Japan

Treaty data search

Database of treaties involving Japan, provided by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Can be searched by title and subject. There are options to limit the search to bilaterals or multilaterals; if bilaterals are selected, users can choose the region, followed by the country. The title and date in force are given, together with the text of the treaty. The interface and most of the content are in Japanese only, but some of the treaties are in English or other languages as well. 

Researching Japanese Law

Research guide explaining the legal system in Japan, with links online resources and references to materials in English and Japanese. The guide was originally written by Makoto Ibusuki, Professor of Law at the Ritsumeikan School of Law, Kyoto, Japan, and published in 2005 on New York University's Globalex website; it was last updated in 2020 by Keiko Okuhara. It covers Japanese legislation, cases and government publications.

World Law: Japan

Japan section of WorldLII's Countries service. A full range of browse and search features are available on the site. Browse sections highlight links relating to Courts, Legislation, Parliament, Lawyers and Law Reform. Additional subject areas include Banking and Finance, Competition Law, Criminal Law, Insolvency and Bankruptcy, Intellectual Property, Regulatory Law and Human Rights. A collection of stored searches will automatically search for materials relating to Japan on all of WorldLII.

Japan Federation of Bar Associations

Website of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA), whose objectives include the protection of human rights in Japan, the registration of attorneys and the governance of matters relating to the guidance and supervision of Japanese attorneys and local bar associations. Background information on the JFBA is given including its objectives, categories of membership, membership rates, committees and an outline of the Japanese legal system and role of the attorney. The JFBA rules and regulations include full-text (HTML) of the code of ethics and the articles of association.

Japan Patent Office

Website of the Japanese Patent Office. The site includes a history and outline of the industrial property system in Japan. There is guidance on obtaining rights in Japan and information on the role and organisation of the Patent Office. There are also features on legislation and practice changes and the promotion policy for patent distribution. The text of selected committee documents, reports and speeches are available in full-text and there is a link to the Japanese Industrial Property Digital Library (NPDL). The site can be viewed in English and Japanese.

Japanese Law and Government

Website presenting links to Japanese legal resources maintained by the School of Law, Tohoku University in Japan. The pages are in English but include links to resources which are available in Japanese only. The resources are listed under the following headings: Japanese law; legal publishers; law journals; law schools; legal organisations; links to legal scholars; research institutes; government and university sites.

Ministry of Justice Japan

Website of the Japanese Ministry of Justice, the government department with primary responsibility for maintaining the rule of law and legal order in Japan. In particular it is concerned with immigration, nationality, prosecution of criminal cases, the treatment of offenders, protecting the rights of citizens, family registration and registration of real estate. The site offers some historical background on the administration of justice in Japan since the end of the Second World War.

House of Representatives - Diet of Japan

The House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the Diet or parliament of Japan. Its website provides information on the function and current structure and organisation of the House. It includes some details of the Japanese legislative procedure. Also available is a list of current members of the chamber and some information about the relative strength of representation of the key political parties in the House. The site is available in English or Japanese.

Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training

The Japan Institute of Labour Policy and Training works under the supervision of the Ministry of Labour. It is engaged in the comprehensive research and study of labour problems.The Institute collects and classifies information and data both domestically and internationally. Another important role of the Japan Institute of Labour is to inform labour, management and the general public in order to deepen understanding and knowledge of labour problems.

J-PlatPat (Japan Platform for Patent Information)

Free searchable database with English interface providing information on Japanese patents, utility models, designs, and trademarks issued by the Japan Patent Office. Users can search a range of resources applicable to the different types of industrial property including applications, gazettes and bibliographies. A simple search option uses keyword or number searching and an advanced search provides additional parameters eg. date, classification etc. The site also has trial decisions and online help with using the database and the Japanese design classification scheme. 

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