• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
latest


Dear Lord Date, Chancellor of the Realm and Supreme Commander of the Imperial Forces,

With the fall of the Banfuku and the death of the Shogun, we see the end of an era of Japan and the beginning of a new. However, even as the leaves of Edo change colour, we find ourselves in Niigata blowing to a different wind. The last Roju Council member, Lord Ota, is dead. The Chubu region is without any leadership whatsoever. I ask that I may be put in charge of the region once again as I have a great deal of experience leading it. To leave a region leaderless is to leave a city quarter without order, from which anarchy can start and spread throughout the rest of the parts of the city with far more difficulty then originally needed.

I hope you will do what you feel is correct,

Humbly,

Lord Uesugi
 
I humbly accept my appointment as interim governor of Hyogo Prefecture.
On an unrelated topic, I also recommend that we rename the city of Edo to "Tokyo," as the old name is too reminiscent of the days of the Shogunate and pre-Restoration.

~Sakamoto Naotari, Minister of the Right
 
8d84de2bb17c8a210796e4ae19cc4401.png

Should Lord Uesugi affirm that as head of the Chubu Region, he shall endeavour to establish prefectures throughout the entirety of the area, and maintain a full commitment to the reforms and advances made by this government, his governance of such a position is acceptable to Daijo-Kan.

I am by no means opposed to renaming Edo to Tokyo; however, such a change of name implies that Tokyo shall be made our capital, and whilst I am again not opposed to such a change, I believe that would be best up for the entire Daijo-Kan to deliberate and rule upon.

~ Lord Date Munenari, Chancellor of the Realm and Supreme Commander of the Imperial Forces
 
8d84de2bb17c8a210796e4ae19cc4401.png


Incorporation of the Feudal Armies into the Imperial Army
Due to the needs of the Imperial Army to effectively combat anti-Imperial forces, to ensure the sovereignty and sanctity of the Emperor’s authority, and to effectively bring about the centrality of the government of the armed forces, it is deemed necessary that the various armies of the daimyo can and must be incorporated into the Imperial Army. These forces are to be spread out amongst the various corps within the two General Armies, so as to ensure local loyalties are instead replaced by national fervour and absolute trust in the Emperor.

~ Lord Date Munenari, Chancellor of the Realm and Supreme Commander of the Imperial Forces


Incentives to be placed upon Voluntary Cession of Daimyo Lands

Due to the continuing pace of bureaucratic and administrative reforms, it is deemed necessary to fully impart certain guarantees to the daimyo of the realm to ensure their cooperation and speedy acceptance of the new order. It is therefore deemed wise and profitable to make assurances that the daimyo of any province shall be named governor of the main prefecture of said province; any other prefectures formed shall be governed by his sons, kinsmen, hangers-on, as determined by particular negotiation not fit for discussion in this tract.

~ Lord Date Munenari, Chancellor of the Realm and Supreme Commander of the Imperial Forces
 
I do not particularly see the need to give up my rights as Daimyo so I can be lowered to whatever this "governor" position is. The title reeks of Nanban ideology and implies that our ties to our land be severed and determined by some unknown electoral process in the future. While I greatly respect the Emperor, and if this is indeed his choice I will go through with it, I still wish to know more about what I will be committing to first.

- Daimyo Ito Katashi of Miyazaki

((I'm assuming by the title "governor" that control of each prefecture will be determined in an election now. Does that mean we lose control of our lands? Obviously as the nobility of Nippon we need reassurance that we are not being stripped of our titles and power. I just want more clarification on what exactly is changing here.))
 
Date's Transitory Government (May 1861 - January 1864): Stability No Matter the Cost!

Date Munenari was appointed Chancellor of the Realm by Emperor Meiji, and was instructed to provide stability and order for a nation that has just reeled from a civil war. Meiji needed his Supreme Commander to lead the nation until the preparations for the Constitutional Convention were made, and the esteemed members of the realm could make their way to Kyoto for the event. Date Munenari would basically put the realm under military rule for the duration of the transition period. Order would be kept by his new envisioned military force.

