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19-592: As the name implies, the text of the Oath consists of five clauses: By this oath, we set up as our aim the establishment of the national wealth on a broad basis and the framing of a constitution and laws. The first draft of the Oath was written by junior councilor Yuri Kimimasa in January 1868, containing progressive language that spoke to the frustrations that the radical but modestly born Meiji leaders had experienced in "service to hereditary incompetents." Yuri's language

38-464: A document praising the Oath, and swearing to do their utmost to uphold and implement it. Those not able to attend the formal reading afterwards visited the palace to sign their names, bringing the total number of signatures to 767. The purpose of the oath was both to issue a statement of policy to be followed by the post- Tokugawa shogunate government in the Meiji period, and to offer hope of inclusion in

57-640: A move calculated to obtain imperial approval for the Shōgun's actions in signing unequal treaties (similar to those signed by Qing dynasty China ) with the western powers in 1858, ending the national seclusion policy which was supported by the Imperial Court, and Yokoi accompanied him to Edo. Yokoi called for a complete reform of the Tokugawa government, including reconciliation between the Shogunate and

76-707: A parliament with real power was not established until 1890, and the Meiji oligarchy from Satsuma , Chōshū , Tosa and Hizen retained political and military control well into the 20th century. In general, the Oath was purposely phrased in broad terms to minimize resistance from the daimyōs and to provide "a promise of gradualism and equity": "Deliberative councils" and "public discourse" were, after all, terms that had been applied to cooperation between lords of great domains. That "all classes" were to unite indicated that there would continue to be classes. Even "commoners" were to be treated decently by "civil and military" officers,

95-593: The House of Peers of the Diet of Japan in 1890. In 1891, Yuri quit government service, moved to Kyoto , and founded the Yurin Seimeihoken K.K ., one of Japan's first life insurance companies. The company later merged with Meiji Seimei , the predecessor to Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company . Yokoi Sh%C5%8Dnan Yokoi Shōnan ( 横井 小楠 ) (born Yokoi Tokiari ; September 22, 1809 – February 15, 1869)

114-579: The Mito domain . After his return to Kumamoto, he started a group to promote the reform of domain administration along Neo-Confucianism lines, opening a domain school called Shōnan-do . In 1857, he was invited by the daimyō of Echizen , Matsudaira Yoshinaga to become his political advisor. While in Fukui , Yokoi wrote "Kokuze Sanron" (the Three Major Discussion of State Policy). One of

133-542: The Imperial Court. He also called for the complete opening of Japan to foreign trade, economic reform, and establishment of a modern military along western lines. After reading Chinese scholar and reformer Wei Yuan 's Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms , Yokoi became convinced that Japan should embark on a "cautious, gradual and realistic opening of its borders to the Western world" and thereby avoid

152-494: The Oath and reaffirmed it as the basis of "national polity" in his Imperial Rescript on National Revitalization . The ostensible purpose of the rescript was to appease the American occupiers with a renunciation of imperial divinity, but the emperor himself saw it as a statement of the existence of democracy during the Meiji era . Yuri Kimimasa Viscount Yuri Kimimasa ( 由利 公正 , November 11, 1829 – April 28, 1912)

171-437: The later Meiji period Empire of Japan . In the same treatise, he also stressed the importance of a strong navy for the defense of Japan. He has been labelled "pro-Western" by contemporary historians, but was nevertheless harshly critical of Christianity as both false and heretical compared to Japanese Buddhism. In 1862, Matsudaira was unexpectedly made acting prime minister of the Tokugawa administration ( seiji sōsai ) in

190-708: The mistake China had made in engaging in the First Opium War . He also called for a national assembly of the major domains, with the Shōgun evolving into something that resembled a prime minister . Outraged and astounded by these radical ideas, conservatives within the government quickly stripped Yokoi of his posts, and even his samurai status, and placed him under house arrest in Kumamoto. However, while in exile, Yokoi continued to maintain contact with Katsu Kaishū and other reform-minded members of government. After

209-467: The new Meiji government as a san'yo (senior councillor), and took charge of the financial and monetary policy of the new government. Together with Fukuoka Takachika , he was the principal author of the Charter Oath . Yuri was involved in the issuance of Japan's first national paper banknotes in 1868. In 1871, he became the fourth governor of Tokyo . Yuri left the role the following year, but

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228-521: The next regime to pro-Tokugawa domains. This second motivation was especially important in the early stages of the Restoration as a means to keep domains from joining the Tokugawa remnant in the Boshin War . Later, military victory "made it safe to begin to push court nobles and daimyō figureheads out of the way". The promise of reform in the document initially went unfulfilled: in particular,

247-401: The privileged ranks of the recent past. No one was likely to be in favor of the retention of "evil customs"; a rather Confucian "Nature" would indicate the path to be chosen. Only in the promise to "seek knowledge throughout the world" was there a specific indication of change; but here, too, late Tokugawa activists had deplored the irrationality of Japan's two-headed government as the only one in

266-536: The topics covered in Yokoi’s treatise was on state religion , in which Yokoi commented that although Japan had Buddhism , Shinto , and Confucianism , it lacked a true national religion in the manner of western nations, and that this lack was a weakness in the Japanese kokutai , which placed Japan at a disadvantage to the western powers. This concept provided one rationale underpinning the formation of State Shinto in

285-521: The world. Moreover the search would be selective and purposeful, designed to "strengthen the foundations of imperial rule". The Oath was reiterated as the first article of the constitution promulgated in June 1868, and the subsequent articles of that constitution expand the policies outlined in the Oath. Almost eighty years later, in the wake of the Second World War , Emperor Shōwa paid homage to

304-629: Was a Bakumatsu and early Meiji period scholar and political reformer in Japan, influential around the fall of the Tokugawa bakufu . Yokoi was a samurai born in Kumamoto , Higo Province (present-day Kumamoto Prefecture ), and a distant descendant of Hōjō Takatoki . Yokoi married Yajima Tsuseko and had two children with her, Miyako and Tokio . He was sent by the domain to Edo in 1839 for studies, and developed contacts with pro-reform members of

323-592: Was a statesman in Meiji period Japan . During the Meiji Restoration he used the alias Mitsuoka Hachirō ( 三岡 八郎 ) Yuri was a samurai born in Fukui , Echizen Province (present-day Fukui Prefecture ). He studied under the Confucian scholar Yokoi Shōnan . He worked towards the financial reform and modernizing of the Fukui domain and received preferential treatment from daimyō Matsudaira Yoshinaga due to his great ability. Yuri joined

342-627: Was moderated by his colleague Fukuoka Takachika in February to be "less alarming," and Kido Takayoshi prepared the final form of the Oath, employing "language broad enough to embrace both readings." The Oath was read aloud by Sanjō Sanetomi in the main ceremonial hall of the Kyoto Imperial Palace in the presence of the Emperor and more than 400 officials. After the reading, the nobles and daimyōs present signed their names to

361-588: Was selected as one of the members of the Iwakura Mission on its around-the-world voyage to the United States and Europe . After his return to Japan, he joined Itagaki Taisuke in petitioning for a representative national assembly . In 1875, he was appointed to the Genrōin . In 1887 he was elevated to the rank of shishaku ( viscount ) in the kazoku peerage system. He was nominated to serve in

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