With Emperor Akihito abdicating on April 30, the Heisei Era that began Jan. 8, 1989, after his father's death will also come to an end. With this column I'd like to look back at some of the noteworthy changes that occurred to Japan's laws ...

Asimov's "Three Laws of Robotics" are fictional rules, so why do we keep looking to them for guidance? The closest thing to real-world robot law we could have more seems likely to develop around the question of when autonomous military drones can make "kill" ...

At no point have I ever had to grapple with the decision to have my genitals surgically removed. Perhaps the same is true for you. While these may seem an odd set of affirmations to open with, they help illustrate a basic truth: How ...

A botched assassination attempt in 1891 presents Japan's fledgling penal code with an existential dilemma.

Ousted Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn's case will put Japan's criminal trial process on the global stage.

The real long-term problem faced by America is not the U.S. president. It's the crumbling legitimacy of the entire U.S. system of government.

A 'hostage-based' criminal justice system, second arrests and trial by public all play a part in a case that the world is watching.

"You may not put more than three pencils in your pencil box/ If you wish to speak in class, raise your hand forward at a 70-degree angle/ No going to the toilet in groups/ You must finish using the toilet within seven minutes/ Use ...

Possession and receipt of marijuana are illegal for Japanese citizens even overseas, but don't expect urine checks at immigration.

Culture of over-regulation helps explain the country's persistent problem with data falsification.