienarchiv von Brandenstein: der Kreis urn
Alexander und Heinrich von Siebold (Acta Sieboldiana I V) , Wiesbaden, I 9 9 I , S .
48-49. In that letter Ito acknowledges receipt o f Siebold's English translation of
a lecture by Gneist.
74 For Japan-related documents in the Gneist Papers, see my "Gunaisuto monj o
saiho" [Revisiting the Gneist Papers] in Shosai no mado, no. 480, I 9 9 8 .
75 Schmidt, Alexander von Siebold, 342.
7 6 . Ito den, vol. I : 73 77 This may have been William E. Grigsby, a British national who was the first pro
fessor of law at Tokyo Kaisei Gakko from I 874-7 8 , before it became the
University of Tokyo.
78. Ito den, vol. 2, 3 6 2 . Letter from Ito Miyoji to Ito Hirobumi of M eij i I 6 . 9 .
7 9 I t o H irobumi Paper, " O sha taizaich\1 n o shukan n o ichibu" [ A portion o f the
correspondance during the European tour] , I 2 I .
Chapter Three: Yamagata Aritomo's European Tour

1 . For Ito's role in the reform of national institutions prior to the promulgation of
the Meiji Constitution, see Sakamoto, Ito Hirobumi to Meiji kokka keisei, chapter 4
and following, and my Doitsu kokkagaku to Meiji kokusei, chapter 6 and following.
2. See Nakano Minoru, Kindai Nihon daigaku seido no seiritsu [The formation of the
modern Japanese university system] (Tokyo: Yoshikawa Kobunkan, 2003) .

NOTES
3 - I noue Kowashi Denki Hens an I inkai, Inoue Kowashi den [ Biography of I noue
Kowashi] , 6 vols. (Tokyo: Kokugakuin University Library, 196 9-77) , s: 37 Letter
of Meiji 21.4.20 from Ito to Inoue Kowashi. See also Sakamoto, Ito Hirobumi to
Meiji kokka keisei, 248ff.
4 " S utain-shi kogi bunsho" [Transcripts of Stein's lectures], entry for February 1 5 ,
1887. The original manuscript i s i n the collection of the Archives and Mausolea
Department of the Imperial Household Ministry. A manuscript copy is available
in the Modern J apanese Political History Materials Room of the National Diet
Library. See also H origuchi O s amu, " Komatsu no miya Akihito shinno to
S hutain oyobi Gunaistu kogi" [ P rince Komatsu and the Stein and Gneist
Lectures] in Shory obu kiy o [ P roceedings of the Archives and Mausolea
Department] , no. 54
5 Essential sources on this process include three works by Ito Yukio, Rikken kokka
no kakuritsu to Ito Hirobumi [Ito Hirobumi and the establishment of a constitu
tional state] (Tokyo: Yoshikawa Kobunkan, 1 9 9 9 ) ; Rikken kokka to Nichi-Ro sensa
[The Russo-J apanese War and the constitutional state] (Tokyo: Bokutakusha,
2ooo); and " Kindai Nihon no gikaisei no hatten to rikken kunshusei no keisei''
[The development of the modern Japanese parliamentary system and the forma
tion of a constitutional monarchy] , in Hikaku Hoshi Gakkai, eds., Ho seikatsu to
bummei shi [Legal life and the history of civilization] ( Kyoto: Hikaku Hosei
Kenkyctjo, 2003)
6. Oishi, Nihon kempo shi, chapter 4ff. This i s an outstanding account of the
process by which this body of law-"the constitution in practical terms "-was
conceived and established.
7 This is the language used in the Imperial Rescript on the Promulgation of the
Constitution.
8. Kojima Kazushi, Kempogaku kowa [Lectures on constitutional studies] (Tokyo:
Yuhikaku, 1 9 84) is a splendid introduction to constitutional studies from this
perspective.
9 See Shiyake Masanori, " S eij iteki togo toshite no kempo" [The constitution as
political unifier] , in Sato Koji and Oishi Makoto, Kempa gojunen no tembo [A per
spective on the constitution after fifty years] , 2 vols. (Tokyo: Yuhikaku, 1 9 9 8 ) , r.
Shiyake's discussion is concerned with constitutionalism under the present sys
tem rather than constitutional monarchy, but a certain amount of what he has to
say applies to the Meiji Constitution as well.
10. For the various ceremonies conducted on the day the constitution was promul
gated, see the official bulletins and special editions of the newspapers for February
I I , r 8 8 9 ; I mperial Household Agency, Meiji tenno ki [ Record of the Meiji
Emperor] , 12 vols. (Tokyo: Yuhikaku, 1968-75) . 7. 2o5ff; Sashihara Yasuzo, Meiji
seishi [A political history of the Meiji period] , 3 vols. (Tokyo: Fuzambo Shoten,
1 8 92-93; in Meiji Bunka Kenkyctkai, eds . , Meiji bunka zenshu [Library of Meiji
culture] , 3 0 vols. (Tokyo: Nihon Hyoronsha, 1955-1970 ) , ro: 6ff.
rr.

Ottmar von Mohl, Amjapanischen Hofe (Berlin: D. Reimer, 1904), translated by

Kanamori S eiya as Doitsu kizoku no Meiji ky utei ki [A German nobleman ' s
account o f the Meiji imperial court] (Tokyo: Shin Jimbutsu Orai Sha, 1988), 191.

175

1 2 . Meiji NyU.su Jiten Hens an Iinkai, eds . , Meiji ny asu jiten (Encyclopedia of Meiji
news] (Tokyo: Mainichi Communications , 1 9 83-8 6 ) , 476 .
13. H e is probably referring t o the members of the nobility and t o the chairmen o f
the prefectural assemblies, a s the members o f the Diet had yet t o b e appointed
or elected.
14- Mohl, Doitsu kizoku, 1 9 1-92.
1 5 . Elisabeth Kraus, Albert u. Lina Masse Fast wie mein eigen Vaterland: Briefe aus
Japan 1 886-1889 (Miinchen, 1 9 9 5 ) , 4 1 6 . The source is a letter of February 14 to
her parents from the wife of Albert Mosse, the German legal expert retained by
the Japanese government.
1 6 . See Hayashida Kametaro, Meiji T aisho seikai sokumen shi [Sidelights on the polit
ical world of the Meiji and Taisho periods] (Tokyo: Ozorasha, 1 9 9 1 ; first pub
lished 1 9 2 6 by Dai Nihon Yubenkai) , 201ff; and Oishi Makoto, Nihon kempo shi
no shahen [The margins of J apan's constitutional history] (Tokyo: S eibundo,
1 9 9 5 ) , 244- Quotations in the rest of this section came from these sources.
17. It is tempting to surmise that Ito's haggardness that morning owed itself to a bit
of early celebration in the company of geisha the night before, for which Ito was
notorious.
18. Erwin Baelz, Das Leben eines deutschen Arztes im erwachenden japan (Yokohama:
J apan Times , 1 8 8 3 ) Trans. in Toku Baelz, ed. and Suganuma Ryutaro tran s . ,
Baelz n o nikki [Baelz's diary] , 2 vols. (Tokyo: lwanami Shoten, 1 9 7 9 ) , 1 : 134.
19. Letter of February 1 5 , r889, in the possession of Mr. Barthold Witte.
20. Ibid.
21. lnada, Seiritsu shi, vol.z: 912 ff.
2 2 . Osatake Takeki, Nihon kempo shi taiko [An outline history of the Japanese constitution] , 2 vols. (Tokyo: Munakata Shobo, 1 9 3 9 ) , 2 : 797
23. Ibid. , 796.
24. lnada, Seiritsu shi, vol.z: 9 2 1 .
2 5 . S ee J iirgen H abermas , Strukturwandel der Offentlichkeit ( N euwied, Berlin:
Luchterhand, 1 9 6 5 ) , [The structural transformation of the public sphere] trans.
by H osoya S adao and Yamada M a sayuki as Koky osei no kozo tenkan (Tokyo :
Miraisha, 1994).
2 6 . Sashihara, Meiji seishi, 4 1 .
2 7 . This passage appeared in t h e official l i s t of H ome M inistry promotions and
retirements for 1888 and is reproduced in Mikuriya Takashi, Meiji kokka keisei to
chiho keiei [The formation of the Meiji state and regional management] (Tokyo:
University of Tokyo Press , 1980), 178. With regard to the issues involved in the
concept of the public sphere from the perspective of media studies, I will cite
two works by SatO Takumi as especially helpful: Kingu nojidai: Kokumin taisha
zasshi no koky osei [The King era: Nationalism, mass magazines, and the public
sphere] (Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 2002), and his co-translation with Sat6 Yasuko
of George Masse's T he Nationalization of the Masses as T aisha no kokuminka
(Tokyo: Kashiwa Shobo, 1 9 94) .
It is worth mentioning that George Masse's great-grandfather was Gneist's
student Albert M o s s e , later a legal consultant to the J apanese government,