That turned out to be the Imperial Army. The Imperial Army was made up of Imperial soldiers, former Daimyo troops, and from Shogunate forces. The idea behind the Imperial Army was to make a standing army, one that did not serve an individual Daimyo, but only the Emperor, and the Emperor only. Date would recruit thousands of soldiers during this time as he took the old armies of the Daimyo and organized them into various Corps. Each one was stationed at a key point in Japan, and their job was to enforce the will of the Emperor, and route out any and all forces that still were loyal to the Shogun. This new army would be equipped with the best weapons, including new cannons ordered in from the United States. These cannons would be the first modern artillery to be used by the Japanese in their attempt to modernize the army. It would work out well, and soon the army was organized into a well-effective fighting machine. The leader of this first army would be Prince Kuni Asahiko, the adopted son of Meiji's grandfather, Emperor Ninko. He would be granted the title of Marshall, and would be in charge of over 150,000 men, the largest combined force Japan had ever seen.

4U1IZKk.jpg

(A picture of the new Imperial Army)

Weaken the Daimyo militarily was only the first step in Date's ultimate plan in eliminating the Daimyo from the political scene, and abolishing the Han System. He would begin organizing land into prefectures. Starting with Kyoto and Edo, Date would soon make Kobe a prefecture, then begin making large cities around Kyoto and Edo prefectures. He also abolished all regional titles in Japan, a title once considered worthy of only Roju members. He replaced them with governors. The first governor to be appointed would be Uesugi Narinori, who would be appointed as Governor of Chubu. Daimyo began to slowly loose power, and Date used legal methods and the judicial system to force his way. Soon, Daimyo and Samurai were all but obsolete. The Satake family though opposed these measures, and decided to stand against these dissolution. Date responded by having an entire Corp of 24,000 men stationed near Akita.

This would not be the only time Date would use the Imperial Army to force stability. He would also put down a Samurai protest in the streets of Edo. The Samurai were openly protesting with their swords and stood firm to tradition. The Imperial Army was sent in to stop them. The Samurai could not protest legally under this new transitory government, and yet they kept marching. A swordsmen though made the fatal mistake of killing two Imperial guardsmen, provoking the Imperial Army to crack down on the protest. Japanese civilians across the country were outraged by this, yet they could not do anything against the might of this new army.

7VueRCG.jpg

(Imperial Forces barreling down on Protestors)
Date also wanted technological advances before the convention was held. He invested heavily into the navy, for his experiences with his navy proved invaluable to the Imperial victory during the Boshin War. He wanted to expand the navy, and introduced a new class of ship, the steamer. Steamers were introduced as common transportation and were used to transport goods between Japan and her Asiatic friends. He also developed better naval doctrine, adopting the "Battleship Colum" doctrine. Last, Lord Date invested into better railroads. His dream was to unite Edo and Kyoto by rail, and decided to research the use of industry to get his goal done. By the end of the transitory period, a line was being built between Edo and Kyoto.

This concluded the transitory period. Order was established after chaos. Now that there was order, the Constitution could be hammered out, and a new, official, government could be established. In January of 1864, esteemed members of Japan would meet in Kyoto to begin debating this document. What would be the fruits of their labors?

--------------------------------
Player Actions Needed: The Constitutional Convention of 1864 has begun! We start in Stage I. Feel free to post your rules and guidelines, as well as anything that deserves to be apart of every constitution that will be drafted. You have until Saturday at 9:00 PM EST or Sunday at 1:00 AM GMT to get all your rules submitted to be voted upon.
 
Ichiro was exhausted. He and his men had just returned from hunting down some bandits per the orders of Prince Gung.

It was demeaning work for a former daimyo and it did not cloak one in glory but it paid well. Besides, what else was there to do? At least they did not use nanban rifles which Ichiro was forced to adopt during the Boshin War.

Every few months he would receive reports from his homeland. He laughed as he read some of the complaints from the (now ex-) daimyos about the loss of their land and titles. Those fools! What did they expect? He hoped they would rue the day they ever sided with nanban-lovers.

It was time to return to Hanseong to see what the regent wanted next. Probably eliminating some vagrants or something like that.

((Matsui Ichiro is in exile and I am adopting a military focus))
 
Last edited:
((Private: Riccardo93))
Chancellor Date,
It is with great interest that I write to you. It has come to my attention that over the past few years you have requested that the Daimyo of our fair land give up their titles so that a new system of prefectures can be instituted. I do not like this system for it has the stench of Nanban all over it, despite this I have decided that there is no profit in any noble title. I have therefore deliberated that my title, that of Lord Fureno-Shizuoka, be destroyed and a Prefecture created. I do however like the respect that is given to me as a Lord and would very much like if I could be granted one, even if it comes without any land.
Lord Hajamoto of Fureno-Shizuoka
 
Satake Yoshizane stood up before the convention. He was slightly tired from the trip down to Kyoto- it had been a long time since a member of the Satake Clan had made his presence known in the Imperial capital. He spoke firmly.

