貴族院
The Kizokuin, or "House of Peers," was the upper house of the Diet under the Meiji Constitution of Japan. It was composed of the Imperial family, the various levels of Japanese nobility (former samurai families), and commoners appointed by the Emperor. In many ways, it was similar to the House of Lords in the parliament of the United Kingdom.
Very little was specified about the House of Peers in the constitution, except that it would be prorogued in the event of the dissolution of the House of Representatives. This made it a convenient legislative tool for Japan's oligarchy, and indeed many, if not most, of Japan's prewar leaders came from within its ranks with the sanction of the genro (Meiji oligarchs). Famous presidents of the House include Ito Hirobumi and Konoe Fumimaro.
It is unsurprising, then, that the House of Peers was replaced by a more Americanized House of Councillors with the Japanese Constitution of 1946. | 
