1889 · Constitutions
Meiji Constitution
Japan
The constitution of the Empire of Japan, given by the Emperor, with an elected lower house of the Diet but strong powers kept by the Emperor.
Why it matters
It was the first modern constitution in Asia. It was written after Japanese officials studied the constitutions of Prussia and other European states, and it was replaced by the constitution of 1947.
Built on
No earlier text on this timeline is a documented model for it.
Went on to shape
No later text on this timeline is recorded as built on it.
Countries in the Legal Families Atlas
TheLawToKnow Tools’s timeline lists links of influence only where the borrowing is widely documented. Historians sometimes disagree about how much one text shaped another. It is an educational overview, not legal advice.
