ABSTRACT
Introduction Since 2004, the Japanese legal education system has undergone fundamental change. Legal education was previously provided as an undergraduate degree by university law departments. The old system was undermined by the influence of preparatory (also translated as ‘cram’) schools, which used rote learning to prepare students for the Bar Examination. In addition, other areas of the Japanese judicial system have come under attack by both the legal industry and society. Due to a strong initiative led by former Prime Minister Junichi Koizumi, the entire Japanese judicial system, including the legal education system, has been overhauled. The success of the new Japanese legal education system has not yet been determined. This chapter describes the experience to date of these audacious changes in Japan.