NOTES
whose name comes up several times in this book. See Sato's translator's note in
T aishu no kokuminka and the following sources: Elisabeth Kraus, Albert u. Lina
Masse Fast wie mein eigen Vaterland (Miinchen, 1 9 9 5 ) , 534; and Elisabeth Kraus,
Die Familie Masse (Miinchen, 1 9 9 9 ) .
28. " Daitoryo oyobi s h o daijin menwa oboegaki" [M emoranda on interviews with
the president and various ministers] in Nakayama Kanrokuro Kankei Monjo
[ N akayama Kankuro papers ] , in the C ollention of the Center for H istorical
Materials on M odern J apanese Law in the Faculty of Law at the University of
Tokyo, 6-r28, "Nijuni-nen ichigatsu muika: Futsukoku gaimu daij in Goblet to
osetsu no taii" [ J anuary 8, r 8 8 9 : Outline of meeting with Foreign M inister
Goblet of France].
29. For the classic interpretation of Yamagata's place in the political history of mod
ern J apan, see Oka Yoshitake, Yamagata Aritomo, in Oka Yoshitake chosakushu
[The writings of Oka Yoshitake], 8 vols. (Tokyo: lwanami Shoten, 1 9 9 3 ; first
published 1958), vol. 5 For a more recent perspective, see Kawada Minoru, Hara
T akashi to Yamagata Aritomo [ H ara Takashi and Yamagata Aritomo] ( Chuo
Koronsha, 1 9 9 8 ) .
3 0 . Tokutomi S oho, Koshaku Yamagata Aritomo den [The biography of Yamagata
Aritomo], 3 vol s . (Tokyo : H ara Shobo, 1 9 6 8 ; rst edition 1 9 3 3 ) , 2: 1 0 27-2 8 .
Accompanying Yamagata on the voyage were Furuichi Kimitake, Arakawa
Kunizo, Terasaki Son, and Nakayama Kanrokuro from the Home Ministry and
Hirasa Korezumi, Nakamura Yujiro, Kosaka Chihiro, and Kako Tsurudo of the
Army Ministry.
3 1 . Mikuriya , Meiji kokka keisei to chiho keiei, r84; and N agai Jun'ichi, "Yamagata
Aritomo to chiho j ichi seido kakuritsu jigyo-M eiji 2 1 -nen no yoko o chushin
ni" [Yamagata Aritomo and the efforts to establish a system of local govern
ment-focusing on his European tour of r888], Shigaku zasshi, vol. r o o , no. 4
( 1 9 9 1 ) , 4-5. Yamagata was in conflict with Inoue Kaoru, Inoue Kowashi, and Ito
H irobumi over a variety of issues , from plans to privatize government-owned
forests and agricultural land to I noue Kaoru' s plan to found a political party
called the Jichito (Self-Government Party) as well as the various proposals being
considered with regard to the restructuring of local government at the prefec
tural level and below. It has been suggested that in the midst of this tumult,
Yamagata decided to temporarily relinquish the reins of leadership and travel to
Europe in order to spend some time observing domestic developments from a
distance.
32. Takii, Doitsu kokkagaku to Meiji kokusei, 134ff.
3 3 H ayashi Tadasu, Nochi wa mukashi no ki nari, 214.
34 An archive of documents (the Nakayama Papers) left by Nakayama Kanrokuro,
who was Yamagata's private secretary and accompanied him on this voyage, has
been preserved at the Center for H istorical Materials on Modern Japanese Law
in the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo. This chapter makes extensive
use of these materials, which provide thorough documentation of the tour.
3 5 S ashihara, Meiji seishi, 4 1 .
3 6 . " j inshin kyodo iken an, " in Inoue Kowashi den, vol. r : 2 5 1 . Quoted in the intro
duction.

1 77

37 Yamamuro Shin'ichi, Hosei kanry o no jidai [The era of the legal bureaucrats]
(Tokyo: Bokutakusha, 1 9 84), 25off; Katada Tsuyoshi, Doitsugaku kyokai to Meiji
hosei [The Association for German Studies and the Meiji legal system] (Tokyo:
Bokutakusha, 1 9 9 9 ) ; and Morikawa Jun, Inoue Kowashi no Doitsuka koso [Inoue
Kowashi ' s ideology of " Germanification"] (Tokyo : Yushodo S huppan, 2 0 0 3 ) .
These sources discuss the process o f the introduction o f German studies and its
significance . I consider this subject in chapter 6 of Doitsu kokkagaku to Meiji
kokusei.
3 8 . " Doitsu kaze fukikitareri" [The German wind is blowing] , Kokumin no tomo, no.
2 (1 887) . See also Yamamuro, Hosei kanry o no jidai, 313.
3 9 Takii, Doitsu kokkagaku to Meiji kokusei.
40. Nakamura Takeshi, Shinsetsu Meiji rikugun shi [A new interpretation of the his
tory of the Meiji army] (Tokyo: Azusa Shobo, 1973), 162ff.
41. Entry for January 17, 1889, in Hara Takashi nikki [Diaries of Hara Takashi] , Hara
Keiichiro, ed., 9 vols. (Tokyo: Fukumura Shuppan, 2ooo; first published 1 9 6 5 ) ,
I : 137
42. Yamagata den, vol. 2 : 1031-33 After his meeting with Goblet, Yamagata wrote
the following in a letter to Matsukata dated January 1 6 , 1889:
Of course prior to my departure I had learned from the both the foreign
minister and the minister of the army of the trouble that had arisen, and
being aware of this, was determined to approach everything cautiously. I
consulted with charge d'affaires Tanaka and took all precautions to ensure
there were no missteps in approaching the meeting. The fact that in spite
of all this the French brought up the change in policy was unpleasant, but
I don't think it would do for us to get our back up in response.
43- Yamagata' s visit to France is explained in precisely this manner in Akiyama
Yoshifuru Taisho Denki Kankokai, eds . , Akiyama Yoshifuru (Akiyama Yoshifuru
Taisho Denki Kankokai, 1 9 3 6 ) , 62 ff.
44 Yamagata den, vol. 2 : 1 0 3 2 . Letter dated January 1 6 , 1 8 8 9 from Yamagata to
Matsukata.
4 5 In the previously cited " Daitoryo oyobi sho daij in menwa oboegaki , " see the
entry " Nijuni-nen ichigatsu nijuichi-nichi: Futsukoku rikugun daij in Freycinet
to osetsu no taii" (January 2 1 , 1 8 8 9 : Outline of meeting with Minister of War
Freycinet of France).
4 6 . Ibid.
46. I noue Kaoru Papers, 63 94- Letter dated February 1 6 , 1889 from Yamagata to
Yoshikawa Akimasa.
48. " Nijuni-nen nigatsu nijuichi-nichi: Futsukoku naikaku gicho ken naimu daij in
Floquet to osetsu no taii" [February 2 1 , 1 8 8 9 : Outline of meeting with prime
minister and interior minister Floquet] in the previously cited " Daitoryo oyobi
sho daijin menwa oboegaki. "
4 9 F o r Boulangism, I have relied upon Jean-Jacques Chevalier, Histoire des institu
tions des regimes politiques de France de 1 789 a 1 958, 9th edition ( Paris, 2 o o o ) ,
386ff; and Shibata Michio, Kabayama Koichi, and Fukui Norihiko, eds . , Furansu
shi [History of France] , 3 vols. (Tokyo: Yamakawa Shuppansha, 1 9 9 6 ) , 3: 13 5ff.

