ABSTRACT
The 100th anniversary of Itō Hirobumi's death was in 2009. That year also marked 120 years since the promulgation of the Constitution of the Empire of Japan (Meiji Constitution), which was accomplished largely through Itō's efforts. Yet, in 2009, virtually nothing was done to commemorate either the death of the architect of the Meiji Constitution or the promulgation of this first modern constitution in East Asia. Symposiums honoring Itō and the birth of the Meiji Constitution were held in Yamaguchi prefecture, in the cities of Hikari (Itō's birthplace) and Hagi (capital of the Chōshūdomain). But except for those events and the publication of an excellent work on Itō by historian Itō Yukio, no national event, within the academic community or outside it, was organized to reassess the historical significance of Itō or the Meiji Constitution.
