Japan's first national election is held in…

Japan's first national election is held in 1890 and three hundred members are elected to the House of Representatives.

The Jiyuto and Kaishinto parties have been revived in anticipation of the election and together won over half of the seats.

The House of Representatives soon becomes the arena for disputes between the politicians and the government bureaucracy over large issues, such as the budget, the ambiguity of the constitution on the Diet's authority, and the desire of the Diet to interpret the "will of the emperor" versus the oligarchy's position that the cabinet and administration should "transcend" all conflicting political forces.

The main leverage the Diet had is in its approval or disapproval of the budget, and it successfully wields its authority henceforth.