Little has been written on Japanese contract law and anti-trust law in Western languages. This book describes the role of this law in protecting the distributor against unilateral terminations of distribution agreements. There have been significant pressures both to lower prices and restructure distribution channels in Japan which have strained many distribution agreements. This volume, based primarily on Japanese language legal material, not only involves a study of applicable black-letter law, but also a sociological study of its application in practice. Detailed analysis has been made in particular of famous legal termination cases during the 1990s in the Japanese luxury cosmetics distribution system which generated influential decisions by the higher courts and the Fair Trade Commission, providing new insights into whether or not there are distinct Japanese attitudes towards contracts.

There is growing consensus among international trade negotiators and policymakers that a prime area for future multilateral discussion is competition policy. Competition policy includes antitrust policy (including merger regulation and control) but is often extended to include international trade measures and other policies that affect the structure, conduct, and performance of individual industries. This study includes country studies of competition policy in Western Europe, North America, and the Far East (with a focus on Japan) in the light of increasingly globalized activities of business firms. Areas where there are major differences in philosophy, policy, or practice are identified, with emphasis on those differences that could lead to economic costs and international friction. Alternatives for eliminating these costs and frictions are discussed, including unilateral policy changes, bilateral or multilateral harmonization of policies, and creation of new international regimes to supplement or replace national or regional regimes.

Companies in Europe and Japan are increasingly the target of private antitrust litigation. These lawsuits are being facilitated by favorable case law, legislative changes, and a growing awareness of antitrust remedies in all layers of society. This book analyzes and compares this burgeoning area of litigation in the European Union and Japan. It examines the legal framework for these actions and takes stock of the hundreds of actions for damages and injunctive relief that have been brought in Japan and the EU. It also looks at the novel contexts in which private litigants are invoking antitrust violations, such as in derivative suits and in actions to challenge arbitral awards. Finally, the book assesses the impact of private litigation on the enforcement of antitrust law and shows how Japan's experience can be useful for Europe and vice versa in shaping future reforms.

A careful analysis of Japan's dealings with its legal system through a time of unprecedented change (1868- 1960). A must for scholars of Japanese studies, historians and jurists alike.

The most important book on antitrust ever written. It shows how antitrust suits adversely affect the consumer by encouraging a costly form of protection for inefficient and uncompetitive small businesses.

First published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.