NOTES
s o . I noue Kaoru Papers, 6 3 9-4. Letter dated February r 6 , r 8 8 9 from Yamagata to
Yoshikawa Akimasa.
s r . "Jun'O nisshi" [Daybook of the European Tour] , Nakayama Papers , 6-127.
5 2 . A manuscript of Prince Fushimi's lecture notes is preserved as part of the Ito
M iyoji Papers as " G neist-shi danwa" [Conversations with Gneist] ; Prince
Komatsu's lecture notes are preserved in the Archives and Mausolea Department
of the I mperial Household Agency as "Gneist-shi kogi bunsho" (Transcripts of
Professor Gneist's Lectures) .
5 3 - " Lectures by Prof. Gneist" (4-40-7 ) ; " Lectures by Prof. G neist" (4-4 0 - 8 ) ;
" G unaihito [sic]-shi togi ( H oritsu meirei no kubetsu I Teishitsu narabi n i
koshitsu zaisan) " [Responses from Prof. Gneist ( O n the distinction between
laws and ordinances I On imperial household finance s ) ] ( 6 -3 77 ) ; and
"Gunaihito-shi kogi" [Lectures by Prof. Gneist] . These records of the Gneist lec
tures in the N akayama Papers are supplemented by related materials in the
" Doitsu chosa shorui" [Papers of the German S tudy Tour; 6-rs o], including " Ro
shi to Gu-shi to no romben" [A debate between Roessler and Gneist] and
"Gneist kogi" [Gneist lectures].
54 " Lectures by Prof. Gneist. " This notebook is dated May 355 Ibid. The English phrasing is that of the original notes.
56. "Gunaihito-shi togi. "
5 7 Ibid.
58. "Gunaihito-shi kogi."
5 9 " S utei-shi ikensho" [Opinions of Professor Stein] , Nakayama Papers, 6-137. The
"Jun'O nisshi" contains no mention of a meeting with Stein, so it is possible
that this information was conveyed in writing rather than an interview. On June
r, Yamagata and company left Vienna for Russia.
6o. Kato Yoko , Sensa no Nihon kin-gendai shi [War in M odern and Contemporary
Japanese History] (Kodansha Gendai Shinsho, 2002), 8sff.
6 r . " S utei-shi ikensho. "
62. "Shissei hoshin enzetsu" [Policy address], i n Yamagata Aritomo ikensho [Position
papers of Yamagata Aritomo] , Oyama Azusa, ed. (Hara Shobo, 1 9 6 6 ) , 203.
6 3 . " S utei-shi ikensho. "
6 4 . Oishi, Nihon kempo shi n o shuhen, 172ff; and Giin h o seitei shi n o kenky u [ A his
torical study of the establishment of the Law of the Houses] (Tokyo: Seibundo,
1 9 9 0 ) , 1 07ff.
6 5 . The original document is contained in the Ito Miyoj i Papers . Documents with
essentially the same content may be found in the Inoue Kaoru Papers and in Ito
Hirobumi, ed. , Hisho ruisan: kempo shiryo [Materials on the Constitution] under
the titles "Nihon kempo o sosetsu suru ni kansuru ikensho ippan no rikai" (in
vol. 2) and " Kurumetsuki-shi Nihon kempo shiko ni kansuru ikensho" (in vol.
3). See Oishi, Nihon kempo shi no shuhen, 174.
66. Oishi, Nihon kempo shi no shuhen and Giin ho seitei shi no kenky u.
67. Takii, "Cheko ni nokoru Ito H irobumi no tegami-Buruno ni Kurumetsuki-ke
Monjo o tazunete" [A letter by Ito H irobumi preserved in the Czech Republic-

179

180

NOTES
Visiting the Chlumecky Family Archive in B rno] , parts r and 2, in Shosai no
mado , nos. 475-6 ( 1 9 98 ) .
6 8 . "Ochirii kokkai daiichi fukugicho fuon Kurumetsuki-shi danwa (kokkai un'ei
kankei) " [Conversation with first vice-president von Chlumecky of the Austrian
national assembly (relating to management of the national assembly) ] , in
Nakayama Papers, 6-r36.
6 9 . Yamagata den, 1040.
70. Hara T akashi nikki, vol. r : I 3 9
71. I noue Kaoru Paper s , 6 3 9 - 4 . Letter of February r 6 , r 8 8 9 from Yamagata t o
Yoshikawa Akimasa.
72. Ibid.
73 Nagai, "Yamagata Aritomo to chiho j ichi seido kakuritsu j igyo . " Letter of April
2 2 , r885 from Nomura Yasushi to Yamagata.
74 Yamagata den, vo!. 2: 1033- Letter of January 14, r889 to Matsukata Masatoshi.
75 Yamagata den, vo!. 2 : ro s r . Letter of April s . r889 from Yamagata to Yoshikawa
Akimasa and Tanaka Mitsuaki.
76. Ibid.
77 Yamagata den, vo!. 2 , I033 Letter ofJune 5, r889 to Yamada Akiyoshi, Yamagata
den, vo!. 2: r o6o.
78. Mutsu Munemitsu Kankei M onj o [M utsu Munemitsu Papers] (Collection of
Modern Japanese Political History Materials Room of the National Diet Library,
41-3. Letter of May 12, r889 from Yamagata to Mutsu Munemitsu.
79 " J un'O chu shokan an" [ Draft of a letter from the European tour] . Nakayama
Papers, 6-149.
8o. Ibid.
8r. I noue Kaoru Papers , 6 3 9-3 . Letter of June 2 2 , r 8 9 9 from Yamagata to
Yoshikawa Akimasa.
82. "Jun'O chu shokan an."
83- I noue Kaoru Papers , 576-r. Letter of M arch 2 1 , r 8 8 9 from Yamagata to I noue
Kaoru.
84. I noue Kaoru Papers, 6 3 9 - 3 . Letter of J une 2 2 , r 8 9 9 from Yamagata to
Yoshikawa Akimasa.
8 5 . I noue Kaoru Papers, 576-r. Letter of M arch 21, r889 from Yamagata to I noue
Kaoru.
8 6 . Inoue Kaoru Papers, 639-r. Letter of May 22, r889 from Yamagata to Yoshikawa
Akimasa,
87. Yamagata den, vo!. 2 , 1040.
88. Oka, Yamagata Aritomo, 35
89. I noue Kaoru Papers, 576-r. Letter of M arch 21, r889 from Yamagata to Inoue
Kaoru.
90. Inoue Kaoru Papers, 628-28. Letter of March r8, r889 from Sufu Kohei to Inoue
Kaoru. Prior to Yamagata's letter, Sufu himself had written an appeal to Inoue.

NOTES
Conclusion: The Meiji Constitution Seen from Abroad

1 . Kaneko Kentaro, Kempo seitei t o 6-Bei jin n o hyoron [The establishment o f the con
stitution and the opinion of Europeans and Americans] (Tokyo: Nihon Seinenkan,
1937). 197; and Kaneko Kentaro, Obei giin seido torishirabe junkaiki, 1 9 5 .
2 . T o understand the constitution from this perspective, i t i s also interesting t o con
sider the gala held on April 17, r889, at Johns Hopkins University to celebrate the
promulgation of the Meiji Constitution, two months after that event. Daniel C .
Gilman, president of Johns Hopkins, a n d J apanese ambassador t o the United
States Mutsu Munemitsu attended, and Woodrow Wilson (r85 6-r 9 24) , then a
professor at Wesleyan University, and later president of the United States, sent a
congratulatory letter. At the gathering, Ienaga Tomikichi, then studying political
science at J ohns Hopkins, gave an address entitled "Japan's Preparations for
the Present Constitution." This speech, the doctoral dissertation that Ienaga
submitted to Johns Hopkins entitled "The Constitutional Development of Japan
r853-r88r," and Wilson's letter have all been translated into Japanese as part of an
important work edited and supervised by Ota Masao, Ienaga T omikichi to Meiji
kensei shiron [I enaga Tomikichi and the historiography of the Meiji constitu
tional order] (Tokyo: Shinsensha, 1 9 9 6 ] . In his letter, Wilson notes that the
Meiji Constitution was clearly based on the Prussian model, concluding:
And I think that, considering the state of development in which Japan now
finds herself, the Prussian constitution was an excellent instrument to
copy. Her choice of it as a model is but another proof of the singular sagac
ity, the singular power to see and learn, which is Japan's best constitution
and promise of succe s s . ( Letter from Wilson to Daniel C. Gilman, in
Arthur S . Link, e d . , T he Papers of Woodrow Wilson, vol. 6 [ P rinceton
University Press, 1 9 6 9 ] , 172 .)
3 Kaneko, Obei giin seido torishirabe junkaiki.
4 Ibid., 9 8 .
5 Ibid., 9 9
6 . Ibid., 137.
7 Ibid., 137.
8 . Ibid., 76.
9 Ibid., n 5 .
IO.

