Guide to Foreign and International Legal Citations - New York ...

exceptions, the Japanese government does not provide official English translations of statutes
and decrees.
2.2 Codes
Japanese law does not distinguish codes from statutes. For example, both Chiho jichiho (Local
Autonomy Law) cited above and Minpo (Civil code) have the same legal status, their titles
notwithstanding. However, generally speaking, the term “code” is often reserved for laws
having a more fundamental nature.
Cite codes in the same way as statutes:
104
Minpo [Civil Code], Law No. 9 of June 21, 1899, art. 1, para. 1, as last amended by Law
No. 109 of July 16, 2003.
Codes may be also cited by abbreviated title, and article and paragraph referenced:
Minpo, art. 398, para. 1, no. 5.
The abbreviation of major Codes are:
Civil Code: (Minpo)
Commercial Code: (Shoho)
Penal Code: (Keiho)
Code of Civil Procedure: Minji soshoho (Minsoho)
Code of Criminal Procedure: Keiji soshoho (Keisoho)
2.3 Treaties and Conventions
Cite treaties and conventions as described in Section 1.0 on Treaties and Conventions (on page
266), filling in the source information with a Japanese treaty series (e.g., “Nikokukan
Joyakushu”) by title, first page, and page referenced:
[Treaty information], Nikokukan Joyakushu, 100, 110, [date of entry, etc.].
Official Treaty sources include Nikokukan Joyakushu and Tasukokukan Joyakushu. Treaties
may also be cited to the Horei zensho or Kanpo.
3.0 Jurisprudence
Cite cases by court, date, volume, title of the reporter, and page referenced:
Supreme Court, June 30, 1978, 32 Keishu 670, 674-675.
The names of parties are rarely cited in Japanese documents. When they are cited, they precede
the court’s name.
3.1 Reports