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Constitution Article 41provides the government with sufficient power to take aggressive action SEATTLE – Many foreign observers are puzzled by Japan’s odd response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which some call a “soft lockdown.” After dithering for weeks, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe finally exercised power granted under the recently revised New Influenza Special Measures Act to declare a state of emergency on April 7 over Tokyo and six other prefectures, authorizing prefectural governors to request social-distancing measures and other actions.

According to the provisions of the Constitution, anyone can observe trials held in courts across the country, but it was only during the Heisei era that spectators were allowed to freely take notes in the courtroom. Until then, permission was required, and it was rarely actually allowed. The catalyst for this change was a lawsuit filed by an American lawyer.

The Tokyo District Court has almost never used a system for permanently preserving records of important civil lawsuits, resulting in the disposal of many well-known lawsuit records. This has led to criticism from experts that the court has "lacked the awareness that it is making history," as it appears to have neglected "the nation's shared property."

Prime Minister Abe Shinzo announced his call for national elections on Monday, September 25. News reports explained that he deemed the timing right due to a recent bounce in public support triggered by threats from North Korea and by the severe weakness of the political opposition.1  .........

On March 15 of this year, the Supreme Court of Japan issued a rare decision that limits the authority of the police to conduct surveillance operations. The case involved the placement of GPS tracking devices on the vehicles of surveillance targets. According to the published Supreme Court opinion,  ...............

On Nov. 28, 2016, the Nagoya High Court overturned the acquittal of Hiroto Fujii, mayor of the Gifu city of Minokamo, sentencing him to 18 months imprisonment with labor, suspended for three years. Elected in 2013 at the age of 28, he remains Japan’s youngest mayor.