In theEmpire of Japan, anImperial Conference (御前会議,Gozen Kaigi) (literally, a conference before the emperor) was an extraconstitutional conference on foreign matters of grave national importance that was convened by the government in the presence of theEmperor.
After the implementation of theMeiji Constitution, day-to-day affairs in theMeiji government were managed by acabinet system arranged around the emperor as thehead of state and theprime minister as the aide of the emperor.
However, on critical matters, extraconstitutional conferences were called to obtain final imperial approval for specific courses of action, which had already been previously decided upon by the civilian government, elder statesmen (genrō) and/or the military authorities at Liaison Conferences (連絡会議,Renraku kaigi).[1] As a ruler, the emperor listened to discussions, but remained silent through the proceedings. That the emperor would ever disagree with, let alone veto, the prearranged decisions presented at theGozen Kaigi was unthinkable.[2]
Typically attending theGozen Kaigi were (in addition to the Emperor himself):[3]
Press announcements were typically issued immediately after eachGozen Kaigi, listing attendees, what each person wore, and stressing the unanimity of any decision.[3]
The firstGozen Kaigi was convened just before theFirst Sino-Japanese War. Others were held just before theRusso-Japanese War, entry intoWorld War I, the signing of theTripartite Pact, and various times during theSecond Sino-Japanese War,[4] and notably on 6 September, 5 November, and on 1 December 1941, just before theattack on Pearl Harbor.[5]
It was only during the 6 September 1941 meeting and the final conference on 9 August 1945, for the acceptance of thePotsdam Declaration, that the emperor broke his traditional silence. During the last one, he ended a deadlock in discussions by personally advocatingsurrender with one condition, the preservation of theKokutai, "with the understanding that the said declaration does not comprise any demand that prejudices the prerogatives of His Majesty as a sovereign ruler."[6]