"We are at a great crossroads. One path leads to the foreign way of life- the other is the straight path. Regardless of the path we ultimately choose, I believe it is highly important that we appoint an official secretary within the convention, so as to ensure that all key components of this document are firmly addressed, and that our actions are organized beyond hectic shouts for key components of this constitution." He paused momentarily. "With that in mind, I do believe that we have certain obligations and duties to address, so I would like to formally enter a collection of key guidelines, which I assembled en route to this city."

  1. The Capital of Japan shall be Kyoto.
  2. Japan will retain its traditional system of nobility.
  3. Slavery will be illegal within Japan.
  4. The yakuza and all similar organizations shall be illegal. ((Trade Unions Outlawed))
  5. The Han System will be retained, with daimyo retaining their traditional fiefdoms.
  6. A national military bureau will be formed, with mandatory service for all fit Japanese young men between the ages of 16 and 21.
  7. The flag of the Empire of Japan will be the same as the Imperial Standard. (16 petal chrysanthemum, colored in gold, centered on a red background)
  8. Voting will be restricted to members of Samurai clans.
  9. Shinto will be the state religion of Japan.
  10. Local administrators will have the power to manage local laws.
  11. Local administrators will have the power to decide the local policy on foreigners.
 
With others at the convention already suggesting guidelines for writing a constitution, Sakamoto and his son stood up from their side of the table.

My son Ryoma has propsed that we adopt a form of government similar to that プロイセン (Puroisen), which is a gaijin kingdom but a militaristic society like our own. In this way I hope that we can preserve elements of our traditional culture while also building a state that can stand up to the gaijin.

I suggest the following terms for the constituion:

1. The Imperial Capital shall be either Kyoto or Edo, determined in a vote among us. Should Edo become the new Imperial capital, it shall be renamed "Tokyo."
2. Slavery shall become illegal within the Empire's borders.
3. Traditional fiefdoms shall be gradually replaced with a new prefecture system that the Honorable Lord Date suggested.
4. Shinto shall become the official state religion, but other religions will be tolerated as long as they do not result in civil unrest (preachers calling for rebellion against the Emperor, etc.).
5. A sizeable amount of the budget shall be spent on educating the youth of the nation in topics such as science, mathematics, technology, and foreign languages (emphasis on German and English).((Good education system)).
6. Voting shall be extended to all of those whose annual incomes are above a certain amount. ((Wealthy Voting))
7. ((Form of government shall be Prussian Constitutionalism, if possible))

~Sakamoto Naotari, Minister of the Right
 
Honorable sirs,
I implore your patience with a proposed scheme to solve the political crisis revolving around the dissolution of the feudal domains and to preserve the unique status earned by the high nobility from their service to the Emperor in establishing his restoration. This proposal is completely compatible with any extension of the new noble ranks, but provides more than a title in exchange for the right to tax and raise troops independently as the lords had in the past. Under this scheme, the Emperor and his government would have these families at their disposal as respected members in their fields even when they do not hold any high offices in the government or military. Under this system, the prospect of being made useful to the Emperor will allow lords to let go of their lands more easily and will hasten the process of removing the dangerous and unpredictable regionalism of the previous era.

1. The structures put into place by the convention will include, but are not limited to, three bureaus: one political, one economic, and one military.

2. The political bureau will be the counterpart to His Majesty's government; whether legislative, judicial, administrative, advisory, or other.

3. The economic bureau will consist of families granted a royal patent on their industrial and/or commercial endeavors. Additional functions of the bureau, if any, will be decided by the convention.

4. The military bureau will have, among other features to be determined by the convention, a system of reserve officers.

5. Former daimyo and samurai who come to the capital and voluntarily give up their provincial and regional titles and privileges will receive hereditary status as imperial officers, with at least one male heir of each generation of their family placed in one of these three bureaus: as members of the political bureau, as officers in the military reserves, or as proprietors of a royally patented firm.

