Incompatible with any Introduction to Japanese Law course or previous law studies undertaken in Japan

Course objectives:

The Kyoto Seminar is a one-week intensive course introducing the fundamentals of Japanese law at the graduate level.  The Kyoto Seminar project is run by Ritsumeikan University as part of a Japanese Ministry of Education special purpose grant for development of graduate programs in Japan.  For more information on the Kyoto Seminar, see www.kyoto-seminar.jp.

The objective of the course is to give students sufficient knowledge and perspective to understand current developments in Japanese law and society. The course incorporates seven three-hour lecture sessions taught jointly by Japanese legal experts (predominately from Ritsumeikan University Law School, one of the top private universities in Japan) and foreign comparative law experts (the ANJeL co-directors).  The course covers the basic history and structure of Japanese law; the role of law in Japanese society (eg, criminal justice, civil justice, and gender and the law); and a number of select issues in substantive Japanese law (eg, finance law, business law, and constitutional law)

Beyond the classroom, the course also includes field trips to the Kyoto District Court , the local bar association, and one outside legal institution (eg, 2005 included an excursion to Toyota’s legal department). Furthermore, a large amount of the educational experience occurs in the exchange among the diverse students taking the course.  Students in 2005 came from Ritsumeikan University (Kyoto), Asia Pacific University (Oita, Japan), and University of Sydney, and originated from over 15 countries.

Topics will include:

1.   Foundations of Japanese Law

          a.         Japanese Legal History

          b.         Structure of Japanese Legal System

          c.         Legal Education and Profession in Japan

2.   Japanese Legal Society

          a.         Civil Justice

          b.         Criminal Justice

          c.         Gender in Japanese Law

3.   Select Topics in Contemporary Japanese Law

          a.         Business in Japanese Law

          b.         Finance In Japanese Law

          c.         Constitutional Issues in Japanese Law

Assessment will be based on (1) student attendance and participation (10%), (2) a short-question examination covering the material from entire course (30%), and (3) a research paper (60%).  The word limits and other duration requirements will be set consistent with University policy.  The research paper will be due four weeks from the final day of the Kyoto Seminar program.

LLB