Topics in Japanese Law

Colin P. A. JONES, Graduate School of Law and Politics

Objective
   This course will approach Japanese law primarily from an American perspective, while trying to provide both a comparative view of the subject together with a substantive overview of certain key areas.

Requirement Prerequisite
   There are no specific pre-requisites for the course, though students will be assumed to have a basic knowledge of the Japanese constitution and legal system. The classes will be conducted in English, and most or all materials will be in English, so an ability to read and understand English is important. Classroom discussions will also be conducted in English. The class is open to both graduate and undergraduate students.

Course Schedule
   The course will examine the Japanese legal system primarily from an American perspective. It will look at certain specific aspects of the system (the new saiban�fin system, certain specific areas of substantive law) from a variety of perspectives. Comparisons to the US system and that of other countries will be used to illustrate different ways of viewing the Japanese system.

Week 1: Introduction
Week 2-3: What is law and who is it for?
Week 4-5: The legal professions
Week 6: The Judiciary
Week 7: Constitutions
Week 8: What does "citizen participation" mean?
Week 9-10: Family Law
Week 11-14: Other areas of law (depending upon area of student interest)
Week 15: Final papers due/exam

Textbook
   There is no text for the course. Materials, in the form of academic papers, government reports, and court decisions, will be provided.

References
   The materials will be provided to students in advance of the class.

Grading
   Grades will be based on participation and a final paper.

Other Remarks
   The course is designed to be a dynamic and interactive exploration of the Japanese law and legal institutions, and wide ranging discussion is actively encouraged.