The Origins of Japan's Democratic Constitution

Book excerpt: In The Origins of Japan's Democratic Constitution, Theodore McNelly describes and analyzes the American draft of Japan's postwar constitution, Japanese influences on the document, and its adoption by the Imperial Diet. Providing a general overview of the process of the enactment of the democratic constitution in Japan, McNelly then analyzes conflicts among rival Japanese groups, the effects of the war-ban provision on Japan's security, and General MacArthur's shifting views on the achievement of world peace. The Origins of Japan's Democratic Constitution addresses the argument regarding U.S. 'imposition' of the constitution on Japan with emphasis on the origins of the 'no-war, no-arms' clause as well as the ideological, strategic, and historical background of the clause. Written by a former member of MacArthur's staff in Tokyo, this book will be of interest to the general reader as well as specialists seeking hitherto unpublished information and interpretations of this significant historical event.