Three provisions in Japan's new constitution?

History · Middle School · Mon Jan 18 2021

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Japan's post-World War II constitution, also known as the "Constitution of Japan" or the "Postwar Constitution," was officially promulgated on November 3, 1946, and came into effect on May 3, 1947. Three key provisions of Japan's new constitution include:

1. Renunciation of War: Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution is particularly famous as it contains a clause renouncing war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes. It also prohibits Japan from maintaining an army, navy, or air force. Therefore, Japan's military forces are strictly for self-defense.

2. Sovereignty of the People: This new constitution shifted the sovereignty from the Emperor to the Japanese people. Under the prewar constitution, the Emperor was sovereign; the new constitution, in Article 1, defines the Emperor as "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people," with no governing powers, and that governmental power comes from the people.

3. Fundamental Human Rights: The constitution also enshrines respect for fundamental human rights. It includes various civil liberties such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of association, and freedom from discrimination, among others. Those rights are primarily outlined in Articles 10 to 40

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