When the American people occupied Japan after World War II, they took it upon themselves to revise the Meiji Constitution and participate in nation-building after the destruction of the war. However, when the staff went to revise the document, they ended up drafting an entirely new constitution, which went into effect on May 3, 1947. It has governed Japanese affairs ever since without any amendment or change. The Japanese Constitution has several chapters that each deal with different areas of the state. Specifically, Chapter III concerns the rights of the Japanese. Article 26 states that "marriage is based on the consent of both parties and that husband and wife shall have equal rights as a unit." It is also written that "laws will be enacted starting from the essential equality of the sexes". The Constitution promised these rights to women because in 1887, during the Meiji Restoration, laws were created that limited their abilities and freedoms. For example, they did not have the right to vote, were still subordinate to their husbands, and could not be easily divorced. As...