Justice And International Law In Meiji Japan

This book carries out a comprehensive analysis of the María Luz incident, a truly significant episode in Japanese and world history, from a legal perspective. In July 1872, the María Luz, a barque flying the Peruvian flag, carried Chinese indentured servants from Macau to Peru. After the ship stopped for repairs in Kanagawa Bay, a number of legal issues arose that were destined to change the perception and use of the law in Japan forever. The case had a tremendous impact on the collective imagination, both Japanese and international: it is one of the first occurrences in which an Asian country decided to resist the pressure of a Western nation, and responded using the most refined tools of domestic and international law. Moreover, the final outcome of the case (arbitration in front of the Czar of Russia) marks the debut of Japan on the stage of international arbitration. While historians have written widely on the subject, the legal importance of this event has been relatively neglected. This book uses the case to explore the technical legal issues Japan was facing in its transition from pre-modernity to modernity. These include unequal treaties, extraterritoriality clauses, the need to establish an updated judicial system, and a delicate balance between asserting sovereignty and resorting to diplomacy in solving disputes involving foreigners. Based on original documents, this book is an invaluable resource for researchers and academics in the fields of legal history, dispute resolution, international law, Japanese history and Asian studies.

This book is a record of the international symposium held at the Kyoto International Conference Hall to mark the centennial of the Japanese Association of International Law. The purpose of the symposium was to reflect on past Japanese practice, to analyze current problems affecting Japan, and to seek to clarify the future role of Japan in the global community, in terms of international law. After joining the international community in the middle of the nineteenth century, Japan adopted a policy of wealth creation and armament in order to maintain its independence against the expanding Western States. At the same time, on the domestic scene, Japan vigorously promoted the modernization - Westernization - of its political, economic, and social institutions. Japan emerged as one of the victorious 'Principal Allied and Associated Powers' in World War I, and started asserting its place in the international order. However, in the aftermath of the Great Depression, Japan failed to reach agreement with the international community, eventually left the League of Nations, invaded the Asian continent, and met with complete military defeat in World War II. In the subsequent years, Japan toiled to rebuild its economy and to rejoin the world community, but despite its miraculous economic recovery and expansion, Japan remains ambivalent in its policy of contributing to the maintenance of international peace and security. During these one and a half centuries the Japanese practice of international law has covered a wide range of fields. From these various fields, the symposium took up three specific topics: War and Peace, Economy, and Human Rights, because of their relevance to past Japanese practice and because future Japanese practice in these areas would be bound to affect international law in the coming century. In addition, the symposium discussed Japanese transactions, in general, with international law. The period covered by the symposium has witnessed many drastic changes in the world, and international law, which used to be applied almost exclusively to relations among the Western States, has now come to be applied universally. The Association wished to emphasize that an analysis of Japanese practice should be of significance for anyone interested in promoting and consolidating the rule of law in the world community at large.

Meryll Dean's superb new edition of Japanese Legal System provides a wide-ranging and unique insight into the legal system of a country which is at the forefront of global development, yet rarely examined by legal scholars. It is a major contribution to the study of comparative law and through its multidisciplinary approach breaks new ground in providing a comprehensive text on the subject. It draws on the author's first hand knowledge of Japan, but is written for non-Japanese speakers.; Through its approachable yet scholarly style, the reader is introduced to the essentials of the legal system, and guided through historical and cultural context; from which they will be able to develop an informed critique.; The book covers the history, structure and tradition of the Japanese legal system, as well as providing an insight into areas of substantive law. It contains extracts from diverse contemporary sources which, together with the author's commentary, guide the reader through the complexities of a different culture.The use of multidisciplinary sources, which are contextualised by the author, make what would otherwise be inaccessible material available for comparative analysis.; This book may be used as a textbook for undergraduate and postgraduate courses. It will be useful for those engaged in the study of history, politics, international relations and law, as well as being of value to academics, practitioners and those in business

How has Japan managed to become one of the most important economic actors in the world, without the corresponding legal infrastructure usually associated with complex economic activities? The Changing Role of Law in Japan offers a comparative perspecti

There was a truly global revolution that reflected a Great Divide between ancient and new legal regimes. The volume emphasizes its depth and scale and explores the phenomenon in the contexts of Morocco, Egypt, India, the Ottoman empire, China, and Japan.

It contains extracts from diverse contemporary sources which, together with the author's commentary, guide the reader through the complexities of a different culture. The use of multidisciplinary sources, which are contextualized by the author, make what would otherwise be inaccessible material available for comparative analysis. This book may be used as a textbook for undergraduate and postgraduate courses. It will be useful for those engaged in the study of history, politics, international relations and law, as well as being of value to academics, practitioners and those in business.

The Right to Life in Japan is a study that brings new perspectives to bear on an extremely important topic for all those facing the moral dilemmas of such issues as abortion and the death penalty. It also helps to fill a gap in life, in social science and law studies of contemporary Japan. Noel Williams approaches the right to life in Japan from a legal viewpoint via a broad range of issues such as abortion, suicide, capital punishment and death from overwork. Following a discussion of law and rights in Japan from an historical perspective, the author examines the question of what life is in contemporary Japan and focuses on problematic areas which have arisen in life issues, including infringements of the right to life within the modern company organization, and by the state, as well as the question of the equality of the right to life.

A careful analysis of Japan’s dealings with its legal system through a time of unprecedented change (1868- 1960). A must for scholars of Japanese studies, historians and jurists alike.