The Annotated Constitution of Japan: A Handbook

The Annotated Constitution of Japan: A Handbook for the first time makes the entirety of Japan’s constitution accessible in English. The book consists of a historical and contextual overview of how the constitution came into being, followed by descriptions of each of its 103 articles; the meaning of the text, interpretive disputes, academic theories and leading cases arising under them. The book also points out the many subtle distinctions between the English version and the Japanese, some of which arose from the charter’s unique provenance. With contributors representing a broad range of expertise in various areas of Japanese law, the book is written to appeal to academics, students and general readers alike. It is intended to be the first port of call for anyone needing to understand the fundamentals of Japanese constitutional law, whether from the perspective of Japanese studies, comparative law, or political science, but unable to access the text and related literature available in Japanese. Key reference documents in English and Japanese are included as appendices for ease of reference.

Colin P.A. Jones is a professor at Doshisha University Law School in Kyoto. A graduate of U.C. Berkeley, he did graduate work at Tohoku University (LL.M.) and Duke Law School (J.D., LL.M.). He is also a practicing lawyer admitted in New York, Guam and the Republic of Palau and sits on the board of two large Japanese companies. Colin has published widely in both Japanese and English, with a particular focus on Japanese law. His books include The Japanese Legal System and The Japanese Legal System in a Nutshell (both from West Academic and co-authored with Frank Ravitch) and Obey, Not Know; Essays in Japanese Law and Society (Kurodahan Press), which is based on his long-running column Law of the Land in The Japan Times.