Editing Constitution of Japan (section)

=== Meiji Constitution ===
The [[Meiji Constitution]] was the fundamental law of the [[Empire of Japan]], propagated during the reign of [[Emperor Meiji]] ({{reign|1867|1912}}).<ref name="Meiji Constitution">{{cite web |last1=Constitution |first1=Meiji |title=The Meiji Constitution |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Meiji-Constitution |website=www.britannica.com |publisher=The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica History |access-date=4 May 2022}}</ref> It provided for a form of mixed [[Constitutional monarchy|constitutional]] and [[absolute monarchy]], based on the [[Prussia]]n and British models. In theory, the [[Emperor of Japan]] was the supreme leader, and the cabinet, whose prime minister was elected by a [[Privy Council of Japan|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 accountable to the elected members of the [[Diet (assembly)|Imperial Diet]], and increasingly deferred to the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] in the lead-up to the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]].