Article 73. When it has become necessary in future to amend
the provisions of the present Constitution, a project to the
effect shall be submitted to the Imperial Diet by Imperial Order.
(2) In the above case, neither House can open the debate,
unless not less than two-thirds of the whole number of Members
are present, and no amendment can be passed, unless a majority of
not less than two-thirds of the Members present is obtained.
Article 74. No modification of the Imperial House Law shall
be required to be submitted to the deliberation of the Imperial
Diet.
(2) No provision of the present Constitution can be modified
by the Imperial House Law.
Article 75. No modification can be introduced into the
Constitution, or into the Imperial House Law, during the time of
a Regency.
Article 76. Existing legal enactments, such as laws,
regulations, Ordinances, or by whatever names they may be called,
shall, so far as they do not conflict with the present
Constitution, continue in force.
(2) All existing contracts or orders, that entail
obligations upon the Government, and that are connected with
expenditure, shall come within the scope of Article 67.
(The above is the semi-official translation, which appeared in H.
Ito, Commentaries on the Constitution of the Empire of Japan,
trans. M. Ito, 1889.)