The Process of Establishing Attendance Regulations on Procedure of the Japanese Diet in Meiji era, with special reference to Political Participation of Woman without Votes

Abstract

This paper examines the process of establishing the attendance regulations of the Diet, using its drafts including Kowashi Inoue’s document named “Goinbunko”. It reveals why the Diet gallery is divided several parts of seats and how to begin regulating clothes and behavior of the public, and how women are permitted to attend.

  This study makes clear the followings: 1) Regulation of clothes and behavior is from the draft made by the secretariat who visited the Western countries. 2) It is important for woman’s attendance that they adopt the method which only made a draft and the Diet had a decision-making authority. They considered the autonomy of the Diet. 3) There are conflict in secretariat groups about a way of prohibit woman’s attendance between by making a rule or not. Inoue, the secretary-general, thought that prohibition should not take the way by making a rule and it is too minutely that they divide the gallery seats. And Kaneko, the chief of commission that visited the Western countries, regarded the order and administration in the Diet as most important, and so did not oppose to prohibit by making a rule. 4) Too minutely regulation since Meiji era remains in the rules now.