The House of Peers was the upper house of the Imperial Diet as mandated under the Constitution of the Empire of Japan.
House of Peers, 1915
Emperor Meiji in a formal session of the House of Peers. Ukiyo-e woodblock print by Yōshū Chikanobu, 1890
The House of Peers in 1910
Image: Itō Hirobumi
The National Diet is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives, and an upper house, the House of Councillors. Both houses are directly elected under a parallel voting system. In addition to passing laws, the Diet is formally responsible for nominating the Prime Minister. The Diet was first established as the Imperial Diet in 1890 under the Meiji Constitution, and took its current form in 1947 upon the adoption of the post-war constitution. Both houses meet in the National Diet Building in Nagatachō, Chiyoda, Tokyo.
National Diet
House of Representatives
House of Councillors
The waiting room adjacent to the Cabinet Room at the National Diet Building