This Institute was established in 1958 for the purpose of engaging in comparative research on the legal systems of Japan and other countries. Its aims are to advance the teaching and study of law in the University, and to contribute to the improvement of legal systems and legal science in general.

Since its foundation, the Institute has concentrated its efforts on collecting materials on the legal systems of various countries, and we are proud of, among other things, our large collection of statutes, law reports and periodicals on law from many countries. While the Institute also supports current research on law in other countries by inviting foreign scholars, it is more importantly a base from which much information on Japanese law is offered to foreign countries.