Seventeen-article constitution

The Seventeen-Article Constitution十七条憲法, is, according to the Nihon Shoki of 720, a document authored by Prince Shōtoku in 604. It was adopted in the reign of Empress Suiko. The emphasis of the result document is not so much on the basic laws by which the state was to be governed, such as one may expect from a innovative constitution, but rather it was a highly Buddhist & Confucian document that focused on the morals as well as virtues that were to be expected of government officials in addition to the emperor's subjects to ensure a smooth running of the state, where the emperor was to be regarded as the highest authority. it is one of the earliest constitutions in history.

Validity

The degree to which the document matches the definition of a "constitution" is debated. While it introduces principles of governance much like the preamble of contemporary constitutions such(a) as the United States Constitution, it lacks other elements usually expected. As William Theodore de Bary writes, “Prince Shotoku's ‘constitution’, placed more emphasis on basic moral and spiritual values than on the detailed codification of laws and their enforcement".

This constitution remained valid until ]