The Development of Comparative Law in Japan

This chapter discusses the historical development of comparative law in Japan, beginning with the Meiji government’s review of Western legal systems in order to craft its own modern legal system. In particular, it explains how foreign and comparative laws were imported into Japan and how the country’s ‘comparative law era’ began. The chapter then considers how Japanese law impacted legal developments in other countries, such as those in Asia and how comparative law studies are carried out within Japan today, with emphasis on consumer and civil law amendments, gradual transformation in corporate law and practice, and reforms within the civil and criminal justice systems. It also examines two major areas of interest among comparative law scholars focused on Japan: civil dispute resolution and corporate governance. Finally, it analyzes opportunities as well as challenges for comparative law scholarship in Japan.