| Research Abstract |
Currently in Japan voices demanding judicial reform can be heard everywhere. In order to make such reform successful, however, I believe that enhancement of legal consciousness among Japanese has to be achieved.
Otherwise the old methods of negotiation such as ground-making or unanimous open agreement will be used continuously that, in effect, undermine the real reform. Considering this, two years ago, I have set the goal of my studies to find what had to be done to enhance the legal education in Japan.
I have visited Germany two times to observe the actual legal-study classes in vocational schools, exchanged views with the officials in charge of law education in the local governments. Further, I met many other people in Germany who were working at the front line of legal education including the Deputy Principle of The Law Gymnasium, law scholars and concerned citizens to learn their views on legal education. These opportunities helped me broaden and deepen my thinking about the issues.
I
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made a comparison of the education systems and the law textbooks between the two countries. Such comparison suggests the serious insufficiency, both time and quality wise, in the Japanese legal education system.
Neverthless, I would say that the same insufficiency indicates what has to be done to improve the system.
One improvement I recommend is, like Germany, to create written Guidelines for Legal Education. I have obtained sample guidelines and literature used in Germany. In Japan, overall education has been loosened for some time; teaching time has been shortened, and curriculums were decreased. It has been characterized as the "relaxation of education". Even at the university level, emphasis on more the practical side of learning isdemanded. Yet, not many Japanese have a clear idea about how efficiently such practical education could be implemented. For example, the textbooks actually being used in universities to teach public law do not explain how to create and implement public law in a real setting.
Given the above, I believe that to figure out how to create proper textbooks and develop new curriculums, in addition to recruiting a new bred of professors will be the next step to be taken to improve legal education in Japan. Less
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