ABSTRACT
Japanese maritime law has been codified in the Commercial Code. Its most recent reform was made in 2018 and has been in force since April 2019. This chapter examines the relationship to the law of transport of other modes on the one hand, and the relationship to the Civil Code on the other hand. The parallel existence of the Civil and Commercial Code as well as parallel codification of transport law as part of the Book on Commercial Transactions and maritime law as a separate Book have been maintained. However, their relationship to each other has been radically changed to a hierarchical one of special rules to the general rules. This chapter also examines to what extent the international rules affect the reform of maritime law. While some revisions derive from international rules, in general, Japanese law appears to be conservative in accommodating them.