Ibid. , n 5 .

II.

Ibid. , 4 8 .

12. Ibid., 107.

1 3 . Ibid., ro414- Ibid. , r o 6 .
1 5 . F o r this aspect of Spencer's thought, s e e Herbert Spencer, Th e Man versus the
State (London, r884) . Like Stein, Spencer was a sociologist who had gained wide
acceptance in Japan. Highly recommended for understanding his reception in
J apan is Yamashita Juichi, Spencer to Nihon kindai [ S pencer and J apanese
modernity] (Tokyo: Ochanomizu Shobo, 1 9 8 3 ) .

181

182

NOTES
1 6 . Kaneko, Obei giin seido torishirabe junkaiki, 177.
17. Ibid., 176.
1 8 . Ibid., 177.
1 9 . Ibid., 178.
20. For the proces s of compiling Commentaries on the Constitution , see Inada,
Seiritsushi, vol. 2 : 859ff.
2 1 . Kaneko, Kempa seitei to 0-Bei jin no hy aron, 3 9 0 .
22.

Letter o f March I , 1889 from Ito t o Stein, in D e r Nachlass Lorenz von Steins in
the collection of the Central State Library of Schleswig-Holstein.

23- Irie Kan'ichi, Yamagata ka no omokage [The face of Prince Yamagata] ( Kaigyosha
Hensanbu, 1 9 3 0 ) , 5 5
2 4 . George Akita a n d I t o Takashi, "Yamagata Aritomo t o ' j inshu kyoso' ron"
[Yamagata Aritomo and the theory of " racial competition"] in Kindai Nihon
Kenkyukai, eds . , Nempa: Kindai Nihon Kenky u 7-Nihon gaiko no kiki ishiki
[Annual report: research on modern Japan 7-Crisis consciousness in Japanese
diplomacy] (Tokyo: Yamakawa Shuppansha, 1 9 8 5 ) , I I I .
2 5 . Yamagata s a w the second Restoration as being the dissolution of the feudal
domains and the establishment of prefectures under the control of the central
government (haihan chiken) in 1871. See the previously cited letter dated June 5 ,
1889 from Yamagata t o Yamada Akiyoshi in Yamagata den, vol. 2 : 1 0 6 1 .
2 6 . The term ishin is drawn from a classical phrase that means "make i t new," so its
standard translation as "restoration" has always been problematic) .
27. Yamagata den, vol.
28. Ibid., vol.

2: no2.

2 9 . Ibid., vol.

2 : uo3 .

2,

1099.

30. A cabinet order promulgated in 1907 restored the earlier position on ministerial
responsibility by requiring that all ordinances issued by ministries other than
military be co-signed by the prime minister.
3 1 . Yamagata den, vol.

2:

1061.

3 2 . F o r Yamagata's role in the framing o f the I mperial Rescript on Education, see

Umetani Noboru, Ky aiku chokugo seiritsu shi [A history of the establshment of
the Imperial Rescript on Education] (Tokyo: Seishi Shuppan, 2 o o o ) .
3 3 For Yamagata and the I mperial Rescript to S oldiers and Sailors , see Umetani
N oboru, Gunjin chokugo seiritsu shi [A history of the establishment of the
I mperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors] (Tokyo: Seishi Shuppan, 2 o o o ] .
34 Kokumin Seishin Bunka Kenkyiij o, eds. , Kyaiku chokugo kampatsu kankei shirya
shu [Collection of materials related to the promulgation of the I mperial Rescript
on Education] , 3 vols. ( Kompanion Shuppan, 1 9 8 5 ) , 2: 453
Afterword

1. SatO Koji, Kempa to sono "monogatari " sei (The constitution and its "narrativity") ,
56.

NOTES
2 . I to Yukio and Kawada M inoru, eds . , Niju seiki Nihon no tenno to kunshusei
[ Emperor and monarchy in twentieth-century J apan] (Tokyo : Yoshikawa
Kobunkan, 2004) .

183

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Professor Kume' s recollections of his ninety years]. 2 vols. Tokyo: Hanawa
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INDEX

A
Academy of the German S tudies
Association, 1 0 9

budget: Gneist decries legislative authority

over, 62-63
Bureau for the Investigation of

Adams, Francis, 20

Constitutional Systems, Ito appointed

administrative law: as foundation of consti

director of, 92

tution, 6 9 ; mission members see as

bureaucracy: system for building, 92-93

beneath dignity to research, 69

administrative reform: Its Vienna memo
on, 78-79
American Revolution, xii, xvii
Americans, hidden ulterior motives of, 20
ancient Rome and Meiji Japan, xv-xvii
Anson, William Reynell. 1 3 3 . 134
Aoki Shuzo, 36. 6 o , 8 5 . 8 6 ; advises Ito to
investigate administrative law, 69
army: shift from French to German
model, no
Atami Conference, 5 3 89
Austro-H ungarian Empire: complex
dual-state structure and vastness
of, 8 1 ; parliament fraught with
difficulties, 8 1
"autocratic constitution," 3 9 40

B
Baelz, Erwin: on public reception of
constitution, 1 0 1 , 103
Bismarck. 4 1 , 42, 46. 83, u s . 134; decries
"disease of factionalism," 6 5 ; German
Empire and imperial constitution and,
64; hails Germany as model for Japan,
43; ideals for parliament abandoned, 8 1 ;
legitimation of Realpolitik, 42-43; on law
of nations, 42; Prussian constitutional
crisis instigated by, 64
Bloch, Maurice, 3 6
Boulanger, Charles, II4
Boulangism, 1 2 6 ; drama of exposes
Yamagata to parliamentary
weakness, II4-II5

c
Cabinet Law: Yamagata seeks revision
of, 141
cabinet system: introduced in Japan, 9 2
capitalism, 45
caretaker government: broken promises
and overhasty reforms , 37; radical initia
tives in domestic and foreign policy, s o ;
shaky foundations of, 5 0
Charter Oath of 1 8 6 8 , 3 6 . 3 8 . 98
China: hegemony of ended, 4
Chinese world order, 4
Chlumecky Family Archive, 122
Chlumecky, Johann Freiherr von, 1 2 1 , 1 3 2
civil war, 5 0
civilization: as virtue of law of nations, 5 ;
brilliant comparative analysis of, 2 7 ; con
flict as principle of, 46; energy expended
on trappings of, 1 3 ; Japan's search for,
xvii; Japanese realize cunning underlay
politesse of. 3 0 ; Kume sees ethos of, 3 5 ;
law o f nations misconceived a s other
name for, 4 6 ; naive imitation of, 1 2 ;
nineteenth-century clash of. xv; reaction
against by incorrigibles (gankoron) , 1 0 ;
sequence of stages of. 3 3 ; tense dynamic
generated by, 1 3 ; unique perspective
on, 1-2
civilization and antiquity, 7
"civilization and enlightenment," program
of, xv, 1 0
civilized nation, 1 0 0
Code Civil of France, xiii

