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. 

Asian and Pacific Law Guide

A legal research guide for Asia and the Pacific region, created by the library at the University of Sydney. Includes regional legal information as well as covering twenty-five individual jurisdictions. For each jurisdiction, there are annotated links to sources of legislation and cases, information about the legal system, information relating to international law (such as participation in treaties), and links to research guides.  

Legal Frameworks for Nuclear Activities

This part of the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) site provides information on the legal frameworks for nuclear activities in OECD and NEA member and partner countries. Country profiles cover a range of topics including the regulatory regime, regulatory authorities and advisory bodies. There is information on nuclear installations, radioactive waste management, radioactive substances and equipment, non-proliferation and transport. Links are given to primary legislation and to other NEA publications. The NEA is part of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

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.

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.

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. 

Supreme Court of Japan

Official website of the Supreme Court of Japan. The site includes an overview of the judicial system in Japan and a guide to judicial proceedings. A database of selected Supreme Court judgments is available, in English, from 1950 onwards. The site can be viewed in English and Japanese.

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