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Japan Imperial Institution: Discourse and Reality of Political and Social Ideology

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Volume 3, Issue 10, October– 2018 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology ISSN No:-2456-2165 Japan Imperial Institution: Discourse and Reality of Political and Social Ideology Reihani Suci Budi Utami I Ketut Surajaya Under graduate student Japanese Studies Program Professor of History, Department of History, Faculty of Humanities University Indonesia, Depok 16424, Japanese Studies Program Faculty of Humanities University Indonesia Indonesia, Depok 16424, Indonesia Abstract:- This study discussed the position and role of state slogan Fukoku Kyouhei(Strong Military Rich State) the Emperor based on two Constitutions that have been proclaimed by Meiji government. and are in force in Japan, namely the Meiji Constitution and the 1947 Constitution. The focus of this study was to The Japan State Constitution, passed in 1946 and describe Articles governing the position and role of the implemented in 1947, was compiled during the American Emperor in Japanese government are implemented. The Occupation under General Douglas MacArthur. Democracy study found that articles governing the position of and peace were the ideological foundation of the 1947 Emperor in the Meiji Constitution were not properly Constitution. The Imperial Institution was separated from implemented due to military domination in the the State institutions that run the Government. The position government. Emperor Hirohito in reality did not have of the Emperor as symbol of State union shall not interfere full power in carrying out his functions according to the in administration affairs of the Government. institution. Articles governing the position and function of the Emperor in the 1947 Constitution are proper. In the Meiji Constitution, the Emperor was a Head of Emperor Hirohito, who was later replaced by Prince State who had wide prerogative rights. The system of Akihito, carried out his position as a symbol of state government was based on the kokutai ideology (literally unity by carrying out his ceremonial duties. Political meaning: national structure or national polity), where ideology was very strong in the Meiji Constitution, while Imperial Institution was the embodiment of the state itself social ideology flows under the 1947 constitution. and its existence was considered sacred. In the validity Emperor Akihito's throne, which will be replaced by period of the Meiji Constitution, the Emperor was the Crown Prince Naruhito in April 2019, does not seem to supreme ruler of the country, which was also the largest have an effect on the implementation of the 1947 political force in the country. In other words, the basis of the Constitution based on social ideology. Meiji constitution's ideology was the kokutai political ideology that was implemented by means of general public Keywords:- Emperor; position and role; meiji constitution; mobilization. hirohito; akihito; kokutai. In the Showa era, five years after Emperor Hirohito I. INTRODUCTION ascended the throne, Japan was again involved in a great war. It was started in 1931 Manchurian Incident and led to Japan, in 1890, had a modern Constitution under an the 1941 Pacific War where there was a ‘deviation’ of absolute monarchy known as the Meiji Constitution. This constitutional monarchy2. This was marked by the birth of constitution took effect during the Meiji reign, between the National General Mobilization Act during the reign of 1889 and 1946, before the new Constitution was applied Prime Minister Konoe Fumimaro. The purpose of this until now. The Meiji Constitution was designed based on the general mobilization was to raise large funds to finance the research conducted by ItōHirobumi who was appointed to war. This law gave great power to the government to examine formula of European constitution which at that mobilize all state and nation forces in wartime or in an time were considered modern. ItōHirobumi, in Europe, emergency without going through the approval of the studied the Constitutional theories of Rudolf von Gneist Parliament or the Emperor. This certainly drew sharp (Germany 1816-1895), Lorenz von Stein (Austria, 1815- criticism from civilian politicians, even though finally the 1890) and Karl Friedrik Herman Roesler (Germany, 1834- Law was accepted because of pressure from military faction. 1894).Based on the results of ItōHirobumi's research, it was decided that the Japan’s Constitution should use Prussian At that time, military had special privileges and constitution model. The Meiji Constitution was drafted by a approved by the Emperor. Military affairs were Constitutional Formation Committee consisted of Inoue monopolized by military groups and could not be monitored Kowashi, Kaneko Kentarō, ItōMyōji, Iwakura Tomomi and by the cabinet due to the rights of IakuJōsō used by the Carl Friedrich Herman Roesler, an adviser from German military3. In addition, the military also intervened too much who was specifically invited to Japan 1 . The Meiji Constitution was the basis for the implementation of the 2 Ishii, Ryosuke, Sejarah Institusi Politik Jepang, Jakarta: PT. Gramedia, 1988, hal. 164 1 I KetutSurajaya, PergerakanDemokrasi Jepang, (Jakarta: 3 I KetutSurajaya, Demokrat Yoshino PT KaryaUnipress), 1984, pp. 137-138 SakuzōPenentanggigihmilierisme, anarxisme dan IJISRT18OC63 www.ijisrt.com 53 Volume 3, Issue 10, October– 2018 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology ISSN No:-2456-2165 in the field of Japanese foreign policy until Japan was ideology in Meiji constitution and 1946 Constitution were involved in World War II. After the defeat of Japan in the very different even though it cannot be separated from the Pacific War, a new constitution was adopted and entered same traditional culture, but with a different political into force in 1947 until now. ideology. In the 1946 Constitution, all prerogatives held by the IV. LITERATURE REVIEW Emperor in the Meiji Constitution were abolished and the Emperor was declared a symbol of the state and united Herbert P. Bix in his book Hirohito and The Making of Japanese people. The Emperor was permitted to do certain Modern Japan (2001) described Hirohito's life as a Japanese things related to the protocol of 'state affairs', but not Emperor in a tumultuous era. Emperor Hirohito lived in two allowed to interfere in political and governmental affairs. In very different times, the war time and the peacetime. other words, the existence of the Emperor was shifted from Hirohito made his grandfather, the Meiji Emperor a role the realm of political ideology to socio-cultural ideology in model, a wise and gentle Emperor, but at the same time was Japanese society4. a straightforward person in the field of military and diplomacy. Bix also explained that Japan’s cabinet at that II. DEFINITION OF PROBLEM time was divided into two factions, the military and civilian factions. There was an imbalance in which the military had The problems discussed in this study are: the position, the right to intervene state politics and the Prime Minister role and integrity of Imperial institution based on political can only control the military through the Emperor or and social ideology according to the two Japanese Military Minister. The military was divided into two constitutions, the Meiji Constitution and the 1946 factions, Japanese people who became troops under direct Constitution, as well as various political and social command by the Emperor and the faction that held the dynamics in the implementation of the two constitutions. principles of military as an independent organization that is not controlled by the government. III. CONCEPT AND METHOD In December 1926, at the age of 25, Prince Hirohito This study used qualitative methods that emphasized was appointed as 124th Japan’s Emperor. In carrying out his the depth of information. Bogdan and Biklen (1982) stated imperial duties, he was assisted by 'imperial group' which that, qualitative research was descriptive, data collected in initially consisted of Naidaijin 5 Makino, Jijū 6 Chinda, form of words or narratives and pictures, analyzing data Minister of Imperial Home Affairs, Ichiki, Jijū- inductively, and 'meaning' was important in a qualitative bukan 7 General Nara, and three main secretaries. As the approach. Data collection techniques used literature study. inner circle of government close to the Emperor, the group Data was taken from sources in form of books, journals, gave influence and guided the Emperor in the government. previous research reports and online media. Bix described Hirohito as a less assertive leader, Historical approach with heuristic procedures was because despite knowing that there was a conflict between implemented in finding primary and secondary sources, as the Army and Navy, the Emperor ignored the problems well as verification to examine whether the sources were within the two institutions. There was also discontent from valid or invalid. Interpretation of valid sources was done to the right wing, which argued that the imperial group was too determine the meaning and correlation of facts that have meddling so that the Emperor's will seemed 'directed' by been verified. Furthermore, the results of synthesis writing Makino, Saionji, and other court circles. were obtained in form of historical stories. In 1931, the political conflict between the military and Conceptually, the country's political ideologies were the government of RikkenMinseitō (Constitutional ideas, thoughts, visions and spirit of the state that were Democratic Party) led by WakatsukiReijirōbegan
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