The Constitutional Case Law of Japan, 1970 through 1990

Abstract

This article is a book review of Lawrence N Beer and Hiroshi Itoh The Constitutional Case Law of Japan, 1970 through 1990 (University of Washington Press, Seattle, 1996) Pages i-xiv, 1-688 including appendices and index. The book contains 47 judgments of Japanese courts on constitutional matters delivered in the period 1970-1990, with most being from the Supreme Court of Japan. The editors, in the Introduction, provide an overview of Japan's constitutional law since 1945 and set the judicial developments in the general context of the Constitution of Japan, in its political setting and, more generally, in an international frame. Angelo praises the authors, concluding that this book is essential for all interested in legal and political developments in Japan.