1) Promoting the Study of Law and Sustainability
(medium-term Institute-wide research and education activities)
The Institute-wide research project “The Role of Law and Jurisprudence at the Turning Point of Sustainable Society: Prospects for Asian Regional Law” was first launched in 2013. In 2017, “Promoting the Study of Law and Sustainability,” a four-year Institute-wide research project, was launched and is scheduled to continue until 2020.The common concern of this project is to conduct a critical review of modern law, which has led to, or at least quietly condoned, results that threaten the survival of humankind and the earth itself. Research into individual issues is carried out by joint research groups bearing that common concern in mind.
In 2018, cluster seminars (land, business, environment and care in society) were held regularly and the research outcomes were presented in the ICL’s 60th anniversary symposium held at Ono Auditorium on 29 and 30 September 2018. The symposium attracted an audience of about 130, and lively discussions between reporters and commentators took place.
The second round of this research started in October 2018. The research outcomes will be presented in the concluding symposium of 30 October 2019. Preparation for publication will commence in autumn 2019, with publication scheduled for mid-2020.
Promoting the Study of Law and Sustainability: Records of Clusters’ Research meetings.
| Date | Research Cluster | Lecturers |
| May 10, 2017 | Preparatory Study Group of the ICL’s 60th Anniversary Symposium (1) Discussion of research scope and the concept of Sustainability |
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| July 29, 2017 | Land Business |
Discussion of the contents of the ICL’s 60th Anniversary Symposium (2) Discussion of research subject and research cluster’s framework |
| October 4, 2017 | Environment | Discussion of the contents of the ICL’s 60th Anniversary Symposium (3) Discussion of research subject and research cluster’s framework |
| November 1, 2017 | Care in Society | Discussion of the contents of the ICL’s 60th Anniversary Symposium (4) Discussion of research subject and research cluster’s framework |
| 1st Round | ||
| December 8, 2017 | Land | Sustainability of Cities and Population Mobility Noriyuki Aoki (Research Member) |
| January 12, 2018 | Business | Challenges of Cryptocurrency Hiroyuki Watanabe (Research Member) |
| February 9, 2018 | Environment | Equity with Future Generations Tadashi Otsuka (Research Member) The Hungarian Ombudsman for Future Generations Mahito Shindo (Waseda University) Ensuring Intergenerational Equity: Perspective from the UK Committee on Climate Change Hitomi Kimura (Otsuma Women‘s University) |
| April 13, 2018 | Care in Society | The Importance of Social Support in the Regions Yoshimi Kikuchi (Research Member) Study of Regional Comprehensive Care and Decision-making Support Yuki Hashimoto (Research Member) Study on Social Networks and Care in Society – as illustrated by the Regional Autonomy in the Field of Social Security Masanori Okada (Research Member) |
| May 11, 2018 | Business | The Potential of Company Law as a Study of Humanity Tatsuo Uemura (Research Member) |
| June 8, 2018 | Land | ‘Regional Creation’ Policy and Sustainability of Regional Society Tatsuhisa Tamura (Research Member) |
| June 15, 2018 | Care in Society | Study of the Bank Account Management Model Contributing to the Support of Elderly Persons Fujio Nakatsuka (Senior Fellow, Financial Technology Research Institute, Inc.) Disputes Regarding Vulnerable Elderly Persons’ Financial Transactions (Chiefly Focusing on Financial ADR) Rika Sato (Lawyer, Ota Sato Law Office) |
| July 13, 2018 | Discussion | Review of each Cluster’s Research Results Discussion of the contents of the ICL’s 60th Anniversary Symposium |
| 2nd Round | ||
| November 9, 2018 | Meeting | Discussion of the Future Research Plan |
| January 11, 2019 | Care in Society | Ontological Ethics of Care in Society – Responsibility and Hospitality Takaaki Morinaka (Research Member) |
| February 8, 2019 | Business | A Sustainable Economic Society and Company Law Tatsuo Uemura (Research Member) |
| March 27, 2019 | Care in Society | Legal Approaches and Building Civil Law Norms Regarding the Support of Vulnerable Persons Shoichi Ogano (Professor, Chuo University) |
| April 12, 2019 | Land | Urban Redevelopment and Sustainability in the United States Noriyuki Aoki (Research Member) |
| May 10, 2019 | Business | ESG Investment Etsuro Kuronuma (Research Member) |
| June 7, 2019 | Environment | The Hungarian Ombudsman for Future Generations Tadashi Otsuka (Research Member) Climate Litigation Mahito Shindo (Waseda University) |
| July 5, 2019 | Discussion | Review of each Cluster’s Research Results Discussion of the contents of the Symposium |
2) Start of the yearly theme seminar
(short-term Institute-wide research and educational activities)
Research themes have been set annually since 2017, and an open lecture series has been held, principally for an audience of undergraduate students (the “theme seminar”). In 2017, to mark the 150th anniversary of Japan-Denmark diplomatic relations, the ICL’s seminar series was entitled “The Appeal of Scandinavian Law.” In 2018, the theme was Fintech (financial technology) and Law. From June to July 2019, Yokogawa Toshio Kinen Kōkai Kōza was held (the theme in FY2019: “Sports and Law”, Co-host: School of Law, Waseda University).
3) Furthering the ICL’s inter-disciplinary research and contributions to educational activities
The ICL has traditionally conducted legal-centered research activities. Since 2017, the Institute has further developed these research activities by adding two elements: (a) inter-disciplinary research and (b) research that feeds back into education. As an example of (a), interdisciplinary seminar, “A Study on Nationality and Descent from the Perspective of the Legal Status of ‘Nikkeijin’” was held in 2018. As an example of (b), the Institute engages in publicity to encourage attendance of open lectures by undergraduate and graduate students; and the Institute has enabled doctoral students, students who have finished the doctoral program but have yet to submit their dissertations (ABDs), graduates of the Law School, and those with equivalent qualifications to obtain the status of “Research Fellow” and so participate more fully in our activities. We also plan to allow doctoral students to participate actively in the various joint research groups of the aforementioned Institute-wide research project “Promoting the Study of Law and Sustainability”. Furthermore, an online article entitled “Topics of Japanese Law” will not only serve to introduce research, but will also contribute to educational activities of the Graduate School of Law (including the LL.M.program).
In June 2019, the 3rd ICL’s event of film screening and discussion “Discuss Food Loss (Film title: Wastecooking)” was held.
The ICL actively publicizes the various events held under the auspices of the Institute-wide project “Law and Sustainability,” such as research groups, open lectures and symposia, open lectures of the yearly theme seminar, and other open lectures and symposia, to interested persons (including undergraduates). The Institute also encourages the timely feedback of research outcomes into educational activities.
Link to Japanese page.
Projects and Joint Research
