Ono Azusa and the Meiji Constitution: The Codification and Study of Roman Law at the Dawn of Modern Japan

Abstract

This essay sheds light on the study of Roman law and the theory of constitutions by the late nineteenth century Japanese political philosopher Ono Azusa. In bringing to the fore the political issue of codification in connection with the building of a modern state, Ono inquired into the principles of Roman law as the origins of Western jurisprudence. Based on this study, he reinterpreted the legal traditions of Japan in East Asia and attempted to establish a new political system.

The essay was translated from the Japanese by Gaynor Sekimori.