일본의 근대입헌체제 수립과 서양체험－야마가타 아리토모의 제2차 유럽시찰을 중심으로－

Abstract

The discussion of the introduction of constitutional government in Japan began at the end of Tokugawa period, and became specific after Meiji Restoration. The new Meiji government tried to establish a constitutional system gradually against the nongovernmental ‘civil liberty movements’ that had developed actively in 1870s and 1980s. The national reform line was determined after it went through the conflicts among the ideas of the national system which developed in diverse ways inside and outside of the government and conservatization of the political power through ‘the political upheaval in 1881’, and the modern constitutional system was set up by the lead of the government in the latter half of 1880s. What was important in that process was the experiences of the western culture by the influential men in the Meiji government. With the opening of the national assembly and the implementation of the constitutional government ahead, there was the trend in Japan in 1880s to leave for Europe to directly learn and experience its constitutional government. This phenomenon has the form of a kind of ‘knowledge pilgrimage’ to set out in search of new information necessary for the foundation of a new nation, and its immediate reason was the investigation into a constitutional system by Ito Hirobumi from 1882 to 1883. Later, under its direct and indirect impacts, political elites continued to leave for Europe. In this paper, among the ‘knowledge pilgrimages’, Yamagata Aritomo's inspection in Europe was focused on, and the meanings of his experiences of western culture in the process of the establishment of the modern constitutional system of Japan were examined in comparison to Ito's investigation. Yamagata visited major European countries one by one during a shorter period of time compared to Ito's case, experienced the reality of constitutional government himself, and substantially investigated and inspected local and military systems. He usually visited the Ministry of Home Affairs, local government offices, police stations and others, and made inspections of military facilities, such as army academies, artillery foundries and artillery units. Yamagata's inspection and Ito's were the experiences of the western culture based on the common position of preparating the practice of the constitutional government, but their understandings of and attitudes toward the constitutional government were contrary to each other. Ito gained confidence in the implementation of the constitutional government through his inspection in Europe, became absorbed in the reformation of the national system, and led the legislation of 'Meiji Constitution' while acknowledging the differences in the political background of the western countries and Japan. On the other hand, Yamagata worried about the enforcement of the constitutional system watching the unstable domestic political situation even before his departure for Europe, and experiencing the actual condition of the constitutional government in Europe, such as France and Germany, his negative recognition of parliamentary politics and the constitutional government became more serious. Based on the outcome of these experiences of the western culture, Yamagata later coped with constitutional government consistently in a conservative and despotic position.