The 1946 Constitution of Japan

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Author: Japan

The 1946 Constitution of Japan

Japan

THE CONSTITUTION OF JAPAN, 1946

Promulgated on November 3, 1946; Put into effect on May 3, 1947.

We, the Japanese people, acting through our duly elected representatives in the National Diet, determined that we shall secure for ourselves and our posterity the fruits of peaceful cooperation with all nations and the blessings of liberty throughout this land, and resolved that never again shall we be visited with the horrors of war through the action of government, do proclaim that sovereign power resides with the people and do firmly establish this Constitution. Government is a sacred trust of the people, the authority for which is derived from the people, the powers of which are exercised by the representatives of the people, and the benefits of which are enjoyed by the people. This is a universal principle of mankind upon which this Constitution is founded. We reject and revoke all constitutions, laws, ordinances, and rescripts in conflict herewith.

We, the Japanese people, desire peace for all time and are deeply conscious of the high ideals controlling human relationship, and we have determined to preserve our security and existence, trusting in the justice and faith of the peace-loving peoples of the world. We desire to occupy an honored place in an international society striving for the preservation of peace, and the banishment of tyranny and slavery, oppression and intolerance for all time from the earth. We recognize that all peoples of the world have the right to live in peace, free from fear and want.

We believe that no nation is responsible to itself alone, but that laws of political morality are universal; and that obedience to such laws is incumbent upon all nations who would sustain their own sovereignty and justify their sovereign relationship with other nations.

We, the Japanese people, pledge our national honor to accomplish these high ideals and purposes with all our resources.

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Chicago: Japan, "The 1946 Constitution of Japan," The 1946 Constitution of Japan in The 1946 Constitution of Japan Original Sources, accessed April 25, 2024, http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=QZHMZANKJKMTV4J.

MLA: Japan. "The 1946 Constitution of Japan." The 1946 Constitution of Japan, in The 1946 Constitution of Japan, Original Sources. 25 Apr. 2024. http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=QZHMZANKJKMTV4J.

Harvard: Japan, 'The 1946 Constitution of Japan' in The 1946 Constitution of Japan. cited in , The 1946 Constitution of Japan. Original Sources, retrieved 25 April 2024, from http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=QZHMZANKJKMTV4J.