ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the precarious legality of doujinshi under Japanese copyright law. It seeks to bridge the commonly recognised gap between the law's texts and limited public understanding of the interpretation of the Japanese Constitution by providing an overview of how Japanese copyright works in relation to secondary works. It reviews a famous Japanese case regarding the comedy manga entitled High Score Girl, which narrates a fight between the hero, Haruo Yaguchi, and the heroine, Akira Ohno. One of the key purposes of the Japanese Constitution is to regulate and protect against the arbitrary use of governmental power in order to secure the freedom and rights of citizens. In light of possibilities, publishers may hope to amend the existing Japanese Copyright Act to better protect their interests. In amending the Copyright Act, it is imperative the Diet moves cautiously and takes all stakeholders into account to ensure all interests are well-balanced and protected.
