MATSUMOTO Jōji

Born in Tokyo in 1877, Matsumoto Jōji was a legal scholar specializing in commercial law. During Prime Minister Kijūrō Shidehara's cabinet established in 1945 (Shōwa 20), he served as a Minister of State and chaired the Constitutional Issues Investigation Committee (commonly known as the Matsumoto Committee), playing a key role in drafting the constitutional proposal. However, the draft faced rejection from the GHQ (General Headquarters, Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers) for being perceived as too conservative, leading the GHQ to take over the drafting process.

After graduating from the Law Faculty of Tokyo Imperial University in 1900 (Meiji 33), Matsumoto joined the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce. By 1910, he became a professor at Tokyo Imperial University. Concurrently, from 1913 (Taishō 2), he served as a Councilor in the Legislative Bureau. Matsumoto resigned from the university in 1919 and held various positions, including Vice President of Mantetsu (South Manchuria Railway Company), Chief of the Legislative Bureau, and Minister of Commerce and Industry. In 1946 (Shōwa 21), his association with Mantetsu led to his expulsion from public office. He passed away in 1954 at the age of 76. Alongside extensive publications, primarily focusing on commercial law, Matsumoto also served as a pioneering lawyer who founded a law firm specializing in corporate legal affairs and practiced in the field.