 Before the end of the World War II (Meiji, Taishō, and Shōwa era), criticisms and discussions of the Emperor and the imperial system were severely punished by the old Penal Code as they were considered to be lèse-majesté, and there was also strong pressure from Japanese society against such criticisms.Further, the Peace Preservation Law was enacted in 1941 to punish such criticisms against the imperial system.After the war, freedom of speech was widely recognized because of the Article 21 of the Japanese Constitution, and the old Penal Code which prohibited lèse-majesté was also abolished by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers.