The annotated constitution of Japan : a handbook

The Annotated Constitution of Japan: A Handbook for the first time makes the entirety of Japan’s constitution accessible in English. The book consists of a historical and contextual overview of how the constitution came into being, followed by descriptions of each of its 103 articles; the meaning of the text, interpretive disputes, academic theories and leading cases arising under them. The book also points out the many subtle distinctions between the English version and the Japanese, some of which arose from the charter’s unique provenance. With contributors representing a broad range of expertise in various areas of Japanese law, the book is written to appeal to academics, students and general readers alike. It is intended to be the first port of call for anyone needing to understand the fundamentals of Japanese constitutional law, whether from the perspective of Japanese studies, comparative law, or political science, but unable to access the text and related literature available in Japanese. Key reference documents in English and Japanese are included as appendices for ease of reference. Table of Contents Contributors Preface Acknowledgements Introduction: Historical Overview 1 The Preamble Chapter I: The Emperor (Articles 1–8) 2 Chapter II: Renunciation of War (Article 9) 3 Chapter III: Rights and Duties of the People (Articles 10–40) 4 Chapter IV: The Diet (Articles 41–64) 5 Chapter V: The Cabinet (Articles 65–75) 6 Chapter VI: The Judiciary (Articles 76–82) 7 Chapter VII: Finance (Articles 83–91) 8 Chapter VIII: Local Self Government (Articles 92–95) 9 Chapter IX: Amendments (Article 96) 10 Chapter X: Supreme Law (Articles 97–99) 11 Chapter XI: Supplementary Provisions (Articles 100–103) Appendix 1: Constitution of the Empire of Japan (Japanese) Appendix 2: Constitution of the Empire of Japan (English translation) Appendix 3: The Potsdam Declaration Appendix 4: Instrument of Surrender Appendix 5: The “MacArthur Notes” Appendix 6: The GHQ Draft Appendix 7: The Constitution of Japan (Japanese) Appendix 8: The Treaty of San Francisco Bibliography Index Index of Articles of the Constitution of Japan