This Day in World History
February 11, 1889
Emperor Meiji Issues New Constitution of Japan
On February 11, 1889, Japan’s Emperor Meiji furthered his plan to modernize and westernize his nation by promulgating a new constitution. The new plan of government created a western-style two-house parliament, called the Diet, and a constitutional monarchy — though one with a Japanese character.
When Prince Mutsuhito became emperor and took the ruling name Meiji (“enlightened ruler”) in 1867, he was determined to break with his late father’s traditionalist policies and embrace western ways. He took several steps in this direction. Along with creating a public school system and enacting land reforms, the Meiji emperor created government ministries.
The crowning governmental reform was the new constitution, which embraced the idea of citizen participation — though no plebiscite was held to give the public a voice in the document either as a whole or in detail. The emperor declared that the new constitution arose from his desire “to promote the welfare of, and to give development to the moral and intellectual faculties of Our beloved subjects.”
The constitution was modeled chiefly on the Prussian constitution, a fairly conservative document that subjected parliamentary rule to the power of the monarchy. Thus, the Meiji constitution began by declaring the emperor to be sovereign and “sacred and inviolable.” The emperor was named commander of the armed forces and given the power to declare war or make peace without needing to consult with the Diet.
The constitution was chiefly written by Itō Hirobumi, one of the elder statesmen who effectively ran the Japanese government. Itō and his colleagues assumed that they would be chiefly responsible for running the government and making policy and the emperor would not become involved except occasionally.
The Meiji constitution remained in force in Japan until after World War II, when a new constitution creating a stronger parliamentary system was adopted.
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According to some, today is ‘Lucky Penny Day’. The OED describes a ‘lucky penny’ as usually one that is bent or perforated, or sometimes an old or foreign coin. In the early nineteenth century, a ‘luck-penny’ was defined as ‘the cash which the seller gives back to the buyer after the latter has paid him; it is given back with the hope that it may prove a lucky’. It’s also recorded that the participants would usually also spit on their palms to seal the deal.1
The origin of the word ‘penny’
The word penny comes from Old English penig, penning which is of Germanic origin and is related to Dutch penning and German Pfennig, perhaps also to pawn and (with reference to the shape) pan.
Pennies or pence?
Both pence and pennies have existed as plural forms of penny since at least the 16th century. The two forms now tend to be used for different purposes: pence refers to sums of money (five pounds and sixty-nine pence) while pennies refers to the coins themselves (I left two pennies on the table). The use of pence rather than penny as a singular (the chancellor will put one pence on income tax) is not regarded as correct in standard English.
Pennies from heaven …
The humble penny has given us many idiomatic expressions and proverbs:
a bad penny always turns up – proverb someone or something unwelcome will always reappear or return.
be two (or ten) a penny – be plentiful and consequently of little value (chiefly British).
counting / watching the pennies (in the US, also ‘pinching’) – being careful about how much you spend.
in for a penny, in for a pound – used to express someone’s intention to see an undertaking through, however much time, effort, or money this entails.
look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves – if you concentrate on saving small amounts of money, you’ll soon amass a large amount.
pennies from heaven – unexpected benefits, especially financial ones.
the penny dropped – used to indicate that someone has finally realized something (chiefly British).
a penny for your thoughts – used to ask someone what they are thinking about.
Whether you pick up a lucky penny today, or seal a deal in ceremonial fashion by spitting in your hand, here’s hoping that it brings you luck!
1. “LUCK-PENNY“ A Dictionary of Superstitions. Ed. Iona Opie and Moira Tatem. Oxford University Press, 1996. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Oxford University Press – Main Accnt. 23 May 20
On February 11, 1889, Japan’s Emperor Meiji furthered his plan to modernize and westernize his nation by promulgating a new constitution. The new plan of government created a western-style two-house parliament, called the Diet, and a constitutional monarchy — though one with a Japanese character.