The 1889 Constitution of the Empire of Japan, also known as the Meiji Constitution, was

granted by the emperor to share his authority and grant rights and liberties to his subjects. It
established the Imperial Diet, consisting of the House of Representatives and the House of
Peers. The House of Representatives was elected by a limited number of male citizens who
paid a specific amount in national taxes, while the House of Peers was made up of nobility
and imperial appointees. Additionally, the constitution allowed for the creation of a Cabinet
made up of ministers directly accountable to the emperor and separate from the legislature.
The Diet had the power to approve government legislation, propose laws, communicate with
the government, and present petitions to the emperor.
Despite these changes, ultimate sovereignty remained with the emperor due to his divine
lineage. The constitution maintained an authoritarian form of government, with the
emperor as the supreme authority and only minor concessions to popular rights and
parliamentary procedures. Political parties were acknowledged as part of the political
system. The Meiji Constitution was intended to be the foundational law until 1947, when
Japan's current constitution replaced it.
The first national election took place in 1890, resulting in the election of 300 members to the
lower house. Initially, only males over the age of twenty-five who paid a minimum income
tax of fifteen yen were eligible to vote. However, this qualification was later lowered in 1900
and 1919, eventually leading to universal male suffrage being granted in 1925 after extensive
debate. Women, on the other hand, did not gain the right to vote until after World War II,
following the introduction of a new constitution.
Leading up to the election, the Jiyūtō and Kaishintō parties were revived and managed to
secure more than half of the seats. This resulted in the House of Representatives becoming a
battleground for conflicts between politicians and the government bureaucracy on
significant issues such as the budget, the interpretation of the Diet's authority as outlined in
the constitution, and the differing views on whether the Diet should represent the "will of
the emperor" or if the cabinet and administration should hold ultimate power over
conflicting political forces. The Diet's primary leverage lay in its ability to approve or reject
the budget, a power it effectively exercised moving forward.
During the period of political struggles in Japan from 1890 to 1912, there were significant
shifts in power dynamics and governance structures. There was a transition towards greater
involvement of political parties in the Diet and cabinet operations. While the Meiji oligarchy-
maintained control, there was a gradual transfer of power to opposition parties. Key figures
such as Yamagata Aritomo and Itō Hirobumi played pivotal roles in shaping the political
landscape. The formation of the Kenseitō cabinet under Ōkuma and Itagaki represented a
significant milestone in the opposition parties' struggle for influence. Despite internal
divisions and short-lived successes, the political landscape continued to evolve, with
Yamagata eventually returning as prime minister and implementing electoral reforms to
consolidate his power. The use of imperial ordinances to limit party participation highlighted
the ongoing challenges in achieving a fully democratic system.