Library of East Asian Law

Deutsch

Photo: FernUniversität Hagen

• 1. The Library and its Benefactors

  Systematic build-up started with a specialised Japanese law library, comprised of Japanese-language standard works, literature in Western languages and digital publications. Thanks to third-party funds and material resources raised by ​​​​​​Prof. Dr. em. Marutschke since the 1990s.

  Foto: FernUniversität Hagen

  • various foundations (including the Library Support Programme of the Japan Foundation (国際交流基金) and a fundraising campaign by Prof. Mikazuki, Mr Kawamoto and Mr Nakano at Japanese companies),
  • numerous book donations (including former DAAD and Humboldt scholarship holders and the former Modern Japan Foundation Library of the Department of Civil Law, Commercial and Corporate Law at the University of Hanover),
  • several journal volumes (including those of the Chair of German and Foreign Civil Procedure and Civil Law at the University of Cologne as well as all issues of the Hanrei Times since 1950 on DVD by the publisher of the same name (判例タイムズ社)
  • and the extensive collection of case law from the Dai’ichi Hōki publishing house (第一法規) worth DM 20,000 at the time.

  as well as the work of librarian Tomoko Sekioka, an extraordinary collection on Japanese law was assembled and catalogued in five rooms of the Villa Bechem in Hagen. This and the preliminary work on Korean law under Johann In-Ho Kim laid the foundations for the further expansion of the specialised library with regard to the whole subject area of East Asian law.

  Unfortunately, due to a long-term vacancy in the professorship, the book collection was cleared out of the villa, stored in the basement of the main library and no significant new acquisitions were made between 2004 and 2020.

• 2. The Expansion into Europe's Largest East Asian Law Library

  Since the appointment of Jun.-Prof. Dr. Weitzdörfer in 2020 and the takeover of the Hagen library management by Prof. Dr. Steinhauer in 2021, extensive library reworking and strategic new acquisitions have been realised. Since then, the team of the subject area East Asian Law and the University Library have been working closely together to achieve three goals: 1) guarantee, that physical material can be easily found through inventory and orderly listing, 2) subject-specific usability by filling gaps in the collection and new acquisitions, and 3) digital searchability and interlibrary loan through proper cataloguing.

  Foto: FernUniversität Hagen

  On the basis of an acquisition strategy that has already been implemented, thanks to a special library acquisition budget of around EUR 70,000 and owing to the reinvestment of income from executive education programme as well as a book subscription concluded with the renowned publisher Yūhikaku (有斐閣) through mediation of Prof. Dr. em. Yasuhiro Okuda, all relevant gaps have been closed in a remarkable amount of time and new acquisitions have been secured for the future. By August 2024, almost 1,100 new volumes had been acquired and around 1,630 re-catalogued. For this task, once again a librarian, Natsuko Yamagishi, was employed, being assisted by team member Wataru Ono.

  The result is the most extensive freely available collection of Japanese law literature in Europe, with almost 6,000 volumes on approximately 184 metres of shelving. (Similar collections at the Max-Planck-Institute and the Goethe University Frankfurt are fragmented and not openly accessible, cannot be borrowed or cannot be lent out via interlibrary loan or are less extensive). On-site consultations and loans are already possible without restriction at the FernUniversität; interlibrary loans through 1,700 German libraries and all libraries participating in interlibrary loan worldwide are made possible by successive additions to the union catalogue (for instructions, see section 6 below).

  In addition to Japanese law, strategic acquisitions on ​​​​​​Korean law and Taiwanese lawhave been made successively since 2023, which will be accompanied by the establishment of executive education programmes on Korean law and Taiwanese law. The acquisition of book donations, e.g. all issues of the Academia Sinica Law Journals by the Institutum Iurisprudenciae (中央研究院法律學研究所), will again be part of the further expansion of the stocks on both countries. These will also be used to support the future LL.M. of East Asian Law degree programme.

  The collection thus makes an outstanding contribution throughout Europe to the promotion of legal relations between Germany and East Asia in practice and academia. Moreover, it can be used as intersection between law and regional studies.

