Overview
The origins of the Faculty of Law date back to the Hogakko (a law school affiliated with the Ministry of Justice), which was founded in July 1872, and the Department of Law at the Tokyo Kaisei School, which was established in April 1873 under the Ministry of Education. Since then, the Faculty of Law constantly has been a central force in research on law and politics within Japan. The high quality of education backed by this role has led the Faculty to train many outstanding students and researchers, both from Japan and overseas. Graduates of the Faculty have gone into a broad range of fields, including justice, public administration, politics, economics, journalism and academics. The number of graduates exceeds 70,000.
Law is not the only subject of study and research at the Faculty. Rather, law is coupled together with political science. In modern society, law and politics are both indispensable and inseparable. These two fields support each other mutually: politics establishes and enacts laws, while laws shape and guide politics.
At the Faculty of Law, students study the administrative, legislative and judicial branches of the government from a wide range of angles. These concepts are huge, complex and important phenomena that have a direct influence on people’s existence, lives and well-being. Students are expected to acquire fundamental legal thinking skills and basic political insight. For some people, the term “Faculty of Law” may conjure up images of a school that trains students to be lawyers. The Faculty of Law’s graduates, however, go into diverse career paths. Even for students who aspire to be lawyers, it is the Faculty’s policy to provide education that does not focus strictly on a narrow definition of “law.”
Law is not the only subject of study and research at the Faculty. Rather, law is coupled together with political science. In modern society, law and politics are both indispensable and inseparable. These two fields support each other mutually: politics establishes and enacts laws, while laws shape and guide politics.
At the Faculty of Law, students study the administrative, legislative and judicial branches of the government from a wide range of angles. These concepts are huge, complex and important phenomena that have a direct influence on people’s existence, lives and well-being. Students are expected to acquire fundamental legal thinking skills and basic political insight. For some people, the term “Faculty of Law” may conjure up images of a school that trains students to be lawyers. The Faculty of Law’s graduates, however, go into diverse career paths. Even for students who aspire to be lawyers, it is the Faculty’s policy to provide education that does not focus strictly on a narrow definition of “law.”
The Faculty has fashioned its curriculum and the number of credits required for graduation based on this policy. All students are required to register for the core courses in the curriculum. However, in addition to these, students also may freely select from a variety of courses focusing on law and politics, based on their interests and future academic or career paths. Thus, students are allowed and expected to develop their individual abilities.
Finally, the Law Library, as a facility that supports this policy, cannot go without mention. As a library specialized in law and politics, it boasts one of world’s largest collections of its kind. The library houses more than 800,000 books, and the majority of them are books published in Western languages. Upon encountering this huge collection, one cannot help but appreciate the history and depth of this academic discipline.
Finally, the Law Library, as a facility that supports this policy, cannot go without mention. As a library specialized in law and politics, it boasts one of world’s largest collections of its kind. The library houses more than 800,000 books, and the majority of them are books published in Western languages. Upon encountering this huge collection, one cannot help but appreciate the history and depth of this academic discipline.
Departments
Department I: General Legal Studies Course
Department II: Legal Profession Course
Department III: Political Science Course
Department II: Legal Profession Course
Department III: Political Science Course
Type of Degree
Bachelor of Laws
Contact
Undergraduate Section: gakubu.j AT gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp
International Student Advisor: ryugaku.j AT gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp
International Student Advisor: ryugaku.j AT gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp
