With the Thursday close of the first lay judge trial, Japan has joined the ranks of some 80 countries whose citizens participate in criminal trials.

Experts interviewed by The Japan Times agreed that all parties involved in the Tokyo District Court trial, including the six "saibanin" (lay judges), had done "a great job" amid the attention and pressure.

Hundreds of mock trials during the five-year preparation period seem to have paid off, they said, adding the lay judges should speak out about their experience to help the system take root.