• 3. Book Collection

  Foto: FernUniversität Hagen

  The specialised library on East Asian law, which consists mainly of original literature, includes standard legal works and textbooks, collections of laws and commentaries as well as collections of case law alongside a considerable number of commemorative publications, conference proceedings and monographs. They are supplemented by selected regional works on politics, economics and society as well as (specialised) dictionaries.

  The book collection consists of

  • 1,510 books on Japanese law in the library catalogue Alma, of which 20% are in Western languages and 80% in Japanese, and
  • 2,657 books on Japanese law in the Japanese general catalogue CiNii, of which 2% are in Western languages and 98% in Japanese,
  • 91 books on ​​​​​Korean law in the library catalogue Alma, 85% of which are in Western languages and 15% in Korean,
  • 21 books on Taiwanese law in the library catalogue Alma, 90% of which are in Western languages and 10% in Chinese,
  • as well as approx. 500 books on Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese law (not yet catalogued)

  By 2025, all 2,721 works and journals previously only catalogued in the general catalogue CiNii will also be catalogued in Alma.

  The special collection on Japan is located at location 203, on Korea at location 205 and on Taiwan at location 206, currently on the ground floor of Building B of ​​​​​​Hagen University Library. Location numbers 166 and 204 also contain:

  • 26 textbooks on the Japanese language (including here)
  • 12 textbooks on the Korean language
  • 11 textbooks on the Chinese language

• 4. Journal Collection

  Between 2022 and 2024, all journals and collections of case law were viewed, organised and provisionally inventoried, duplicates were removed, missing copies were purchased in antiquarian bookshops to fill gaps and work began on binding and listing the already complete volumes.

  Foto: Fernuniversität in Hagen

  Foto: FernUniversität in Hagen

  Foto: Fernuniversität in Hagen

  The journal collections on Japan include:

  - 19 printed periodicals on Japan (bound) in the library catalogue Alma, mainly with current collections

  - 64 printed periodicals on Japan (in single issues) in the Japanese union catalogue CiNii, mainly with old collections

  Ongoing subscription (at least starting from January 2022):

  • Hanrei jihō (判例時報), Japanese: physical
  • Hanrei taimuzu (判例タイムズ, Hanrei Times), Japanese: physical
  • Hikaku-hō zasshi (比較法雑誌), Japanese: physical
  • Hōrin - Vergleichende Studien zur japanischen Kultur (法輪), japanischsprachig: physical and online
  • Hōritsu jihō (法律時報), Japanese: physical
  • Hōritsu ronsō (法律論叢), Japanese: physical
  • Japanese Yearbook of International Law (JYIL), Western languages: physical
  • Junkan shōji hōmu (旬刊商事法務), Japanese: physical
  • Jurisuto (ジュリスト, Jurist), Japanese: physical
  • Jurisuto bessatsu (ジュリスト別冊), Japanese: physical
  • Kokusai shihō nenpō (国際私法年報, Japanese Yearbook of Private International Law, JYPIL), Japanese: physical
  • Minshō-hō zasshi (民商法雑誌), Japanese: physical
  • Shōji hōmu bessatsu NBL (商事法務別冊NBL), Japanese: physical
  • Zeitschrift für Japanisches Recht / Journal of Japanese Law (ZJapanR/JJapanL), Western languages: physical and online

  Older library stocks, which are currently being supplemented, comprise in the library catalogue Alma:

  • Bibliography of Standard Reference Books for Japanese Studies with Descriptive Notes, 9. B, Law, Western languages, physical
  • Himeji International Forum of Law and Politics, Western languages, physical
  • Hōrei zensho (法令全書, Gesetzesblatt), Western languages, physical
  • Mita hyōron (三田評論), Western languages, physical
  • Securities Market in Japan, Western languages physical and online

  Older library stocks, which are currently being supplemented, comprise in the Japanese general catalogue CiNii:

