Documents with Commentaries Part 3 Formulation of the GHQ Draft and Response of the Japanese Government

3-20 Drafting the Constitution of Japan (March 2 Draft) and its Submission to GHQ

 The Cabinet decided at its meeting on February 26, 1946 to draft the Japanese government's proposal based on the GHQ Draft and submit it to GHQ within the March 11 deadline. Minister of State Joji Matsumoto designated Tatsuo Sato, Director of the First Department of the Bureau of Legislation, to assist him and also requested Toshio Irie, Vice Director General of the Bureau of Legislation, to take part. Under his own initiative, Matsumoto wrote a "Model Draft" composed of Chapter 1 (The Emperor), Chapter 2 (Renunciation of War), Chapter 4 (The Diet) and Chapter 5 (The Cabinet).

 Upon receiving this assignment from Matsumoto, Sato began work, consulting at times with Irie, in the official residence of the Prime Minister in the utmost secrecy. Chapters 1 and 2 of the "Model Draft" written by Matsumoto were combined with Chapter 3 and the remaining chapters (except for chapters 4 and 5) that Sato drafted to complete the "First Draft" on February 28. Matsumoto, Irie and Sato made changes as discussed in their meeting then included Chapters 4 and 5 from the "Model Draft" to produce the "Second Draft." On March 1, they met for the second time and made further alterations to the second draft.

 Because GHQ made several requests to hurry the submittal of the Japanese government's proposal during this period, the March 2nd proposal was quickly put into order. Then on the morning of March 4, Matsumoto and Sato submitted their proposal to Government Section at GHQ. The "Explanation" written by Matsumoto was submitted at the same time. In order to submit the documents before the March 11 deadline, there was no time to translate them into English so the proposal and the "Explanation" were still in Japanese.

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• Outline
  1. Outline Part 1 Military Defeat and Efforts to Reform the Constitution
  2. Outline Part 2 Creation of Various Proposals to Reform the Constitution
  3. Outline Part 3 Formulation of the GHQ Draft and Response of the Japanese Government
  4. Outline Part 4 Deliberations in the Imperial Diet
  5. Outline Part 5 Enactment of the Constitution of Japan
• Documents with Commentaries
  1. Documents with Commentaries Part 1 Military Defeat and Efforts to Reform the Constitution
  2. Documents with Commentaries Part 2 Creation of Various Proposals to Reform the Constitution
  3. Documents with Commentaries Part 3 Formulation of the GHQ Draft and Response of the Japanese Government
  4. Documents with Commentaries Part 4 Deliberations in the Imperial Diet
  5. Documents with Commentaries Part 5 Enactment of the Constitution of Japan
• Main Issues
  1. Popular Sovereignty and the Emperor System
  2. Renunciation of War
  3. Guarantees for Fundamental Human Rights
  4. A New Bicameral System
  5. Judicial Review of Constitutionality
  6. Local Self-Government
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