There is still debate as to why Japan's COVID-19 infection rate is much lower than Western countries. Prime Minister Abe's state of emergency declarations from April 7 to May 25 were not binding, with penalties for non-compliance. Meanwhile, public health measures are also intertwined with demands to amend the Japanese Constitution, complicating the issue. By sorting through these issues, we will deepen our understanding of the current situation in Japan.

"Climate Change" in Japan's  Criminal Justice System. A look at lay Judge trails, the case of Mr. Carlos Ghosn, and other investigations. Panel1 : "Carlos Ghosn and 'Hostage Justice' - Applying International Law to Japan's Long Pre-Trail Detentions" | Lawrence Repeta retired professor of Law at Meiji University

- "Rethinking Free Speech in East Asia" Lecture series - Words declaring protection for “freedom of assembly and association, as well as speech, press, and all other forms of expression” were inserted into Japan’s Constitution in the aftermath of World WarⅡ. What is the state of these freedoms in Japan today ? Are these mere words on an old document or do they have a real impact on the daily lives of the people and the care institutions of society ? We’ll search for the answer to these questions in common forms of political speech and specific cases of police surveillance and suppression of speech deemed undesirable by the authorities.

I enjoyed the opportunity to participate at a symposium on "Japan’s Constitutional Revision Debate" at Leiden University in the Netherlands on May 4.  Hats off to the Leiden team for pulling together a first-rate group of specialists. Panel One: Security Moderated by Bryce Wakefield, Leiden University Speakers: Christopher Hughes, Warwick University; Akiko Kamei, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan; Craig Martin, Washburn University School of Law; Kenneth Mori McElwain, University of Tokyo. Panel Two: Human Rights Moderated by Erik Herber, Leiden University Speakers: Lawrence Repeta, Meiji University (emer.); Sanae Fujita, University of Essex; Mitsuhiro Wada, Japan Federation of Bar Associations.

At a time when the state of democracy in Japan is being questioned around the world, there is a growing tendency toward secrecy due to counterterrorism measures and a sense of security crisis. At the same time, there are also global initiatives to realize an open government, and Japan is constantly fluctuating between secrecy and disclosure.