  • Aoyama daigaku sōgō kenkyū-jo hōgaku kenkyū sentā kenkyū (青山学院大学総合研究所法学研究センター研究叢書), Japanese, physical
  • Bessatsu hanrei taimuzu(別冊判例タイムズ), Japanese, physical
  • Bessatsu hōgaku seminā, shihō shiken shirīzu (別冊法学セミナー. 司法試験シリーズ, The Hogaku Seminar Bessatsu), Japanese, physical
  • Dōshisha daigaku wārudo waido bijinesu rebyū (同志社大学ワールドワイドビジネスレビュー, Doshisha University World Wide Business Review), Japanese, physical
  • Gaiko foramu (外交フォーラム, Gaiko forum), Japanese, physical
  • Gekkan hōgaku kyōshitsu (月刊法学教室), Japanese, physical
  • Global Asia: A Journal of the East Asia Foundation, Western languages, physical
  • Hitotsubashi hōgaku(一橋法学,The Hitotsubashi Journal of Law and International Studies), Japanese, physical
  • Hō-semi: Hōgaku seminā (法セミ: 法学セミナー, The Hogaku Seminar), Japanese, physical
  • Hōgaku kyōshitsu (法学教室), Japanese, physical
  • Hōgaku seijigaku ronkyū: Hōritsu, seiji, shakai (法學政治學論究: 法律・政治・社会, Journal of Law and Political Studies), Japanese, physical
  • Hōgaku seminā sōkan, jōshiki shirīzu (法学セミナー増刊,常識シリーズ), Japanese, physical
  • Hōgaku seminā sōkan, seminā hōgaku zenshū (法学セミナー増刊,セミナー法学全集), Japanese, physical
  • Hōgaku seminā sōkan, sōgō tokushū shirīzu (法学セミナー増刊,総合特集シリーズ), Japanese, physical
  • Hōrin - Vergleichende Studien zur japanischen Kultur (法輪), Japanese: physical and online
  • ICCLP Annual Report, Western languages, physical
  • ICCLP Publications, Western languages, physical
  • ICCLP Review, Western languages, physical
  • ICD News; Hōmu-shō hōmu sōgō kenkyū-jo kokusai kyōryoku-bu-hō (法務省法務総合研究所国際協力部報,Law for Development), Japanese, physical
  • Japan Review of International Affairs, Western languages, physical
  • JSPS Quarterly, Western languages, physical
  • Jurisuto, sōkan, hōritsu no kyoten shirīzu (ジュリスト, 増刊, 法律学の争点シリーズ), Japanese, physical
  • Jurisuto, sōkan, sōgō tokushū (ジュリスト, 増刊, 総合特集), Japanese, physical
  • Keizai hōgakkai nenpō (経済法学会年報,The Annual of Economic Jurisprudence), Japanese, physical
  • Kobe hōgaku nenpō (神戸法学年報,Kobe annals of law and politics), Japanese, physical
  • Nihon University Comparative Law, Western languages, physical
  • Nomos (ノモス), Japanese, physical
  • Progress in Informatics (PI), Western languages, physical
  • Ritsumeikan Law Review, Western languages, physical
  • Shakai hoshō-hō: Nihon shakai hoshō hōgaku kaishi (社会保障法:日本社会保障法学会誌,Journal of Social Security Law), Japanese, physical
  • University of Tokyo Journal of Law and Politics, Western languages, physical
  • Waseda Bulletin of Comparative Law, Western languages, physical
  • Waseda Proceedings of Comparative Law, Western languages, physical

  The journal collection on Korea includes:

  - 2 periodicals on Korean law in the library catalogue Alma

  Ongoing subscription (from 2001 and from 2022):

  • Journal of Korean Law (JKoreanL), English: physical and online external
  • Korean Journal of International and Comparative Law (KJICL), English: online and online external

  Further periodical:

  • Constitutional Court of Korea Annual Report, English: physical

  The journal collection on Taiwan includes:

  - 1 printed periodical on Taiwanese law in the library catalogue Alma

  Ongoing subscription (from 2007):

  • Zhōngyányuàn fǎxué qíkān (中研院法學期刊, Academia Sinica Law Journal), English: physical and online

• 5. Databases

  Contents will follow shortly

• 6. Research Instructions

  Contents will follow shortly

• 7. Resources

  The resources listed here will be updated soon.

