Japan is divided up into 47 regions called prefectures. A prefecture is an administrative unit generally larger than a city or metropolitan region (with the exception of Tokyo).

List of the Prefectures of Japan

“Metropolis” Prefecture:

Tokyo

“Circuit” Prefecture:

Hokkaido

Urban Prefectures:

Osaka
Kyoto

And 43 Other Prefectures (listed below)

Prefectures of Japan

Prefectures by Region:

Hokkaid?

1. Hokkaid?

T?hoku

2. Aomori
3. Iwate
4. Miyagi
5. Akita
6. Yamagata
7. Fukushima

Kant?

8. Ibaraki
9. Tochigi
10. Gunma
11. Saitama
12. Chiba
13. Tokyo
14. Kanagawa

Ch?bu

15. Niigata
16. Toyama
17. Ishikawa
18. Fukui
19. Yamanashi
20. Nagano
21. Gifu
22. Shizuoka
23. Aichi

Kansai

24. Mie
25. Shiga
26. Kyoto
27. Osaka
28. Hy?go
29. Nara
30. Wakayama

Ch?goku

31. Tottori
32. Shimane
33. Okayama
34. Hiroshima
35. Yamaguchi

Shikoku

36. Tokushima
37. Kagawa
38. Ehime
39. K?chi

Ky?sh?

40. Fukuoka
41. Saga
42. Nagasaki
43. Kumamoto
44. ?ita
45. Miyazaki
46. Kagoshima
47. Okinawa

Although it has historical roots in the ancient Chinese and other legal systems, contemporary Japanese Law is a civil law (as opposed to common law) system similar to that of France or Germany.

The Six Codes of Japanese Law

The core of Japanese statutory law is composed of the so-called “Six Codes” (?? ropp?). The six codes consist of:

1. the Civil Code (?? Minp?, 1896)
2. the Code of Civil Procedure (????? Minji-sosh?-h?, 1996)
3. the Penal Code (?? Keih?, 1907)
4. the Commercial Code (?? Sh?h?, 1899)
5. the Code of Criminal Procedure (????? Keiji-sosh?-h?, 1948)
6. the Constitution of Japan (????? Nippon-koku-kenp?, 1946)

Family Law in Japan

Japan’s family law system has been the source of some international controversy. Under Japanese family law, joint child custody terminates together with the marriage. If the husband and wife cannot agree upon child custody as part of an amicable divorce resolution, it will fall the Japan’s family law courts (the ????? Katei Saibansho) to determine custody of the child. The Katei Saibansho are thought to show a strong preference to granting custody to the mother.

Divorce

Japan law distinguishes between four types of divorce, each with varying repercussions:

• Kyogi Rikon: Divorce by mutual agreement
• Chotei Rikon: Amicable agreement cannot be reached, divorce through mediation in a family court
• Shinpan Rikon: Amicable agreement cannot be reached, mediation fails, divorce through decision of the family court
• Saiban Rikon: All options including family court fail, the case then moves to a district court for a decision.

Japan Law Resources

University of Hawaii Paper on Child Custody and Visitation in Japan
English translation of Japanese Civil Code