Courts to allow online submissions of documents and evidence for civil lawsuits from 2021
The Supreme Court plans to allow online submissions of documents and evidence for civil lawsuits handled by courts across the nation as early as fiscal 2021, according to sources with knowledge of the matter. The top court included roughly ¥150 million for creating a specialized ...
Diet enacts contentious law allowing private firms to take charge of Japan's water supplies
Critics are worried that the revised Water Supply Act will effectively lead to privatization, a move that could lead to higher water bills.
LDP-Komeito bloc plan basic law for dementia support as Japan's demographics shift
The ruling parties are considering jointly submitting to next year's ordinary session of the Diet a lawmaker-initiated bill, to set out a basic law urging central and local governments to comprehensively promote support measures for dementia sufferers, according to sources. The Liberal Democratic Party and ...
Princess Mako's fiance to study law in U.S. from this summer: sources
Princess Mako's fiance, Kei Komuro, plans to study law in the United States from the summer, sources said Thursday, after the couple postponed their marriage. But the sources said the 26-year-old eldest granddaughter of Emperor Akihito, and Komuro — a commoner of the same age ...
The Diet enacts a new law to promote the use of unclaimed land in the public interest as more properties are expected to become available amid a decreasing population.
Osaka court rules tattoo artist's work violated medical law, was not art or expression
An Osaka tattoo artist was found guilty Wednesday of violating the Medical Practitioners’ Law in a case that drew international attention to Japan’s tattoo culture.
Prosecutors on Friday demanded that a tattooist in Suita, Osaka Prefecture, be slapped with a fine of ¥300,000 for operating without a medical doctor's license. In a case that has sparked nationwide debate over whether inking tattoos constitutes a medical act, 29-year-old Taiki Masuda is ...
Diet finally enacts electoral redistricting law to correct vote weight disparities across Japan
After years of stalling, the Diet enacted a law Friday to revise Lower House electoral districts to reduce voting weight disparities between densely and sparsely populated precincts that had marred the credibility of national elections. Based on population projections for 2020, the law will bring ...
A year after enactment of hate speech law, xenophobic rallies down by nearly half
A tally of xenophobic rallies in Japan shows that a new law against hate speech is having a positive impact in stemming public attacks against minority groups.
Medical big data to be pooled for disease research and drug development in Japan
Last month a bill aimed at facilitating medical research through the use of patient records stored at medical institutions cleared the Diet. The law, commonly called Jisedai Iryo-kiban Ho — roughly translated as the next-generation medical infrastructure law — will allow medical big data to ...
Chinese firms ordered to pay Disney, Pixar $194,000 for copying 'Cars': Xinhua
A Shanghai court ordered two Chinese firms to pay Walt Disney Co. and Pixar more than 1.35 million yuan ($194,440) compensation for copying parts of their hit movies "Cars" and "Cars 2," the official Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday. The ruling is the latest ...
New law to fight bias against 'burakumin' seen falling short
Overshadowed by the 11th-hour furor over casino legalization and other legislation forced through the Diet by the ruling bloc last week was the enactment of a lesser-known law that has significant implications for Japan's minority burakumin. The law enacted Dec. 9 marks a turning point ...
