Head of state - Genshu (English spelling)

Japanese: 元首 - げんしゅ（英語表記）chief of state

The head of state is an organ that is qualified to generally represent the state to the outside world. The public acts of the head of state are therefore acts of the state, and the effects of such acts belong to the state under international law. The main such acts include the dispatch and reception of diplomats and consuls, the conclusion of treaties, the declaration of war, and the making of peace. As the representative of the state's dignity, the head of state enjoys a wide range of privileges when staying abroad, such as ceremonial rights, inviolability (honor, body, residence, etc.), and extraterritoriality (exemption from jurisdiction, police power, and taxation). Historically, based on the organic theory of the state, the monarch, who represents the state externally as the sovereign and the independent hand of administrative power, was likened to the head of the state. However, with the decline of monarchies, the head of state came to be considered to be the head of administrative power and the head of treaties and other external representation powers, or even to the person who is qualified only to represent the state externally. The position that qualifies a person as head of state in a given country is usually determined by the constitution. The Emperor under the Meiji Constitution was the original head of state, and the Constitution also defined the Emperor as the "Head of State of the Nation." However, it is not entirely clear who is the head of state under the Constitution of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, the power to conclude treaties and the function of managing diplomatic relations lie with the Cabinet (Article 73, paragraphs 2 and 3), so the head of state can be said to be the Cabinet or the Prime Minister, who represents the Cabinet. However, the Emperor also has the power to certify full powers, letters of credentials, and instruments of ratification and other diplomatic documents, and to receive foreign ambassadors and ministers (Article 7, paragraphs 5, 8, and 9), and to that extent he fulfills the function of representing the country, and other countries also treat the Emperor as the head of state.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

国家を外に向って一般的に代表する資格をもつ機関。元首の公的行為はすなわち国家の行為であり，その行為の効果は国際法上国家に帰属する。そのような行為の主要なものとして，外交官や領事官の派遣と接受，条約の締結，宣戦および講和などがあげられる。元首は国家の威厳を代表する者として，外国に滞在する場合には，儀礼，不可侵権 (名誉，身体，住居など) ，治外法権 (裁判権，警察権，課税権からの免除) など，広い特権を享有する。歴史的には，国家有機体説に基づいて，主権者にして行政権のにない手であるという背景において対外的に国家を代表する君主を国家の頭になぞらえるところから生じたものであるが，君主制の衰退に伴い，行政権の首長にして条約締結権その他の対外的代表権をもつものを，さらには対外的代表権に局限してその資格をもつものを元首と考えるようになった。ある国においてどの地位にある者が元首の資格をもつかは通常憲法で定められている。明治憲法下の天皇は本来の元首といえ，憲法でも天皇を「国ノ元首」と規定していた。しかし日本国憲法下でだれが元首かは必ずしも明確ではない。日本国憲法上条約締結権や外交関係を処理する機能は内閣にある (73条2，3号) から，元首は内閣ないし内閣の代表権をもつ内閣総理大臣ともいえるが，天皇も全権委任状，信任状の認証，批准書その他の外交文書の認証および外国の大使・公使の接受をなし (7条5，8，9号) ，その限り国を代表する機能を果しており，諸外国も天皇を元首扱いしている。

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