Brandt, M ax von, 20

Coing, H elmut, xiii

British Museum, 3 3 3 4
British-style politics: countered by Prussian
modeL 54

Commentaries on the Constitution, 1 3 1 , 1 3 5 ;

instrumental in garnering acclaim for
constitution, 1 3 6

r88

I N D EX

competition, 43; and conflict 2 9 ; bolstering

national capacity for, 49-50; individual
to social to national, 3 1

constitutional gradualism, 137-138

constitutional history, significant aspect
of, xii

Compromise of 1867, 8 1

constitutional law: German, xi

conservatism, Confucian a n d German

constitutional monarchy: as advocated by

Kido, 40; emperor encouraged to devel

blend of, xi
constititution: as clothing, 1 6-17; as
composition or structure, xiv; as goal
of reform of national institutions,
xvii; as heart of political system, xviii;
as integral to institutionalizing national
ism, 3 2 ; as legal document, xiv; as
national structure, 3 ; as political
proclamation, xiii; as "shapeof the
nation" (kuni no katachi) , xiv, xv, xviii;
as symbol of civilized nation, xviii; at
apex of consistent legal system, 97;
establishment of gains speed, 5 2 ;
insufficient i n and of itself, 9 1 ; Ito
sees as just one element, 7 9 ; its
unifying and symbolic roles , 97;
Kido and Okubo share grand plan
for, 44; Kume and Kido see as
backbone of national unity, 3 8 ;
national survival hinges on state
of, 38; nineteenth century age of,
xvii; proclamations of ideals in
need of supplementary materials,
69; significant as nation's most
fundamental law, 96; signified Japan's
intent to joined "civilized" nations,
97; subtle nuance of word, xiii-xv; sym
bolic domestically and internationally,
97; symbolizes Japan's civilization
and enlightenment, 1 0 0

op into, 94; executive branch and, 7 6 ; Ito

follows own blueprint to establish,
94-9 5 ; pivotal role in for Privy Council,
93
constitutional system: creation of, 47; government by popular will fundamental to,
3 9 : gradual implementation of, so;
Stein's overview exceeds drafting consti

tution, 78
constitutionalism, inaugural era of, xii;
orthodox interpretation of, xii
"cooperative impulse": Kume preaches
necessity of, 31-32

D
democracy and gradualism, 44
despotism, rejection of, xii, xiii
development, laws of, 34
developmental dictatorship, u8-u9
Dicey, Albert Venn, 132
Diet: fraught with difficulties at outset, 9 5 ;
Ito's consistent leadership of, 9 5 ; Ito
devotes thought to restraining, 138
diplomacy, traditional definition of, 3
diversity: of national institutions and politi
cal systems, 37
domestic stability: political priority for
Iwakura Embassy, 50-51

"constitutional charisma," 1 3 7
constitutional government, x i ; administra
tive support for, 9 3 ; as form of civiliza
tion, xvii; Austrian style not affirmed by
Ito, 8 3 ; balance of three organs Stein's
key lesson for Ito, 1 3 8 ; democracy and
gradualism as organizing principles of,
44; Europe deepened Ito's insight into
pitfalls of, 9 5 ; gradualist argument for,
44; Kido's two central pillars of, 40-4 1 ;
Okuma's radical memorial o n , 5 1 ; parlia
mentary system inevitable but with
requirements, 9 5 ; premised on overhaul
of national institutions, 9 1 ; realities of in
Germany, 64-6 5 ; strengthen nation to
support, 49

E
emperor: granted sweeping powers under
constitution, 9 6 ; institutional constraints
on political activity of, 93-94; I to aimed
for limited monarchy of, 9 6-97; Ito
indicates decision-making authority
of. 94
Emperor Franz Joseph 1: as contrast to
Stein's vision, 82; as linchpin of Austro
Hungarian Empire, 82-83 ; Ito strongly
impressed with, 82-83
Emperor Meij i, 3 8 ; Ito takes step to turn
into constitutional monarch, 9 2 ; letter of
credence from, 3

i N DEX

English constitutionalism: Meiji

Constitution and, 133
Equality: study policies for restoring, 5
ethnic conflict: paralyzes Austro
Hungarian parliament, 8r
Eto Shimpei, 4 9 ; driven out of

German Imperial Constitution of 1871

( Bismark Constitution) : universal suf
frage and, 64
German Studies Association, 1 0 9
German thought, institutionalization
of, 1 1 0
Germany: a s model for Japan, x i , 4 1 ; break

government, 50
Eurocentric model, 6
European civilization: "shape of
the nation" and, 6; standards
of, s-6
European law, xiii
executive branch: center stage in Stein's
theory, 76; Ito learns value of from Stein,
83, 92; selected by but autonomous from

down of politics of compromise in, 6 5 :

Japan deepening friendship with, 1 0 9
Gneist Papers : reveal regular correspon
dence with Japan, 8 6-87
Gneist, Rudolf von, 3 6 , Go, 6 5 , 70, 8o, 1 3 2 ;
advocates J apan follow French model i n
local administration, 1 1 9 ; "democratic"
aspect of Yamagata lectures, 1 17; dim
appraisal of )apan, Gr-62; emphasizes
policy implementation through strong

sovereign, 76

F
Fish, H amilton, 20
Floquet, Charles, 114, 1 1 5
Franco- Prussian War of r870-7 1 , 41
Freedom and Popular Rights Movement
(J iyii M inken Undo) , xi, xvii, xviii, 5 0 , 5 1 ,
1 2 7 ; activists freed a s sign o f reconcilia
tion, 104; boosted by Pink Pamphlet

executive power, 1 1 8 ; fundamental rela

tionship with constitution, 1 1 6 ; Ito and
Meiji Japan and, 85-86; Savigny's
thought and, 6r
Goblet, Rene-Marie: Yamagata's surpris
ingly cold meeting with, 108
Goto Shojiro, 85
government: aims and intentions of,
2; B ritish-style system of, 5 1 ; estab

Incident, 1 1 6 ; denigrated by Yamagata,

1 2 8 ; enthusiasm unmatched by govern

lishment of autonomous executive

branch of, 9 2 ; manners and customs

ment leaders , 1 0 6 ; government's deep

of people and, 3 5 ; republican or monar

chical form of, xii
gradualism, 3 3 . 34. 40-4 1 , 5 2 , 138-13 9 ; as

rooted antipathy for, 1 0 5 ; publications

of welcome constitution, 1 0 3 ; see consti
tution as legitimizing, 104; suppression
of, 1 1 6
French civil code, xiii

approach to establishing constitution,

49; in ethos of civilization, 35

French Declaration of the Rights of

Man, xii
French military advisers : dismissal of at
heart of discord with France, r 1 0 - 1 1 1

H abermas, Ji.irgen: "public sphere" con

cept of, 1 0 5

French Revolution, x i i , xvii

H aga Toru, 2 7

Freycinet, Charles Louis de Saulces de, 1 1 3

Hatakeyama Yoshinari [ Sugiura Kozo],

Fuisting, Bernhard, 85

24-25 , 3 6

Fukuchi Gen'ichiro: request to accompany

Ito becomes public, 56-57

H iraga Yoshitada, r o ; Iwakura's favor and

Fukuzawa Yukichi, 28, 35. 51; letter to hints

H irata Tosuke, 8 6 , 87

of Stein's ambitions, 72-73

"Germanification," 109
German civil code, xiii
German constituti on, ix, x, xi

Western table manners , 9

historiography: as national enterprise, 134
Hokkaido Colonization Office: sale of
assets of inflames popular rights move
ment, 5 1 ; sale of assets suspended, 52
H olmes, Oliver Wendell, 1 3 2 ; appraisal of
and advice on constitution, 134-13 5 ;
stresses importance of history, 134

18 9

I N D EX

I
I da Yuzuru: former envoy suggests
legation have Ito meet Stein, 71-72;

Ito H irobumi , xv, xvii, xviii, 1 , 22, 37. 3 9 .

