This essay argues that it is not a good idea to propose keywords to help find the "essence" of Japanese law. In fact, such an approach may well be the problem as we search for a single lens with which to analyze a complex society. Our perceptions of Japan, related to both exaggerated views of early postwar success and subsequent failure and to a preoccupation with cultural explanations, may hinder, rather than aid, careful analysis of Japanese law and its impact on society. This essay instead proposes that we treat Japan as a "normal" country that has both similarities to and differences with other advanced societies. Those with expertise and experience in Japan can contribute to the understanding of Japan by supplying the Japanese context in which law operates.Many of the problems of perceptions and stereotypes that involve Japanese law and society are also shared with China and other Asian and non-Western societies. Japanese law scholars should also make greater efforts to collaborate with other Asian law scholars to counter exaggerated cultural perceptions and to increase understanding of their work among general legal comparativists and the general public.

Presents a fresh, contextualised and sophisticated perspective on comparative law for both students and scholars.

This book presents a comprehensive account of past and present efforts to introduce the jury system in Japan. Four legal reforms are documented and assessed: the implementation of the bureaucratic and all-judge special jury systems in the 1870s, the introduction of the all-layperson jury in the late 1920s, the transplantation of the Anglo-American-style jury system to Okinawa under the U.S. Occupation, and the implementation of the mixed-court lay judge (saiban’in) system in 2009. While being primarily interested in the related case studies, the book also discusses the instances when the idea of introducing trial by jury was rejected at different times in Japan’s history. Why does legal reform happen? What are the determinants of success and failure of a reform effort? What are the prospects of the saiban’in system to function effectively in Japan? This book offers important insights on the questions that lie at the core of the law and society debate and are highly relevant for understanding contemporary Japan and its recent and distant past.

This book develops the dual themes that languages can differ widely in their vocabularies, and are also sensitive indices to the cultures to which they belong. Wierzbicka seeks to demonstrate that every language has "key concepts," expressed in "key words," which reflect the core values of a given culture. She shows that cultures can be revealingly studied, compared, and explained to outsiders through their key concepts, and that the analytical framework necessary for this purpose is provided by the "natural semantic metalanguage," based on lexical universals, that the author and colleagues have developed on the basis of wide-ranging cross-linguistic investigations. Appealing to anthropologists, psychologists, and philosophers as well as linguists, this book demonstrates that cultural patterns can be studied in a verifiable, rigorous, and non-speculative way, on the basis of empirical evidence and in a coherent theoretical framework.

The second edition of this concise phrase book is an essential tool for all students who want to communicate their ideas, arguments and evaluations clearly and precisely. Featuring over 2,000 words common to most academic disciplines, it will help students to expand their vocabulary, understand how these words are used and spot mistakes in their own academic writing. Units present the words in full sentences, enabling users to see exactly how they are used, and also include additional information on context, connotation and collocations. This is an ideal reference guide for students of all disciplines and levels who are required to complete written assignments as part of their course. It is also a valuable resource for students looking to fine tune their vocabulary for job searches, interviews and writing for professional purposes. New to this Edition: - Now contains practice exercises so readers can test their understanding as they goRefreshed, more reader-friendly text design

This is a wide-ranging selection of 130 readings in Japanese law. The essays, extracted from previously published books and articles, cover subjects including historical context, the civil law tradition, the legal services industry, dispute resolution, constitutional law, contracts, torts, criminal law, family law, employment law, corporate law, and economic regulation. This unique collection of readings is accompanied by the texts of the Japanese constitution and other basic laws.

"Language shapes and reflects how we think about the world. It engages and intrigues us. Our everyday use of language is quite effortless--we are all experts on our native tongues. Despite this, issues of language and meaning have long flummoxed the judges on whom we depend for the interpretation of our most fundamental legal texts. Should a judge feel confident in defining common words in the texts without the aid of a linguist? How is the meaning communicated by the text determined? Should the communicative meaning of texts be decisive, or at least influential? ... [Contributors] argue that the meaning of language is crucial to the interpretation of legal texts, such as statutes, constitutions, and contracts. Accordingly ... analysis of language from linguists, philosophers, and legal scholars should influence how courts interpret legal texts."--