Law of Japan

The body of laws and legal institutions governing Japan, shaped by its Constitution, legislation, court decisions, and historical influences.

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Constitution of Japan: The supreme law of Japan, adopted in 1946 and effective from 1947, establishing parliamentary government and protecting fundamental rights. It sets the legal system’s structure and limits government power.
Japanese statutory law: Law enacted by Japan’s National Diet and promulgated through the country’s formal legislative process. Statutes provide the principal framework courts and public agencies apply.
Ritsuryō: A system of ancient Japanese law and administration based on codes influenced by Chinese models. It represents an early period when imported legal forms shaped Japanese governance.
Japanese family law: The Japanese legal rules governing marriage, divorce, parent-child relations, and family registration. It applies civil-law principles to personal status and household relationships.
National Diet: Japan’s bicameral national legislature, consisting of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. The Diet enacts statutes that form a central source of Japanese law.
Japanese administrative law: The rules governing Japanese public administration and legal challenges to administrative action. It connects statutory authority to decisions made by government agencies.
Meiji Constitution: Japan’s 1889 constitution, which established an imperial constitutional order before the postwar settlement. Its institutional design contrasts with the current Constitution of Japan.
Japanese labor law: The Japanese statutes and legal doctrines governing employment relationships and workplace conditions. It shows how legislation regulates the relationship between workers and employers.
Supreme Court of Japan: Japan’s highest court, with final authority over judicial decisions and constitutional review. Its rulings guide lower courts and can determine whether laws comply with the Constitution.
Japanese judicial precedent: Prior Japanese court decisions that influence how courts interpret and apply legal rules. Supreme Court interpretations provide practical guidance even in a code-centered system.