Imperially appointed member - Chokuseniin

A type of parliamentary system that constituted the House of Peers of the Imperial Diet. It was stipulated in the House of Peers Ordinance promulgated on February 11, 1889 (Meiji 22). The members were appointed by Imperial decree from among "men aged 30 or older who have made distinguished contributions to the nation or have had scholarly knowledge," and their term of office was for life. Most of the members appointed by Imperial decree in September and October of the following year were bureaucrats, with a few scholars and business leaders also selected. They were the most active elements within the House of Peers and were active in various factions, but during the Meiji period they were relatively common in the Tea Party and Independents, and during the Taisho period many also belonged to friendship clubs. With the revision in 1905 (Meiji 38), the total number was set at no more than 125. Around the time of the Russo-Japanese War, the appointment of bureaucrats and military personnel affiliated with Yamagata Aritomo was prominent, but from the end of the Meiji period onwards, elder members of political parties also began to be appointed by Imperial appointees, and in the era of party cabinets, this gave rise to the bad practice of appointing bureaucrats and party members with strong ruling party affiliations before the en masse resignation of the cabinet. A revision in 1925 (Taisho 14) allowed those unable to perform their duties due to physical or mental weakness to resign by Imperial decree, and in the Showa era, a relatively large number of representatives of businessmen were appointed by Imperial appointees, but the overall trend of bureaucrats dominating the position did not change. In April 1945 (Showa 20), the House of Peers Act was revised, and ten people were appointed as representatives of Korea and Taiwan, and their appointment by Imperial appointee on August 15th was the last appointment of imperially appointed members. After Japan's defeat in World War II, many people resigned for various reasons, such as being designated as war criminals or being purged from public office.

[Uno Shunichi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

帝国議会の貴族院を構成する議員制度の一種。1889年（明治22）2月11日公布の貴族院令で規定された。「国家ニ勲労アリ又ハ学識アル」「満30歳以上ノ男子」のなかから勅任された議員で任期は終身とした。翌年の9、10月に勅任された議員の多くは官僚で、そのほかに若干の学者と財界代表が選ばれた。貴族院内ではもっとも積極的な分子として各会派に分散して活躍したが、明治時代には茶話会、無所属派に比較的多く、大正時代には交友倶楽部(くらぶ)にも多く所属した。1905年（明治38）の改正で、その総数は125人を超えないものとされた。日露戦争の前後には山県有朋(やまがたありとも)系の官僚や軍人の選任が目だったが、明治末年以降からは政党の長老も勅任されるようになり、政党内閣の時代に入ると内閣総辞職の前に与党色の強い官僚や政党員を勅任するという悪慣習を生んだ。25年（大正14）の改正で、身体、精神の衰弱で職務に堪えられない者は勅裁によって辞任できることになり、また昭和に入って実業家代表が比較的多く勅任されたが、官僚優位の大勢は変わらなかった。45年（昭和20）4月貴族院令が改正され、朝鮮・台湾の代表として10名が任命され、8月15日付で勅任されたのが勅選議員選任の最後となった。第二次世界大戦敗戦後は、戦犯指名や公職追放など種々の事情から辞任する者が少なくなかった。

［宇野俊一］

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