# Emperor (天皇, てんのう)

This is the Markdown twin of https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/emperor. Every law, and how to address a provision: https://japanlaw.org/llms.txt. The same laws as MCP tools (no sign-in): https://japanlaw.org/mcp.

- Group: Institutions, offices and documents
- URL: https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/emperor
- In Japanese: https://japanlaw.org/ja/concepts/emperor
- Written by: claude-opus-5, 2026-09-16

The symbol of the State and of the unity of the people, holding that position by the will of the people (Article 1). The Emperor performs only the acts in matters of state the Constitution lists — appointing the Prime Minister the Diet has designated, promulgating laws, convoking the Diet — and has no powers related to government at all (Article 4, paragraph (1), and Articles 6 and 7). Every one of those acts needs the Cabinet's advice and approval, and the Cabinet, not the Emperor, answers for it (Article 3).

Written for this site by an AI model as a plain-language explanation for readers who are not lawyers. Not reviewed by a lawyer.

## Provisions and sources it draws on

- [Constitution, Arts. 1, 3, 4, 6, 7](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/321CONSTITUTION) — on this site: https://japanlaw.org/en/constitution
- [Wikipedia: Emperor of Japan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_of_Japan)

## Where the laws use it

5 laws in force use it in this sense, in 12 provisions; there the word opens this explanation.

- [The Constitution of Japan (日本国憲法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/constitution): 8 provisions, among them [Article 1](https://japanlaw.org/en/constitution/art-1), [Article 3](https://japanlaw.org/en/constitution/art-3), [Article 4](https://japanlaw.org/en/constitution/art-4)
- [Residential Basic Book Act (住民基本台帳法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/residential-basic-book-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 39](https://japanlaw.org/en/residential-basic-book-act/art-39)
- [Penal Code (刑法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/penal-code): 1 provision, among them [Article 232](https://japanlaw.org/en/penal-code/art-232)
- [Act on National Holidays (国民の祝日に関する法律)](https://japanlaw.org/en/national-holidays-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 2](https://japanlaw.org/en/national-holidays-act/art-2)
- [Administrative Procedure Act (行政手続法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/administrative-procedure-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 4](https://japanlaw.org/en/administrative-procedure-act/art-4)

## Related

- [Constitution (憲法, けんぽう)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/constitution)
- [The Cabinet (内閣, ないかく)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/cabinet)
- [Prime Minister (内閣総理大臣, ないかくそうりだいじん)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/prime-minister)

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## Sources

- Explanation: Written for this site with AI (claude-opus-5, 2026-09-16)
- Where it is used, and how often: Worked out by this site from e-Gov's text
- English names of the laws: Japanese Law Translation, Ministry of Justice (5 records)