[1] The elections for the lower house of the Diet were held in accordance with provisions of the new Meiji Constitution, which had been promulgated in 1889.

The number of eligible voters who met this requirement was 450,872 people out of a total Japanese population of 39,933,478 (1.13%).

The high tax requirement meant that voter roles were heavily weighed towards rural landlords and urban entrepreneurs.

[4] Only male citizens 30 years of age and over, who were not members of the kazoku peerage or of the imperial family or its branches were allowed to become candidates for office in the lower house.

[5] The first Diet session was summoned on 25 November; the two opposing forces confronted each other for the first time in the arena of practical Japanese politics.