Japan, Constitution of

Japan, Constitution of (3 May 1947) Japan's fundamental law, also known as the ‘Peace Constitution’, was imposed on a reluctant domestic political establishment by the American occupation authorities after World War II. Despite such beginnings, it proved to be a remarkably durable institution which came to enjoy widespread support in Japan. It replaced the Meiji Constitution and instituted fundamental changes in the state and gave new rights to the people. These included the transfer of sovereignty from the Emperor to the people (preamble and Article 1), the concentration of executive power in the Prime Minister and his Cabinet (Articles 65, 66, 72–4), and the supremacy of the lower house of the legislature (Articles 67–71). It extensively guarantees human rights including economic, social, and religious freedoms. Article 9 of the constitution is perhaps the most famous and contentious, committing Japan to the renunciation of war and belligerency and renouncing the use of force to settle international disputes.