Original Copy of Japanese Constitution on Display for First Time in Six Years

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:27 JST, May 4, 2023

The original copy of the Japanese Constitution is being specially exhibited at the National Archives of Japan in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, in honor of Constitution Day on Wednesday. Normally, a replica is displayed, and this marks the first time in six years that the original document has been displayed, following its last showcase during the 70th anniversary of the Constitution’s enactment in 2017.

The original Constitution is written on a type of Japanese paper called torinoko, with the Emperor’s gyoji, or official seal, imprinted on it. The document is also adorned with the ink signatures of Emperor Showa, then Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida, and other ministers.

The exhibition runs until Sunday. The museum is open from 9:15 a.m. to 5 p.m., with free admission.