8 6 , 1 0 9 , 131; 1882 mission of, xvii ; advo

cate of "enlightenment, " 3 6 ; alarmed
response to Okuma's memorial, 5 1 ; and

writes Ito about inviting Stein to

intellectuals inside and outside govern

J apan, 72

ment, 8o; angered by Gneist's remarks,

62; argues for delay of parliamentary

lenaga Saburo, xi, xvii

I mperial Household Department, Ito

government and party cabinets, 1 0 6 ; as

appointed minister of, 9 2

I mperial Household Law, 52, 93

antagonist, 17; as equal of former shogu

nal retainers , 17; as lively leader, 17; as
odd man out, 25; as originator of

imperial palace: as venue where

entrenched politics ameliorated, 104
imperial rescript of 188!, 52, 53. 1 0 1 , 109

Iwakura Embassy, 18; attends coronation

of tsar, 88; August Vienna trip improves
mood of, 68; aware that constitution had

I mperial Rescript on Education: Yamagata

and, 142

to be "Japanese," 137; blamed for

embassy's difficulties, 2 1 ; central to

I mperial Rescript to Soldiers and S ailors:

Yamagata and, 142

reform of national political system, 53;

close early relationship with Okuma, 53;
committed to partnership with parlia
ment, 83; competitive atmosphere and

imperial proclamation of April 1875. 50

I mperial University Order, 92-93

I mperial University system: comprising
Imperial University Order and other
regulations, 93
Imperial University, 102
imperial will: Austrian government minis
ters subservient to, 82
individuaL autonomy and self-reliance of,
28. See Fukuzawa Yukichi
industrialization, 45
Inoue Kaoru, 23, 53 78, 1 0 9 , 128, 129;
intense irritation of, s6-s7; on Ito's
mental state, 54
Inoue Kowashi, xi, 56, 59 So, 1 0 0 , 139;
considered author of M e i j i Constitution,
54; date mistake of, 1 0 1 ; drafts Iwakura's

friction surrounding mission of, 56; con

fidence to confront popular rights
activists , 79; confidentiality of mission,
56; connects constitution to administra
tive law, 69-70; correspondence with
Chlumecky, 122; departure of compared
with lwakura Embassy, 5 6 ; designated
central to drafting constitution, s z ; diffi
culty understanding Mosse, 6 6 ; difficul
ty with mission members, 6 6-67;
dismisses intellectual opponents , 79; dis
tinguishes between conflicting positions,
89; distress in Berlin combines dissatis

counter to Okuma's memoriaL 54; expla

faction and discontent, 68; ebullient with

Stein's teachings , 73; entrance to party

nation to by Ito of Privy CounciL 93-94;

provides draft constitution with Iwakura

politics of, 9 s; expert in constitutional

systems, 79; failure in Berlin, 62; faith

memorandum, 54; resourcefulness of,

ful to Stein's teachings, 9 5 ; gains insight

54; submits position paper encouraging

German studies, 1 0 9 ; under Ito's
command, 95
Institutes ofthe Law of Nations, The

into national structure, 79; guards gradu

alism, 139; humiliating failure of, 2 1 ; ini

( Lorimer) : "three concentric zones or

spheres" of humanity, s-6
interest-based politics, Western principle
of, 28
international law, 46
international politics, essential nature of, 3 1
I shii Takahashi, 2 0
ltagaki Taisuke: driven out o f
government, 50

tiates institutional and palace reforms,

92; invokes limited version of Franz
Joseph, 95; laid tracks for first party cabi
net under H ara Takahashi, 95-96; les
son acquired in Europe, 91-92; letters to
Gneist reveal familiarity, 87; limits
emperor's political prerogatives and
gradually implements parliamentary sys
tem, 137; misplaces constitution,
100-101; mission secrecy arouses public
suspicion, 58-59; mock trial of Nagano,

i N DEX

12; no shared understanding of mis

Western civilization and, 8 ; suspends

sion's purpose, 68; notes reconstruct

treaty negotiations, 2r; treaty discussions

Stein's teachings, 74; on Okubo's memo

in Washington and, 19-20; understand

randum, 44; ordered to investigate form

ing of contemporary civilization, 46;

of government, 43; priority on national

Western contact compels reassessment

structure not constitution, 9 5 ; proposal

to regain tariff autonomy and promote

of views , 26
lwakura Tomomi, I, s r , 59 8o, 88, 1 3 9 ;

Japan's industry, 21; rationale for

abandons Japanese dress, 1 4 - 1 5 ; anxiety

European trip and, 55; regains control of

mission through Stein, 84; registers sat

of, 8; death of, 9 1 ; harsh lesson for in

diplomatic reality, 20-21; official govern

isfaction with Kaneko's mission,

136-137; rejects Aoki's advice on use of
mission members, 70; " Rising Sun"
speech, r8-r9, 21; seeks to regain leader

ment instructions and, 8; return to

J apan, 49; traditional court dress of, 6-7
Izumi S aburo, 27

ship of and unique position in constitu

tional process, 5 5 , 70; selected for
constitutional research in Europe, 52;
shares Kido's concerns about Korean
expedition, 52; Shitty Speech of, ro-n;
shock on of Okuma's memorial, 53; side
lined by lwakura and Okuma, 53; small

J
Japanese civilization, major task facing, 28
Japanese legation in Vienna: high regard
for Stein, 71
Japanese spirit, Western learning, r s ,

97-IOO

but elite research team for clandestine

journey of, ss-s6; sole authority in for

Jhering, Rudolf von, 45, 132

" J iyiisho" (Statement of Purpose) , 2, 4, 5 ,

mulating constitution, 9 1 ; sought cooper

ation of government and parliament, 97;
supple policy helps overcome Diet crises ,

Jiyuto ( Liberal Party) , 9 5 , n s

jurisprudence, historical school of, 6 r

46

9 5 ; treated harshly by Gneist, Go; treaty

revision boast of, 20; two points for con
stitutional government, 83-84; unfin
ished letter to Okuma exudes confidence,
88-89; variation on Stein's teachings,

84; Western extravagances of, 1 9

K
Kaeda Nobuyoshi, r2r
Kaiser Wilhelm I , 65, 8o; decries national
assembly and financial control of, 63

Ito M iyoj i, 8 5 , 88, r o o

Kaiser Wilhelm I I , n s

Ito Papers, 88
lwakura Embassy, xvii, I , 4, 5 0 , 5 3 , 5 5 , I07,

Kaneko Kentaro, roo, r o r ; debuts constitu-

126, 139; as fact-finding mission, 3 ; as

tion in West, 131; eminent Westerners'

national pageant, r8; at standstill for four

months, 21; completion of, 49; confi
dence and optimism before dispatch of,
26; decision on attire, 13-14; departure

Kaishinto (Progressive Party) , 103, 1 0 4

impressions recorded in diary of, rp;

European and U.S. study tour of, I J I

Kato Yoko, n 9

Kawashima Atsushi, 8 s ; influences I t o to

of, 98; diplomatic ineptitude of, 2r;

meet Stein, 71; memorial on government

embarrassing display b y , 8-9; focused

on national structure, 32-33; historical

reform learned from Stein, 70-71; select

context of, 6; initial emphasis on law of

ed to Ito's mission, 71
kempi5, definition of, xiv. See also constitu

nations, 46; instructions on civilized

manners and, T itinerary of, r2-r3; sees
logic of Western civilization is power,
r3 8 ; national survival as new mission of,
3 1 ; overestimation of American goodwill,
19-20; overlooks nonreciprocal most
favo red nation clause, 21; scrutiny of

Kiba S adanaga, 6 6 , 67; on Kawashima's

familiarity with Stein, 71
Kido Takayoshi, xviii, I , r3; as budding con
stitutionalist, 3 6 ; built argument for con
stitutional government on gradualism,
1 3 9 ; changed relationship with Ito, 23, 3 5 ;

tion: as legal document

INDEX

distanced self from radical modernizers,

23; distress of, 3 6 ; endorsement of abso

lutist rule, 38, 39. 44; first to return to
Japan, 37; gradualism and, 49; impor
tance for of constitution, 38-3 9 ;
impressed b y Gneist, Go; leads recrimi
nation against Ito, 21-22; linguistic diffi
culties as source of frustration for, 23;
memorandum as political manifesto, 47;

legal systems: formulation of individual,

xiii
legislature: kaiser and Gneist oppose bud
getary control of, 64
local assemblies: Yamagata impressed by
moderation of, 128
Lorimer, James, 6
loyal subjects: Yamagata and, 141-142

memorial on constitutional government,

37. 38; national institutions and, 3 5 ; para

digm shift for, 46; priority on internal
administration, 40; regrets j oining
embassy, 23; revaluates advocacy of
"enlightenment," 24; search for new
guiding principle for Japan, 24; study of
Western civilization and malaise and,
26; Western-style attire of, 6-7
Korea, punitive expedition against, 50. See

also Saigo Takamori

Kosaka Maasaki, xiv
Kume Kunitake, 1 0 , 3 6 , 3 8 , 43; as eyes and
ears of Kido and Okubo, 27;
"autonomous people" and national
strength and, 28; discourse on compara
tive political culture, 27-28; discovery of
role of interest politics, 29; enabling of
individual autonomy and, 29; notes
Okubo's self-criticism in England, 26; 0-

Bei kairan jikki (A true account of a jour

ney of observation through the United
States and Europe) , 27, 28, 2 9 , 3 0 , 3 1 , p ,
3 3 34 35; o n U . S . rail travel, 24; o n

