This unit aims to develop the general skills of comparative lawyers, to effectively and critically assess contemporary developments in the legal system of one of the world's largest economies. 'Law' comprises the rules and norms that any society creates to govern how its members should interact with one another. Societal factors provide context to the legal system, and vice versa. To properly examine any country's laws and legal system one needs to have at least some degree of understanding of the dynamics and values of that society. The purpose of this course is to provide a foundation for understanding the history, place and use of law in modern Japan. The course covers the history, structure, and fundamental substantive areas of Japanese law. It investigates and challenges some common assumptions about the place of law in Japanese society, including Japan's legal history, judicial system, legal education, and legal profession. The course explores topics including the place of litigation in Japan, and the treatment of non-Japanese, women, and minorities. The course then focuses on Japanese substantive law include the foundations of and current topics in Japanese constitutional, criminal, contract, tort, and commercial law. The overarching theme of the course is the globalisation of Japanese law in a wide range of subject areas, including civil and criminal justice, gender and the law, public law and some aspects of business regulation.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Critically analyse key principles, doctrines, structures and legal regimes relevant to Japanese law and society, and communicate this knowledge to various audiences in a clear and coherent manner;
2. Synthesise research from primary and secondary materials on selected Japanese law and society topics and present findings;
3. Differentiate between an Australian and a Japanese understanding of the law and the relationship of citizens to the law on a variety of issues;
4. Investigate the historical foundations of Japanese law, and contribute to debates on the relationship of law and society;
5. Examine case law and other sources covering selected topics and current issues relating to Japanese law and society and present findings relating to these sources.

Required Resources

There is no prescribed textbook for this course. A full list of readings/E brick will be made available on Wattle two weeks prior to the course commencement date.

Recommended Resources

Whether you are on campus or studying remotely, there are a variety of online platforms you will use to participate in your study program. These could include videos for lectures and other instruction, two-way video conferencing for interactive learning, email and other messaging tools for communication, interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities, print and/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment.

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Other Information

Task submission times refer to Canberra time (AEST/AEDT).

Extensions, late submission and penalties: https://law.anu.edu.au/current-students/policies-procedures/extensions-late-submission-and-penalties

Deferred examination: http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/assessments-exams/deferred-examinations

Special consideration: http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/assessments-exams/special-assessment-consideration

Penalties for excess word length: https://law.anu.edu.au/current-students/policies-procedures/word-length-and-excess-word-penalties

Distribution of Grades Policy: https://law.anu.edu.au/current-students/policies-procedures/grading

Further information about the course: is available from the course WATTLE page. Students are required to access the WATTLE site regularly throughout the course for any announcements relating to the course.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction: Course orientation & What we talk about when we talk about (Japanese) law
2	(Should I care about) Japanese legal history?
3	Law; what is it good for? Constitutionalism and judicial review in Japan	In-class presentation
4	Going, going, Ghosn: Japanese criminal justice?	In-class presentation; Written answers to discussion questions
5	Japan, Inc: state, corporation and community	In-class presentation
6	Playing happy families: births, marriages and deaths	In-class presentation; Written answers to discussion questions
7	‘The Japanese do not like law’ (except when they do)	In-class presentation
8	Law and Japanese popular culture	In-class presentation
9	The nail that sticks out: Japanese law and social minorities	In-class presentation
10	International law and the Japanese context	In-class presentation
11	You and whose army? Japan's 'Peace Constitution' past, present...future?	In-class presentation; Written answers to discussion questions
12	Conclusions: What can we know about Japanese law and society?	Final research paper

Tutorial Registration

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
In-class presentation	10 %	*	26/05/2023	1,2,4,5
Written response to discussion question: Week 4	10 %	14/03/2023	22/03/2023	1,3,4,5
Written response to discussion question: Week 6	10 %	27/03/2023	05/04/2023	1,3,4,5
Written response to discussion question: Week 11	10 %	15/05/2023	24/05/2023	1,3,4,5
Independent research paper	60 %	07/06/2023	29/06/2023	1,2,5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Guideline and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

For all courses taught in any mode (whether face to face or online), the ANU College of Law considers participation in the classes offered to be an important part of the educational experience of the program. Students are expected to attend all classes.

Examination(s)

There is no final examination for this course.

Assessment Task 1

In-class presentation

Details of Task: Each student to present a 10 minute in-class oral presentation in response to assigned prompt relating to a given week's material. Presentations begin in Week 3.

Nature of Task: Compulsory and non-redeemable. Failure to complete will result in a mark of zero for this task.

Weighting: 10%

Release: Before the end of week 2.

