History of the Development of Japanese Law

Author: He Qinhua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-09-01
Features: Preface
As early as the previous year, Professor He Qinhua told me that there was no existing work on Japanese legal literature in China, making it difficult for graduate students (and even undergraduates) to study. Therefore, he was editing a History of the Development of Japanese Law to fill this gap. A few months ago, Professor He submitted the completed manuscript to me for review. I read this 400,000-word manuscript and was deeply impressed and moved. The book is well-written and highly distinctive.
First, the content of the book is quite up-to-date. In addition to discussing traditional legal fields, it provides detailed introductions and critiques of the activities of modern Japanese legal scholars, the characteristics of modern Japanese legal culture, Japan's legal experiences in establishing its economy and trade, as well as domestic fields that have yet to be extensively researched, such as Japan's banking law, trust law, insurance law, securities law, and intellectual property law. Reading it feels refreshing and new.
Second, the introductions and critiques in this book are relatively accurate and objective. Compared to other works on Japanese law in China, this book places great emphasis on using original Japanese-language materials to explain the process of Japanese legal development, analyze current issues, and examine legislative responses adopted by the Japanese legal community. Over 90% of the reference at the end of the book are in Japanese. This makes the quality of the book superior to other similar works. This distinctive feature is mainly related to the editor's background. The lead editor, Professor He Qinhua, has studied at the Faculty of Law, Tokyo University of Japan twice and conducted research on the history of Japanese legal systems under the guidance of Professor Shigeru Ishii. The other three editors—Li Xiucheng, Fang Lehua, and Guan Jianqiang—have also studied at law faculties in Japan, such as Kanto University and Asia University, making them highly proficient in Japanese and well-versed in Japanese law.
Furthermore, the book is concise and well-organized, with fluent language. Additionally, it includes a "Chronological Table of Japanese Legal History" at the end, making it suitable not only as a reference for graduate and undergraduate students but also as an introductory book on the history of Japanese legal systems.
Given the above features, I sincerely recommend The History of the Development of Japanese Law to graduate and undergraduate students of law, as well as readers with a strong interest in foreign law. This is the preface.
December 1997