M
Makino Nobutero, 24
Matsukata Matsuyoshi, 107, 1 0 9
Meckel, Klemens Wilhelm Jacob, I I O - I I I
Meiji government, intent of, 3
Meiji Restoration, return to spirit of,

13 9-140
Meiji state, xv, 46; Chlumecky influenced
development of, 121-122; collective body
of laws fundamental to, 9 6 ; constitution
as fundamental legal principle for, 47; in
world historical perspective, xvii-xviii;
overhauled to turn into constitutional
order, 94; positive connection with
Gneist, 87; public sphere formed in, 105;
three study missions of, xvii; two contra
dictory forces shaping, 142-143; Western
civilization and, 6
Miyoshi Taizo, 85; Berlin memo remon
strating with Ito, 67-68; questions Ito's
fixation on Germany, 68

Western dress, 1 6-17; reveals serious

Mohl, Ottmar von: account of Western

style promulgation ceremony, 9 8
Moltke, 41

issues in button incident, I I ; view of "jus

tice" and "society," 29-30

Mori Arinori, assassination of, 100; advo

cate of "enlightenment," 3 6 ; antagonized

Kuroda Kiyotaka, 51, III, II3; of S atsuma

faction, 53; speech rejecting party govern

by advocating radical modernization,

22-23; introduced to Gneist by Ito, 86;
Yamagata's condolences on assassina
tion of, 130

ment, 1 0 6

L
laissez-faire, 135; Yamagata views as
evil, 127
law of nations, 4 49; assimilating "virtue"
demanded by, s; definition of, 2; naive
faith in, 3-5, 42; requirements for appli
cation of as international law, 6; shift
from, 4 6 , 47
Law of the Houses, 1 21 , 122
Lebon, Andre Jean Louis, 133

Mosse, Albert, 6 5 , 70, II7; Ito takes lec

tures seriously, 85; Ito refers to derisively
as "the little monk," 66
Mutsu Munemitsu, 127; notes on limita
tions of sovereign, 75

N
Nagano Keijiro, mock trial of, II-12
Nakamura Takeshi, III
Nakano M inoru, 93

i N D EX

Nakayama Kanrokuro, II7

Napoleonic Wars: repercussions of, xii

nation: defined by legislation, 17; diverse
character of, 33-34; independence tested
by struggle for profit, 45; reassessment
of foundations of, 37
nation building: administrative autonomy
as theme for, 76-77; Japan engages in

Obuchi Kazunori, 1 3 2
Oishi Makato, 1 0 1 , 1 2 1
Okubo Toshimichi, xviii,

r,

1 2 , 22, 24;

advocates constitution on return to

Japan, 43; as "taciturn" and melancholic,
25; as progressive, 44; as silent contrast

program of, xvii; shift in paradigm of

policies for, 49

to talkative Kido, 25; built argument for

national assembly: demand for popularly

elected, s o ; Gneist strongly conservative
about, I I 8 ; hopes for the convening of,
104-1 0 5 ; promise of, 5 2

ism, 1 3 9 ; emphasizes domestic adminis

tration, 44; endorses shared sovereignty,

national independence, naked force t o pre

serve, 43; sphere of interests as essential
to, n9-120
national institutions: avoid hasty imitation
of Western, 3 5 ; different nature as reason
for treaty inequality, s: framework of, p;
Ito takes lead role in reforming, 9 1 ; Ito's
broad vision for reform of, 78-79; Ito's
concept of evolution of, 1 3 9 ; lwakura
Embassy's perspectives on, 27-48; pro
gram for reform of, 3; reform of culmi
nates in promulgation of constitution,
9 6 ; vision for civilized, 3 5
national institutions and political customs:
need to alter and reform, 5
national legal codes , compilation of, xiii
national politics : constitution as symbol of,
s o ; establishing true form of, 49
national power, buildup of, 46
national structure, evolution of, 84
national unification: Bismarck and, 64-65
nationalism, age of, xii, xiii, xvii; in ethos
of civilization, 3 5 ; institutionalization
of, 3 1-32
nation-state, as ultimate form of coopera
tive impulse, 32; constitution a symbol
of, 97; evolution of, xiii; Ito gains clear

constitutional government on gradual

44; eyes opened by Bismarck, 43; gradu

alism and, 49 ; memo to Ito on constitu
tional government, 43; memorandum as
political manifesto, 47; memorial on con
stitutional government, 53: national insti
tutions and, 35; on Prussia and Russia,
41; paradigm shift for, 46; shared Kido's
irritation at linguistic incompetence, 2 6 ;
shocked b y gap between West a n d Japan,
26; study of Western civilization and
malaise and, 26; Western-style attire
of, 6-7
Okuma faction, 5 9
" Okuma plot," 5 2
Okuma Shigenobu, x i , 2 3 , 5 9 , 88-8 9 , 1 0 9 ,
1 3 9 ; and Fukuzawa wing of popular
rights movement, 51-52; disparaged by
Ito, 8o; forced from government, 5 2 ;
KaishintO leader and elected t o cabinet,
104; national assembly and, 5 1 ; shock of
memorial by, 51-52
Ono Asuza: forced from office with
Okuma, 5 9
"Opinions of D r . Stein," n 9
"Opinions on the Diet": Chlumecky posi
tion paper causes "about-face" in J apan,
121
Ordinance on Public Assembly: Yamagata
opposes revision of, 127

definition of from Stein, 78; priority on

Osaka Conference, 53

building political structure of, 47; prod

Ozaki Saburo, 20

uct of Europe, xvii; toward creation of,

46-47
Nishikawa Nagao, 27, 29
Nitobe lnazo, ix, x, xi, xii, xiii, xiv,
nonreciprocal most favored nation clause:
Iwakura and Kido and, 20
norm ative values : constitution significant
in codifying, 97

p
parliamentarianism, 133-134
parliamentary system: B ismarck and,
64- 6 5 ; gap between Japanese and
German perceptions of, 6 5 ; government
open to idea of, s o ; Ito lays groundwork

1 93

1 94

INDEX

for, 9 1 ; Ito sees difficulties of in Europe,

Stein's lectures, 94; visits Gneist with

8 1 , 1 3 8 ; Ito undeterred from despite

Yamagata, 87

warnings , 83; Ito unshaken by German

and Austrian examples , 9 5 ; Japan's first

private interest: as guiding principle of

Western politics, 28-29

in Asai, 9 5 ; necessary for popular partici

pation and political energy, 138; Stein,

Privy Council: as advisory body in event of

Gneist, kaiser see as threat to national

order, 8o; Yamagata apprehensive
of, 1 2 6-127
patriotism and nationalism: arousing and
developing feelings of, 32, 4 0 ; as back
bone of national unity, 83
Peace Preservation Ordinance of 1887, n6
people, guarantees for rights of, xii; Kido
defines rights and duties of, 40; Okubo
and Kido share view on position of, 44;
political and social autonomy of, 40;
unifying political and social energies
of, 49
Pink Pamphlet Incident, n s - n 6 ; Gneist
and, n 6
Political Crisis of 1 8 8 1 , xi, 4 9 , 5 1 , 5 9 ,
8 9 , ro8; ends with purge of Okuma
faction, 52
political enlightenment, promotion and
protection of, 40
political parties: growing power of in
Germany, 64
political system: constitution as framework
for, 44
political thought: as antithesis of East
Asian thinking, 29
politics and economics: Ito connects to
national life, 79; public sphere of, xiii
politics and morality: Western political cul
ture's separation of, 2 9
politics: expansion of personal gain as role
of, 3 1 ; popular participation in, r o s ;
sacred dimension t o Japan's, 7

deadlock, 94; as check on emperor's

intrusion in politics, 94; established with
Ito as first president, 9 3 ; initial role of,
9 3 ; institutionalized sovereign's political
activity, 94; Ito claims as his "completely
new invention," 94
profit: struggle for, 45
progressive constitutionalism, advocacy
of, 43-44
progress, marrow of, 3 6 -37
promulgation ceremony: and popular
imagination, 104; as glimpse of constitu
tion's symbolism, 97-r o o ; clear impres
sion of Western learning on display, 9 9 ;
prefectural assemblymen and, 1 0 4 ; pres
ence of Westerners significant, r o o ;
symbolically moves from ancient to
Western, 98; symbolism of holding in
new palace, 97; unforeseen events
before, roo-101
Prussian [constitutional] theory, xi
Prussian absolutism: Meiji constitutional
order and, 76
Prussian Diet, 64
Prussian model: as obj ect of Ito's
mission, 6o
Prussian-style constitution: Ito's passive
stance toward, 8o
Prussian-style constitutional monarchy:
desired by Japan, 1 0 9
public sphere: inclusiveness of feared, r o 6 ;
tension over creation of, 1 0 5 - 1 0 6 ;
Yamagata seeks t o r i d of public debate
and partisanship, 140

power politics, 2 9
power, balance of, 43
prefectural assemblies : political battle
grounds of popular rights activists, 128
prefectural assemblymen: admonished by
Ito, ros - r o6
Prince Arisugawa Taruhito, 5 1 , 5 3 ; attends
Stein lecture with Ito, 8s
Prince Fushimi: Gneist lecture notes clan
destinely published, n s - n 6 ; visits
Gneist with Yamagata, 87
Prince Komatsu, 86, 87, us; attends

