Japanese Law Research Guide: Japanese Law by Subject

|   ADR  |   Civil Law  |  Constitutional Law  |  Commercial Law/Business Law  |  Consumer Protection/Products Liability  |  Criminal Law  |
  |  Environmental Law  |  Family Law  |  Intellectual Property Law |  Labor Law |

 

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Alternative Dispute Resolution:

• Kluwer Arbitration - Select "Jurisdictions" tab > then select "Japan"
• The ADR Basic Law (2002), by Kazuhiko Yamamoto
• The National Consumer Affairs Center serves as an ADR institution to settle consumer complaints
• The Law on Promotion of Use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADA Act) was enacted in 2004 (No. 151 of 2004).  The Act establishes the fundamental ADR policies and a certification scheme for conciliation and mediation services delivered by private ADR and complies with the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law. 
• The Japan Commercial Arbitration Association
  • An Overview on the Current Status of Japanese Private Dispute Resolution (2010)
  • Arbitration Rules (2015 / in English)
  • International Commercial Mediation Rules (2009 / in English)
• World Arbitration Reporter - Vol. 1A (2019)

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Civil Law:

• Overview of the Civil Code Reform
• Civil Code (Current English Translation)
• Outline of Civil Procedure in Japan
• ​International Civil Procedure (Westlaw)
• Transnational Litigation: A Practitioner's Guide (Westlaw) - Chapter 18: Japan
• The Development of Jury Service in Japan: A square block in a round hole (2017) - See book review 
• The Rule of Law in Japan: A Comparative Analysis ((2017)

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Constitutional Law:

• The Birth of the Constitution in Japan - National Diet Library
• The Constitution of Japan - National Diet Library
• The Constitution of Japan: A Contextual Analysis, by Shigenori Matsui (2011)
• The Quest for Japan's New Constitution: An Analysis of Visions and Constitutional Reform Proposals, 1980-2009, by Christian G. Winkler (2011)

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Commercial Law/Business Law:

• Doing Business in Japan by Zentaro Kitagawa, General Editor (Lexis) - Includes commentary on business related law, plus translations of some relevant statues. (Older version in print at UC Law SF.) 
• Doing Business in Japan - Kenichi Sekiguchi, Yohsuke Higashi, and Hiroshi Oyama (Practical Law on Westlaw) - Covers foreign investment, corporate structure, employment law, taxes, customs, and competition rules.
• Enterprise Law: Contracts, Markets, and Laws in the US and Japan, by Zenichi Shishido (2014)
• Japanese Business Law in Western Languages: An Annotated Selective Bibliography, by Professor Harald Baum (2014)
• Japanese Business Law, by Gerald Paul McAlinn (2007)
• Trade Related Regulations and Guidelines - The Japan Fair Trade Commission

• Corporations and Partnerships in Japan (2016)

 

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Consumer Protection / Products Liability Law:

• Basic Consumer Act (2009)
• Product Liability Act (1994)
• Consumer Safety Act (2009)
• Consumer Contract Act (2000)
• "Product Liability and Safety Regulation" by Luke Nottage (in Japanese Business Law / 2007)

 

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Criminal Law:

• Penal Code (2007)
• Outline of Criminal Procedure in Japan (2014)
• "Criminal Law and Procedure" by Hiroshi Oda (in Japanese Law / 2009)
• The Development of Jury Service in Japan: A square block in a round hole (2017) - See book review 
• National Criminal Law in a Comparative Legal Context (2016) - Volume 5.1, Grounds for rejecting criminal liability : Grounds for excluding criminal liability : Grounds for terminating or expunging criminal liability : Australia, Japan, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey, Uganda.

• Crime and Justice in Contemporary Japan (2018)

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Environmental Law:

• Comparative Environmental Law & Regulation (Westlaw)
• International Environmental Law: The Practitioner's Guide to the Laws of the Planet, by Roger R. Martella (2014)
• "Environmental and Worker Safety Law in Japan: Recent Changes, the Impact of Reform Laws and Movements, and the Prospects for the Future" by Eri Osaka (in The Japanese Legal System: An Era of Transition / 2012)

• Ministry of the Environment Related Laws: in English // in Japanese

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Family Law:

• The Children's Rights Network maintains a web page of Japanese Family law information including essays and relevant Japanese laws in English and Japanese.
• The Supreme Court's Guide to the Family Court of Japan (2013 PDF)
• Child and Family Matters: US Embassy in Japan
• International Family Law Practice (Westlaw)

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Intellectual Property Law:

• The Copyright Research and Information Center is a public service corporation authorized by the Government of Japan. The website provides information in English such as:
  • The Copyright Law of Japan
  • Copyright System in Japan
  • Q & A about Copyright in Japan
  • Copyright and Neighboring Rights Treaties
  • Copyright White Paper

• Institute of Intellectual Property (IIP) - Japanese Cases in English. Search by keyword, Court, Date of the Judgment, Case Number and/or Type of Right
• Japan Intellectual Property High Court  (April 2005 - current)
• Intellectual Property Protection in Asia - Chapter 5: International Property Regime in Japan
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO Lex) - Japan section
• Japan Patents & Applications (Westlaw)

• Japanese Patent Litigation (2012)

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Labor Law:

• NATLEX: Japan -  National labour, social security and related human rights legislation.
• NORMLEX: Japan Profile - Collection of international labour standards for Japan
• International Labour Organization - ILOSTAT
• ILO Labor Resources: Japan
• The Littler Mendelson Guide to International Employment and Labor Law - Vol. III (2017)
• Bloomberg/BNA Labor & Employment Law Books:
  • International Labor and Employment Laws (Vol. 1A - see Part 4) Also available online through Bloomberg Law. 
  • International Practitioners Deskbook Series: International Labor and Employment Law, Vol 2
  • Getting The Deal Through, Labour and Employment (2019)
• International Encyclopedia for Labour Law and Industrial Relations - Vol. 9 (2005)
• Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training: in English  //  in Japanese