About This Site
The Japanese Law Translation Database System is a website managed by the Ministry of Justice that provides translations of Japanese laws and regulations.
Promoting the Translation
What Steps Are Involved Before a Translated Law Is Made Available to the Public?
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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 2024)
FUJISAWA Naoe
Associate Professor, University of Tsukuba Institute of Business Sciences
藤澤 尚江
筑波大学ビジネスサイエンス系准教授
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
HOTTA Shugo
Professor, Faculty of Law, Tokyo Metropolitan University
堀田 周吾
東京都立大学法学部教授
KANEKO Yuko
Attorney-at-law, Solicitor in England and Wales, Vasco da Gama Offices
金子 優子
弁護士(イングランド/ウェールズ弁護士(ヴァスコ・ダ・ガマ法律会計事務所))
KOBAYASHI Ichiro
Professor, Hitotsubashi University Graduate School of Law
小林 一郎
一橋大学大学院法学研究科教授
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
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)
MINATO Kentaro
Attorney-at-law, Partner, Atsumi & Sakai (Solicitor in England and Wales)
湊 健太郎
弁護士(渥美坂井法律事務所・外国法共同事業)
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
OKUBO Shingo
Attorney-at-law, Partner, Vasco da Gama Offices
大久保 晋吾
弁護士(ヴァスコ・ダ・ガマ法律会計事務所)
SAITO Aya
Attorney-at-law, Boston Consulting Group
斎藤 綾
弁護士(ボストン・コンサルティング・グループ合同会社)
SUGIURA Yasutomo
Of Counsel, 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
TOEDA Mikiko
Atttorney-at-law, Anderson Mōri & Tomotsune
十枝 美紀子
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)
TSUCHIYA Chieko
Atttorney-at-law, Anderson Mōri & Tomotsune
土屋 智恵子
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)
TSUDA Kenichiro
Attorney-at-law, Kenichiro Tsuda Law Office
津田 顕一郎
弁護士(津田顕一郎法律事務所)
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.