According to Article 73, the constitutional amendment shall be proposed and ratified by the emperor, and actually in the edict of the constitutional amendment, the emperor stated 'I …sanction the amendments of the Imperial Japanese Constitution …' (Constitution enacted by the emperor).
この条文によると、憲法改正は天皇が発議・裁可する事になっており、実際、憲法改正の上諭文には「朕は...憲法の改正を裁可し...」との記述（欽定憲法）がなされた。