R
Rathgen, Karl: on public reception of
constitution, 101-103
Realpolitik, 42-43, 4 6
rights of people, promotion a n d protection
of, 4 0 ; struggle for as ethical duty to
nation, 45-46
Rikken Seiy11kai (Friends of Constitutional
Government) , 107; party organized by
Ito, 95

INDEX

Roesler, H ermann: doubt cast on by Ito, 8o

ar i n j apan, 72; critical o f British parlia

Roman law, xiii

mentary system, 76; critical of German

bureaucracy's subservience, 76; evolu

s
Saga Rebellion, s o
S aigo Takamori, 4 1 ; driven out of govern
ment, s o ; proposal for punitive expedi

tionary theory of state, 77, 8 3 ; interna

tional relations driven by power politics,
r 2 o ; Ito mission members stay in contact
with, 84-85; lectures Yamagata on inde
pendence in international affairs, 1 2 0 ;

tion against Korea, 37, 40

Saigo Tsugumichi, r o 9

limits sovereign t o organ a n d symbol o f

state, 7 6 ; preached value of historiogra

Saionji Kimmochi, 8 4

phy to eliminate Western prejudice, 134;

S akamoto Kazuto: Ito's "constitutional

charisma, " 8o, 9 1
S asaki Takayuki, 8 - 9 ; decries imitation
of "civilization and enlightenment,"
rs; denunciation of ! to H irobumi and
associates , r6; detestation of Ito, 1 2 ;
disdain for Western dress, 14; irritation
with Ito, 17; on Ito's increased power
through English, 1 9 ; on lwakura's
Western attire, 15
S ato Koj i, xiv
S atsuma faction, 5 3
Satsuma Rebellion of r877, s o
Savigny, Friedrich Carl von, 6 r
separation: of imperial household and
government, 92, 94
"shape of the nation": Kido and Okubo
share vision of, 40-41
Shiba Ryotaro, xiv
Shimbun zasshi (News digest) : " Kido sangi
kichogo no enzetsu" ( Speech by
Councillor Kido upon his return to

rejects despotism by sovereign, 75; rela

tionship with japan and, 73; responsible
for emperor-system ideology, 76; saw
Japan as fertile ground for his theories,
72; teachings and attitude contrast with
Gneist, 84; unenthused with parliamen
tary system, 75; unique, three-element
organic theory of state, 74; visited by
numerous high-ranking japanese, 107
" Stein pilgrimage, " xv, 84, 8 5 , ro7, us, 121
" Struggle for Rights, The" (Jhering) , 45
suffrage, r o s
Sugiura Kozo. See Hatakeyama Yoshinari
superficiality, 36, 37

T
Takahashi H idenao, 2, 3 2 6
Tanaka Akira, 2 7
temperament: differences in japanese gov
ernment leaders, r o 1 ; ethnic difference

japan), 3 8 , 3 9-40
Shimomura Fuj io, 2 0

in Eastern and Western peoples', 3 0

Terashima Munenori: ordered t o investigate form of government, 43

S idgwick, Henry, 1 3 2 , 1 3 3

Tokugawa shogunate, xvii, 85, uo; antifor

S iebold, Alexander Freiherrn von: as aide

eign agitation in last years of, 9; Iwakura

and friend to Ito, 85; relates Ito's confes

Embassy members veterans of fall of, 9 ;

sion in diary, 87-88

national seclusion policy of, 4

Social Darwinism, 88, 134

Tosa Memorial, s o

social evolution: "gradual conservatism"

tradition: continuity of, 34-3 5 ; Kume

key point of Spencer's doctrine of, 1 3 5

decries modernization at expense of, 3 5

sovereign, Stein describes as mediating

traditional virtues: Yamagata extols over

Spencer, H erbert, 88, 132; stresses impor

transcendental cabinet system, r o 6

tance of history, 134, 1 3 5

"stages of civilization," 3 4
Stein, Lorenz von, xv, xvi, 70, 94, 1 3 2 , 137;
advises vigilance over legislative domi
nance, 74-75; answer to Ito's prayers ,
8 o ; characterized as world-famous schol-

treaty revision, xviii, 2 ; postponement o f

for<=i\. in politics, 94

Western civilization, 1 3 0

negotiations o n , 3 ; j apanese and

American interpretations of, 20
tribute system: fundamental to East Asian
order, 4
Tsarist Russia: as model for j apan, 41

195

u
U . S . constitution, x, xiii, xiv
unitary legal code: famous German debate

for future, 125; focuses on local govern

ment and cabinet system, 140; gains
valuable advice on Diet from Chlumecky,

12 3- 124; learns bottom-up structure of

over, 6 r . See also Savigny, Friedrich Carl

national politics from Gneist, u7; learns

von

sphere of interests concept from Stein,

virtue: as ultimate manifestation of politics

and civilization, 2 9 , 3 0

state, 13 9-140; letters reference position

voluntarism: espoused b y Gneist i n lec

tures to Yamagata, u 8

papers from Chlumecky, 122-123; not

unaware of military adviser situation,

w
"war in peacetime," 3 1
Western civilization, i n upheaval, 4 5 ;
Kume grasped essence of, 3 1 ; salient
characteristic of, 28
Western etiquette: Iwakura Embassy mem
bers and, 9
Western governmental structures: Kido
and embassy immersed in study of, 3 6
Western impact: nineteenth century era of,
xv, xvii
Western nations: childlike dependence
On. J
Western political thought: consistent spirit
of, 3 5 ; two major aspects of, 28; unique
ness of, 27-29
Western politics, savage reality of, 46
Western travel: de rigueur for government
officials since Ito's mission, 107
Western-dominated international system:
submit to, 4

120; leaves legacy of constraints on Meiji

u2; overawed by Western civilization,

125; political factors underlie journey,
107; private Gneist lectures highlight
stay in Berlin, u s ; proposes powerful
cabinet, 128; reasons for fact-finding tour
to Europe, r o6-ro7; relieved after meet
ing with French war minister, u3; shares
Gneist's concern about national assem
bly, 127; taken aback by brusque treat
ment, u2; to become It's principal rival.

107; tour of France proceeds smoothly,

u3-u4; views West as negative example,
127; visit to France possibly diplomatic,
uz; Western model not to be followed
without question, 1 2 6
Yamaguchi Hoshun, 6 , 1 4
Yamaguchi M asuka , l
Yamaguchi Naoyoshi, 24
Yamanouchi Susumu, 46
Yamazaki Naotane, 84
Yoshida M asaharu: on Kawashima's anger
at Gneist, 71
Yoshii Tomozane, 41

Western-style suit: and shape of the

nation, 1 6
world system: centered on Europe and
North America, xvii

y
Yamada Akiyoshi, 73
Yamagata Aritomo, xvii, xviii, 5 6 , 8 6 , 1 0 9 ;
acquires lines of sovereignty a n d influ
ence policy from Stein, u9-12o; devel
ops countermeasures for growing
mayhem, 128; drags heels on constitu
tional government, 1 3 9 ; emphasizes
quality of "men," 129-130; European
tour unquestionably for constitutional
research, 124-125; expresses foreboding

Yoshino Sakuzo, 70