The , known informally as the after the emperor during whose reign it was composed, was the
constitution of the
Empire of Japan in force from November 29, 1890 until May 2, 1947. Enacted after the
Meiji Restoration in 1868, it provided for a form of mixed constitutional and
absolute monarchy, based jointly on the Prussian and British models. In theory, the
Emperor of Japan or Tenno was the supreme ruler, and the Cabinet, whose Prime Minister would be elected by a Privy Council, were his followers; in practice, the Emperor was head of state but the Prime Minister was the actual head of government. Under the Meiji Constitution, the Prime Minister and his Cabinet were not necessarily chosen from the elected members of the Diet.