Minobe Tatsukichi

Interpreter of Constitutionalism in Japan

Frank O. Miller

• Publisher: University of California Press
• Year: 2023
• Print ISBN:
  9780520366398
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9780520324664
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Japanese History
• Index: History

Minobe Tatsukichi and the Evolution of Japanese Constitutionalism examines the life, work, and enduring impact of Minobe Tatsukichi, a pivotal figure in Japanese constitutional theory. While Minobe is often referenced in Western literature, his contributions have frequently been reduced to his association with the "emperor-organ theory" and his brief, dramatic clash with militarist factions during the 1935 Minobe Affair. This book seeks to expand beyond those limited narratives, exploring the depth and complexity of Minobe's scholarship, his influence on the interpretation of the Meiji Constitution, and his role in shaping modern Japanese political thought. The study provides a detailed analysis of Minobe's constitutional theories, tracing their implications for both prewar and postwar Japan. It situates Minobe as a key player in the evolution of liberal constitutionalism and its tensions with authoritarianism in Japan's modern era. By reevaluating Minobe's ideas in the context of Japan's political transitions—including the post-1945 constitutional reforms—the book sheds light on his lasting relevance. The narrative also addresses Minobe's ambivalent position during the Occupation period, where his opposition to constitutional revision under American oversight marked a complex and often misunderstood chapter in his career. Through a comprehensive review of Minobe's writings, theoretical contributions, and historical impact, the book enriches our understanding of Japanese constitutional development and the intellectual currents that have shaped it. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1965.

Many titles in the Voices Revived program are also newly available as ebooks, offered at a discounted price to support wider access to scholarly work.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• I The Political and Academic Background
• Il Minobe’s Career to 1934
• Ill Minobe’s Constitutional Theory: Methodology and General Theory of Law and the State
• IV Minobe’s Constitutional Theory: Interpretation of the Imperial Constitution
• V Minobe’s Constitutional Theory: An Interpretation of Meiji Constitutionalism
• VI Constitutional Government in Crisis
• VII The Minobe Affair
• VIII Postscript: Minobe and the New Constitution
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index