Page:Constitutional imperialism in Japan (IA constitutionalim00clemrich).pdf/57

way, it takes a long time for a new law to establish itself against an old custom. The feudal system had been so strongly intrenched in Japan, that, even after it was nominally abolished, it persisted in fact in many survivals which die hard. It is true that there is a strong popular demand for more representative institutions; it is also true that the mass of the people are somewhat contented with the status quo and are rather submissive in spirit. They still endure official surveillance and hold officialdom in awe; they take off their hats when speaking to a policeman. The survival of absolutism may be seen in the tendency to establish Government monopolies and to nationalize industries. The survival of feudalism is evident in the political party system, where clannishness still prevails and loyalty to men is stronger than fidelity to principle.

Another conclusion one may reach is that nominality does not always correspond with reality. The Japanese have a common expression, yumei-mujitsu, which means literally “having name without reality”. A certain thing may be so only in name, not in reality; nominally so, but not really so. This is a criticism which some have brought against Japan’s present political system; that it is only nominally, not really, constitutionalism. This may be true to a certain extent; the same political phrases do not connote exactly the same things in all countries. But there is another phase of this nominality. Theoretically and nominally, the central Government, for instance, has control over each prefectural Government: the Emperor appoints the Governor of each Prefecture; and the Minister of Home Affairs has the authority to dissolve a Prefectural Assembly; but he rarely exercises that authority. Both the Minister and the Governor, though they are centralizing officials, prefer to respect local public opinion in local affairs.

It is not without profit to pay a little attention to the new election law. The process seems somewhat complicated and long-drawn-out, so that it requires several meetings with various officials. First, there is the casting of the ballot under one set of officials; secondly, there is the counting of the ballots under the same or a different set of officials; and, thirdly,