Your servant,
Unryu Raizo
 
While I agree with Chancellor Date on the need to change the administrative system of Japan, I disagree with his division of "prefectures". Japan always had different regions, with each region having its own unique culture, dialect, and traditions, in addition to the general Japanese culture. It is only natural that the Empire should be constructed on these regional guidelines. I think that the best solution is a Federation - where each region has its own regional government, legislature and courts that deal with regional affairs. As such I offer the following chapter as part of the constitution.


Chapter - Regions of Japan
* Japan is a federation formed from the Regions of Japan.
* The Regions of Japan are Tohuku, Chubu, Kanto, Kansai, Chogoku, Shikoku, Kyushu. The Imperial Diet ((the imperial legislature)) can add and modify the Regions and their borders.
* The Emperor's holdings are part of a special Imperial Federal Region and are ruled directly by the Emperor.
* Each Region is ruled by a governor, who holds executive power over the Region.
* Each Region has a Regional Legislature, which holds legislative power over the Region.
* Each Region has a Regional Court of Justice, which holds judicial power over the Region.
* Each Region delegates 2 representatives to the House of Councillors ((the upper house)).


~Nishimura Hiroshi
 
Japan. Is an island nation with a powerful traditional nobility, thus I believe that emulating England- An Island nation with a powerful nobility:

1.The Capital of Japan shall be Koyto
2 Slavery shall be outlawed in all of Japan.
3.The Han system shall be kept in place.
4.The Emperor is the Ultimate Athoraty in all matters legislative and executive.
5. A Deit of the Hans shall be formed to act as the leagaslator. Chosen by the Dymio But subject to the will of the Emperor.
6.The Daijo-Kan shall serve as the executive body of the nation its members chosen by its head and he chosen by the Emperor but the deit can submit a recommendation.

((Sorry for bad spelling))
 
8d84de2bb17c8a210796e4ae19cc4401.png

I must express my disagreement with Nishimura Hiroshi’s proposal, notably for its odd intent on maintaining needless divisions of power between the Emperor and his subjects; these regional governors, in short, will have little need upon the conclusion of the transitory period, which is rapidly adjourning, and indeed to maintain them beyond their natural limits would be unseemly, costly, and on a whole detrimental towards the establishment of a proper and efficient bureaucracy.

Furthermore, I fear this division of justice, as envisioned vaguely within this proposal, would merely allow for the local preferences of the most powerful lords to dominate and pervert the courts, whilst under a system more unified and streamlined such occurrences would be avoided near totally.

Lastly, this proposed Upper House, I fear would deny the lords of the realm, those of high lineage and noble bearing, from being effectively able to participate in the affairs of state; furthermore, I take it that this upper house would be elected? Whilst this does indeed weaken the rightful and proper powers of the nobility, it further denies sovereignty to the Emperor, as I believe it can be said safely that the power to appoint the upper house of an Imperial Diet would be wholly reasonable and indeed entirely necessary to good and moral governance.

In many respects, I find myself inclined towards the rough proposals of the venerable Sakamoto Naotari, and his son, whose political thinking by and large reflects my own on the matter.

~ Date Munenari, Chancellor of the Realm and Supreme Commander of the Imperial Forces
 
I feel obliged to clarify the matters that were misunderstood by honourable Chancellor Date:

This kind of division of power is needed in Japan. The Emperor needs not to deal with small, regional problems, but shall lead our nation by involvement in the more important, national topics. The system of regions will also make it easier to construct an efficient bureaucracy.

The Chancellor should not fear the Regional Courts, as, obviously, the Imperial Courts would be superior to them, and a sentence of an Imperial court overrides this of a Regional Court.

I have never stated the method of appointment of the representatives of the upper house. The equal representation of the regions of Japan in the upper house is most important: the Chancellor should only look at the system of government under the Shogun: Satake's governments have completely neglected the regions of southern Japan and specifically Kyushu. Because there was no representation of Kyushu, the government left Kyushu to the mercy of the Turks in the War of Matsui's Folly. Such injustice shall never happen again - hence why equal regional representation is required. You must understand that if the upper house would be appointed by the Emperor, he would most likely appoint the people closer to him geographically, near his court in Kyoto, and regions like Kyushu would be misrepresented. The Emperor still keeps his power in the upper house with the representatives of the Imperial Federal Region.

I hope that Chancellor Date will reconsider his opinions, and decide what is best for all of Japan.