Due Date: Ongoing. Due to the nature of the task, late submission or extension is not permitted.

Estimated Return Date: 26 May 2023 via Wattle. Feedback and mark will be provided when all students have completed their presentation.

Assessment Criteria: Assessment rubric available on Wattle.

Assessment Task 2

Written response to discussion question: Week 4

Details of Task: Students to write a written response to weekly seminar discussion questions, to be submitted in advance of class.

Nature of Task: Compulsory and non-redeemable. Failure to complete will result in a mark of zero for this task.

Weighting: 10%

Release: Wednesday 8 March 2023 (Week 3)

Word limit: 500 words. The ANU College of Law's Word Length and Excess Word penalties policy can be found here.

Submission Requirement: Your submission must be made in a word processing file format (.doc, .docx). PDF files will not be accepted. Footnotes should be used for the referencing of all sources. All references should be compliant with the current edition of the Australian Guide to Legal Citation.

Due Date: 5pm, Tuesday 14 March 2023 via Turnitin. Due to the nature of the task, late submission or extension is not permitted.

Estimated Return Date: Group feedback delivered in person during the seminar. Written feedback will be provided online by Wednesday 22 March 2023.

Assessment Criteria: Assessment rubric available on Wattle.

Assessment Task 3

Written response to discussion question: Week 6

Details of Task: Students to write a written response to weekly seminar discussion questions, to be submitted in advance of class.

Nature of Task: Compulsory and non-redeemable. Failure to complete will result in a mark of zero for this task.

Weighting: 10%

Release: Wednesday 22 March 2023 (Week 5)

Word limit: 500 words. The ANU College of Law's Word Length and Excess Word penalties policy can be found here.

Submission Requirement: Your submission must be made in a word processing file format (.doc, .docx). PDF files will not be accepted. Footnotes should be used for the referencing of all sources. All references should be compliant with the current edition of the Australian Guide to Legal Citation.

Due Date: 5pm, Monday 27 March 2023 via Turnitin. Due to the nature of the task, late submission or extension is not permitted.

Estimated Return Date: Group feedback delivered in person during the seminar. Written feedback will be provided online by Wednesday 5 April 2023.

Assessment Criteria: Assessment rubric available on Wattle.

Assessment Task 4

Written response to discussion question: Week 11

Details of Task: Students to write a written response to weekly seminar discussion questions, to be submitted in advance of class.

Nature of Task: Compulsory and non-redeemable. Failure to complete will result in a mark of zero for this task.

Weighting: 10%

Release: Wednesday 10 May 2023 (Week 10)

Word limit: 500 words. The ANU College of Law's Word Length and Excess Word penalties policy can be found here.

Submission Requirement: Your submission must be made in a word processing file format (.doc, .docx). PDF files will not be accepted. Footnotes should be used for the referencing of all sources. All references should be compliant with the current edition of the Australian Guide to Legal Citation.

Due Date: 5pm, Monday 15 May 2023 via Turnitin. Due to the nature of the task, late submission or extension is not permitted.

Estimated Return Date: Group feedback delivered in person during the seminar. Written feedback will be provided online by Wednesday 24 May 2023.

Assessment Criteria: Assessment rubric available on Wattle.

Assessment Task 5

Independent research paper

Details of Task: Independent research paper in response to assigned prompts.

Nature of Task: Compulsory and non-redeemable. Failure to complete will result in a mark of zero for this task.

Weighting: 60%

Release: Wednesday 29 March 2023 (Week 6)

Word limit: 3500 words. The ANU College of Law's Word Length and Excess Word penalties policy can be found here.

Submission Requirement: Your submission must be made in a word processing file format (.doc, .docx). PDF files will not be accepted. Footnotes should be used for the referencing of all sources. All references should be compliant with the current edition of the Australian Guide to Legal Citation.

Due Date: 5pm, Wednesday 7 June 2023 via Turnitin. Late submissions (without an extension) are permitted, but late penalties will apply. 

Estimated Return Date: Official end of semester results release date via Turnitin. 

Assessment Criteria: Assessment rubric available on Wattle

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item.
• Late submission is not accepted for tests or examinations.
• Late submission with an extension. To ensure equity for all students, the 5% penalty per working day for late submission of work does not apply if you have been granted an extension. Where an extension is granted, the revised due date and submission time will be provided in writing. Importantly, any revised due date is inclusive of weekends and public holidays. Regardless of which day of the week the revised due date falls on, students who submit after that date will be penalised by 5% of the possible marks available for the task per 24-hour period.  

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material.

Returning Assignments

All marks and feedback will be provided online by the return date listed in the class summary. 

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Access and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students