Since publication of the first edition, practitioners who deal with Japanese law have put great store in this major work, which systematically compares U.S. law and Japanese law across all the major fields of legal practice. Japan’s legal system has changed dramatically since the publication of the Second Revised Edition as a consequence of Legislation and Supreme Court decisions in such diverse areas as public law (including administrative, election, constitutional and criminal law) as well as private law (including custody, assisted reproduction technology, labor law, discrimination, corporate governance, civil litigation, etc.).
This new edition follows the same comparative structure as formerly, but fully updates the coverage with the many changes currently in place or in process in Japanese law today while adding new chapters on Freedom of Expression and Conflict of Laws.
Although the alteration of the legal landscape in Japan is highly visible, the author does not hesitate to raise questions as to how far-reaching the changes really are. In almost every branch of the new Japanese legal practice he uncovers ways in which laws and judicial rulings are closely qualified and are likely to present challenges in any given case. He reminds the reader in each chapter that ‘what you see may not be what you get.’ For this reason, and for its comprehensive coverage, this third edition is sure to gain new adherents as the best-informed practical guide for lawyers with dealings in Japan.