~Nishimura Hiroshi
 
I believe that Daimyo Kishiwada has the right idea. We should find a way to integrate the Daimyo into the new government without abolishing all their rights and titles so hastily. We need some form of stability, and the Daimyo can provide that. Thus I propose the following:

1. The capital of Nippon shall be Kyoto.
2. Slavery shall be illegal in Nippon.
3. Shinto shall become the official state religion.
4. The Emperor shall be the head of state and have the final say in all matters of state.
5. The Daimyo of Nippon shall retain their titles and property, but administration of the provinces of Nippon shall be handled by the Emperor or elected officials.
6. The Daimyo of Nippon shall serve in a new legislative body modelled on the British House of Lords, serving as the Upper House of Nippon.
7. The provinces, or prefectures, shall be administrated by elected officials who serve in a new legislative body serving as the Lower House of Nippon.
8. The Emperor may choose all ministers to serve him in any capacity he requires.

I realize that I may have missed something, but I hope the general idea is clear. The Daimyo of Nippon can help make this country great if they are not cast aside and made virtually powerless. Just as the Emperor must be revered, those whose families have ruled the lands of Nippon for generations deserve respect as well.

- Daimyo Ito Katashi of Miyazaki
 
latest


Lord Uesugi rubbed his brow.

I think it is well within the understanding of the nobility that certain parts of Japan will stay sacrosanct. These being the upholding of the traditional nobility, the banning of slavery, the unquestionable nature of the Emperor and his will, and the use of Shinto as the official religion. I do not think that any future plans for this new document of state needs to include these points since everyone already agrees.
 
I announce my support for Lord Ito's proposed points 5, 6, and 7. Certainly, this is an agreeable middle ground between Lord Date and the absolute preservation of the Han System which I previously supported. While I would prefer for more power to be conceded to the disparate regions of Nippon, this should prove to be an effective alternative to the total dissolution or replacement of our traditional system of nobility.


Satake Yoshizane,
7th Lord of Iwasaki
 
Japan. Is an island nation with a powerful traditional nobility, thus I believe that emulating England- An Island nation with a powerful nobility:

If the Noble Lord suggests that we emulate Britain, then I therefore suggest to him that we start by actually emulating Britain.

1. The capital of Japan shall be the Imperial Capital, namely Kyoto.
2. Slavery shall be illegal in Japan.
3. Shinto shall be formally separated from Buddhism, and become the state religion of Japan*. Other religions which have historically been apart of Japanese society and tradition, such as Buddhism, shall continue to be tolerated.
4. The Emperor shall be the head of state and have the final say in all matters of state.
5a. The old provincial/han system is to be abolished and replaced with a more modern prefectural system.
5b. The Daimyo shall retain their titles and property, and the rights of administration over their hereditary residences (castles, etc.) but administration of the prefectures of Nippon shall be handled by the Emperor or elected officials.
6a. The Daimyo of Japan, along with Princes or other members of the Royal Family, as well as other individuals given special right to do so by the Emperor, shall have the right to sit in a new legislative body modelled on the British House of Lords, serving as the Upper House of Japan. Their seats in the House of Lords shall be hereditary, awarded on the basis of hereditary title, and shall pass to their heirs along with said title.
6b. An heir to a peerage shall have the right to sit in the Lower House, provided that he wins an election to said body. Upon inheriting a title he must move to the House of Lords.
7a. The nation shall be administrated by elected officials who serve in a new legislative body serving as the Lower House of Japan. Japan shall be divided up into roughly 600 constituencies according to population, with each constituency electing at least one MP each.
7b. Anyone may stand for election for the Lower House, except existing members of the House of Lords and the Emperor himself.
7c. The Lower House shall be elected by any Japanese who meets the necessary property and literacy requirements, as defined by law.
7d. The Lower House shall elect a Prime Minister, who shall serve as Head of Government at the Emperor's pleasure.
7e. The Prime Minister has the right to form a government and a ministry of his choice, but on all appointments (including that of the Prime Minister himself) the Emperor has the final say.


-- Hosokawa-dono

((*Shinto as a religion separate from Buddhism hasn't been a thing in Japan for about a millennium by this point.))
 