  Bilateral Institutions	German	English	Japanese
  Embassy of Japan in Germany
  Consulate General of Japan in Düsseldorf
  Foundation for the Promotion of Japanese-German Scientific and Cultural Relations (JaDe-Stiftung)
  Institute for Private International and European Law and Comparative Law (Uni Frankfurt a.M.)
  German-Japanese Lawyers' Association (DJJV)
  Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law
  German-Japanese Society for Labour Law (DJGA)
  German Institute for Japanese Studies, Tokyo (DIJ)
  Japanese-German Center Berlin (JDZB)
  Japanese-Germen Society, Tokyo (JDG)
  Association of German-Japanese Societies
  German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (DIHKJ)

  Japanese Institutions	English	Japanese
  State organisation chart (with further links)
  Supreme Court English
  Ministry of Justice
  Federation of Bar Associations
  National Notaries Association

  Legal Text	pdf
  Civil Code (Minpō), Property Law (with special thanks to Prof. Shiori Tamura)	Link (VU)
  Civil Code, Family and Inheritance Law	Link (PDF 308 KB)
  Code of Civil Procedure (Minso)	Link (PDF 509 KB)
  Companies Act (Kaishahō)	Link (PDF 2 MB)
  Labour Standards Act (Rōkihō)	Link (PDF 233 KB)
  Administrative Procedure Act (Gyōtehō)	Link (PDF 113 KB)
  Criminal Code (Keihō)	Link (PDF 269 KB)
  Code of Criminal Procedures (Keiso)	Link (PDF 419 KB)

  Corpus juris ​​​​​	English	Japanese
  Cabinet Secretariat
  Mika Nishimura, Associate Professor, Kobe University
  Nagoya University (with dictionary)
  Ministry of the Environment (environmental law)
  Mizuho Bank (commercial law)
  World Legal Information Institute (database)
  Asian Legal Information Institute (database)
  Library of the National Diet (official database)
  e-Gov (database on national legal standards)
  Kagoshima University (database of local ordinances and statutes)

  Entscheidungssammlungen	English	Japanese
  Supreme Court (database on judgements)
  Transparency of Japanese Law
  kanz.jp (RSS)
  List of currently popular rulings

  Online publications and e-books	English	Japanese	pdf
  Eser, Albin Beweisermittlung und Beweiswürdigung in vergleichender Perspektive			PDF
  Eser, Albin Doitsu-teki shiten kara mita nihonho ni okeru seitoka to menseki			PDF
  Eser, Albin Laienrichter im Strafverfahren			PDF
  Iyenaga, Toyokichi The Constitutional Development Of Japan, 1853-1881
  Jörg-Martin Jehle, Volker Lipp, Keiichi Yamanaka (Hg.) Rezeption und Reform im japanischen und deutschen Recht			PDF
  Senger, Harro von Zur japanisch-westlichen Menschenrechtskontroverse vom Jahre 1919			PDF
  Wahl, Rainer (Hrsg.) Umweltverfassungsrecht im deutsch-japanischen Vergleich			PDF
  Wahl, Rainer (Hrsg.) Verfassungsrecht der Humangenetik im deutsch-japanischen Vergleich			PDF
  Zingsheim, Nicole ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) nach japanischem Recht			PDF
  Japanische e-books nach Rechtsgebieten (dort auf "3" und dann "32" klicken!)

  Other	German	English	Japanese
  Statistics of Japan
  Government Surveys
  State Internet-TV
  Explanations of Japanese legal terms
  Japanese-German Online Dictionary
  Japanese-German Kanji Dictionary
  Japanese official designations in English
  Japanese Podcasts
  German-speaking lawyers in Japan (PDF)
  Institute Brochure (PDF 3 MB)