About This Site
Promoting the translation of Japanese laws and regulations into foreign languages
Efforts to translate Japanese laws and regulations into foreign languages were initiated as part of the judicial system reform. It was decided that it is important to accurately disseminate Japan's laws and regulations in the globalizing world and that it is necessary to actively promote the translation of Japanese laws and regulations into foreign languages. Therefore, we have decided to develop the infrastructure for the translation.
In January 2005, the Cabinet Secretariat established the "Liaison Conference of the Relevant Ministries and Agencies for Developing a Foundation for Promoting Translation of Japanese Laws and Regulations into Foreign Languages" (hereinafter referred to as the "Liaison Conference".), which decided to create and revise the "Standard Legal Terms Japanese-English Dictionary" (hereinafter referred to as the "Standard Legal Terms Dictionary".) to serve as a guide for translation, formulate a "Translation Development Plan" for important laws and regulations with high translation needs, and establish and maintain a functional website. (Follow this link for details.)
In response to the above decision by the Liaison Conference, the Ministry of Justice established the "Japanese Law Translation Database System" in April 2009 to disseminate information on laws and regulations translated by the relevant ministries and agencies, as well as the Standard Legal Terms Dictionary. The first edition of the Standard Bilingual Dictionary was prepared based on the discussions of the "Working Group of the Study Council for Promoting Translation of Japanese Laws and Regulations into Foreign Languages" (composed of scholars and lawyers) under the Liaison Conference, which was followed by revisions by the "Law Translation Expert Council" and, since April 2009, by the "Japanese Law Translation Council" (an expert committee established by the Ministry of Justice to conduct expert studies on the development of infrastructure for the promotion of the translation of Japanese laws and regulations into foreign languages). The first edition of the Standard Bilingual Dictionary was prepared based on the discussions of the "Working Group of the Study Council for Promoting Translation of Japanese Laws and Regulations into Foreign Languages" (composed of scholars and lawyers) under the Liaison Conference, which was followed by revisions by the "Law Translation Expert Council" and, since April 2009, by the "Japanese Law Translation Council" (an expert committee established by the Ministry of Justice to conduct expert studies on the development of infrastructure for the promotion of the translation of Japanese laws and regulations into foreign languages). The first edition of the Standard Bilingual Dictionary was prepared based on the discussions of the "Working Group of the Study Council for Promoting Translation of Japanese Laws and Regulations into Foreign Languages" (composed of scholars and lawyers) under the Liaison Conference, which was followed by revisions by the "Law Translation Expert Council" and, since April 2009, by the "Japanese Law Translation Council" (an expert committee established by the Ministry of Justice to conduct expert studies on the development of infrastructure for the promotion of the translation of Japanese laws and regulations into foreign languages). Currently, the "Public-Private Sector Strategy Council for the Promotion of International Dissemination of Japanese Laws and Regulations," which was launched in December 2019, is in charge of promoting the translation of Japanese laws and regulations into foreign languages.
MEMBERS OF THE JAPANESE LAW TRANSLATION COUNCIL (FISCAL YEAR 2023)
ABE Hirotomo Emeritus Professor, Hitotsubashi University Professor, NUCB Business School
阿部 博友 一橋大学名誉教授・名古屋商科大学ビジネススクール教授
   
BANNO Masako Attorney-at-law, Partner, OKUNO & PARTNERS (Cross-border Business Law)
坂野 維子 弁護士(奥野総合法律事務所・外国法共同事業)
   
HAMABE Yoichiro Professor, Faculty of Law, Aoyama Gakuin University (Attorney-at-law, Member, Waseda University Legal Clinic LPC)
浜辺 陽一郎 青山学院大学法学部教授 (弁護士、弁護士法人早稲田大学リーガル・クリニック)
   
Nels C. HANSEN Registered Foreign Lawyer
ネルス・クリスチャン・ハンセン 外国法事務弁護士
   
HIRANO Haruo Professor, Graduate Schools for Law and Politics, University of Tokyo
平野 温郞 東京大学大学院法学政治学研究科教授
   
HOSHI Shuichiro Professor, Faculty of Law, Tokyo Metropolitan University
星 周一郎 東京都立大学法学部教授
   
Carol LAWSON Associate Professor, Graduate Schools for Law and Politics, University of Tokyo
キャロル・ローソン 東京大学大学院法学政治学研究科准教授
   
MANZAWA Yoko Associate Professor, University of Tsukuba Law School
萬澤 陽子 筑波大学大学院人文社会ビジネス科学学術院法曹専攻・准教授
   
MATSUI Atsuko Attorney-at-law, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
松井 敦子 弁護士(森・濱田松本法律事務所)
   
MATSUMOTO Jinnosuke Attorney-at-law, Partner, Miyakezaka Sogo Law Offices
松本 甚之助 弁護士(三宅坂総合法律事務所)
   
MORISHITA Tetsuo Professor, Faculty of Law, Sophia University
森下 哲朗 上智大学法学部教授
   
NAGASAKI Akira Attorney-at-law, Partner, City-Yuwa Partners
長崎 玲 弁護士(シティユーワ法律事務所)
   
NAKATA Yuko Associate Professor, Department of Law, Faculty of Law, Nanzan University
中田 裕子 南山大学法学部法律学科准教授
   
NAKATANI Eiichiro Atttorney-at-law, Partner, Anderson Mōri & Tomotsune
仲谷 栄一郎 弁護士(アンダーソン・毛利・友常法律事務所外国法共同事業)
   
Catherine Maree O’CONNELL Registered Foreign Lawyer
キャサリン・マリー・オコーネル 外国法事務弁護士
   
SUGIURA Yasutomo Senior Advisor, Kashiwagi Sogo Law Offices (Solicitor in England and Wales)
杉浦 保友 柏木総合法律事務所顧問 (イングランド/ウェールズ弁護士)
   
TANAKA Yuko Attorney-at-law, Ernst & Young ShinNihon LLC
田中 優子 弁護士(EY新日本有限責任監査法人)
   
TAZAWA Motoaki Professor, Faculty of Law, Senshu University
田澤 元章 専修大学法学部教授
   
TERADA Mayu Professor, Hitotsubashi University Graduate School of Social Data Science
寺田 麻佑 一橋大学大学院ソーシャル・データサイエンス研究科教授
   
TSUDA Kenichiro Attorney-at-law, Partner, Aoi Law Office
津田 顕一郎 弁護士(あおい法律事務所)
   
YAGYU Kazushige Professor, Faculty of Global and Community Studies,Hiroshima Shudo University
柳生 一成 広島修道大学国際コミュニティ学部教授
   
NOTICE TO USERS
Translations
The translations contained in the Japanese Law Translation Database System are not official texts, and not all of the translations are finalized versions. Only the original Japanese texts of the laws and regulations have legal effect, and the translations are to be used solely as reference materials to aid in the understanding of Japanese laws and regulations. The government of Japan is not responsible for the accuracy, reliability or currency of the legislative material provided in this website, or for any consequence resulting from use of the information in this website. For all purposes of interpreting and applying law to any legal issue or dispute, users should consult the original Japanese texts published in the Official Gazette.
Translation of laws and regulations is carried out in accordance with the plan (Translation Development Plan) decided by the "Liaison Conference of Relevant Ministries and Agencies on the Development of Infrastructure for Promoting Translation of Laws and Regulations into Foreign Languages".
Tentative Translations
Any translation that the title of a law indicates to be a tentative translation has not yet been proofread or corrected by a native English speaker or legal translation expert; this translation may be revised in the future.
Citation, Reproduction and Reprinting
The data contained in the Japanese Law Translation Database System may be cited, reproduced, or reprinted in accordance with the Terms of Use.