I believe that Daimyo Kishiwada has the right idea. We should find a way to integrate the Daimyo into the new government without abolishing all their rights and titles so hastily. We need some form of stability, and the Daimyo can provide that. Thus I propose the following:

1. The capital of Nippon shall be Kyoto.
2. Slavery shall be illegal in Nippon.
3. Shinto shall become the official state religion.
4. The Emperor shall be the head of state and have the final say in all matters of state.
5. The Daimyo of Nippon shall retain their titles and property, but administration of the provinces of Nippon shall be handled by the Emperor or elected officials.
6. The Daimyo of Nippon shall serve in a new legislative body modelled on the British House of Lords, serving as the Upper House of Nippon.
7. The provinces, or prefectures, shall be administrated by elected officials who serve in a new legislative body serving as the Lower House of Nippon.
8. The Emperor may choose all ministers to serve him in any capacity he requires.

I realize that I may have missed something, but I hope the general idea is clear. The Daimyo of Nippon can help make this country great if they are not cast aside and made virtually powerless. Just as the Emperor must be revered, those whose families have ruled the lands of Nippon for generations deserve respect as well.

- Daimyo Ito Katashi of Miyazaki

If the Noble Lord suggests that we emulate Britain, then I therefore suggest to him that we start by actually emulating Britain.

1. The capital of Japan shall be the Imperial Capital, namely Kyoto.
2. Slavery shall be illegal in Japan.
3. Shinto shall be formally separated from Buddhism, and become the state religion of Japan*. Other religions which have historically been apart of Japanese society and tradition, such as Buddhism, shall continue to be tolerated.
4. The Emperor shall be the head of state and have the final say in all matters of state.
5a. The old provincial/han system is to be abolished and replaced with a more modern prefectural system.
5b. The Daimyo shall retain their titles and property, and the rights of administration over their hereditary residences (castles, etc.) but administration of the prefectures of Nippon shall be handled by the Emperor or elected officials.
6a. The Daimyo of Japan, along with Princes or other members of the Royal Family, as well as other individuals given special right to do so by the Emperor, shall have the right to sit in a new legislative body modelled on the British House of Lords, serving as the Upper House of Japan. Their seats in the House of Lords shall be hereditary, awarded on the basis of hereditary title, and shall pass to their heirs along with said title.
6b. An heir to a peerage shall have the right to sit in the Lower House, provided that he wins an election to said body. Upon inheriting a title he must move to the House of Lords.
7a. The nation shall be administrated by elected officials who serve in a new legislative body serving as the Lower House of Japan. Japan shall be divided up into roughly 600 constituencies according to population, with each constituency electing at least one MP each.
7b. Anyone may stand for election for the Lower House, except existing members of the House of Lords and the Emperor himself.
7c. The Lower House shall be elected by any Japanese who meets the necessary property and literacy requirements, as defined by law.
7d. The Lower House shall elect a Prime Minister, who shall serve as Head of Government at the Emperor's pleasure.
7e. The Prime Minister has the right to form a government and a ministry of his choice, but on all appointments (including that of the Prime Minister himself) the Emperor has the final say.


-- Hosokawa-dono

((*Shinto as a religion separate from Buddhism hasn't been a thing in Japan for about a millennium by this point.))

Sirs,

I mostly see no fault with the ideas you brought up, but why would we pattern our system of government to emulate the gaijin that defeated us in the past? Are we not de facto enemies with the British?

I strongly recommend that instead of the "House of Lords" and "House of Commons" that you propose that we implement an "Imperial Diet" along the lines of Prussia, with the following characteristics:
1. The Upper House shall consist of the daimyo and the members of the Imperial Household, and membership in this house is hereditary
2. The Lower House shall consist of representatives from each prefecture of the Empire; membership is limitied to only those who meet the required property and literacy requirements and those who can demonstrate their abilities and capabilities (to this end, I suggest implementing a modern form of the civil service exams used in the Celestial Empire).
3. The Diet's purpose is to recommend legislation to the Emperor, who may decide to pass or reject said legislation.
4. Should any member of the Diet demonstrate that he is unable to fully exercise the responsibilities and requirements of being a Diet member, the Emperor has the right to remove him.
5. The Diet shall select one of their ranks to become Prime Minister of the Diet, whose job is to mediate discussion within the Diet with the consent of the Emperor.

In summary, the daimyo will serve in an upper house modeled on the Prussian Upper House, and the commoners will serve in a lower house modeled on the Prussian Lower House, with both houses comprising of an Imperial Diet modeled on the Prussian Diet.

~Sakamoto Naotari, Minister of the Right
 
Last edited: