Legal Education in Modern Japan.
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instance, as Torts, Damages, Specific Per tic, and wishes to include in his attainments formance of Contracts, Evidence, and a few an acquaintance with all important legal sys minor ones — which are specially developed tems, so far as he may. Emerson's "The to an extent not found in the Code Civil or one prudence in life is concentration " does the Franco-Japanese Code, — I do not say in not figure in his philosophy, and he prefers to distribute his twenty-five hours a week of French legal literature. In the treatment of these subjects it will lectures over as large a number of subjects always be worth while to maintain the study as possible. of Anglo-American law. But although I am But nothing has yet been said about a persuaded that this very important ele must be the ultimate ment of education, and raison d'être of the some one doubtless study of our law here, asks, Where does the I cannot say that it is native Japanese law yet generally recog come in? It does not nized in the curricula. come in at all. So far There is, however, a as I am able to learn, third reason why the there is to-day no in study still flourishes; struction given in any it is that the students law school of Tokyo want it. This reason on the customary law (which any one who has yet prevailing in all tasted Japanese life parts of the country. will at once recognize The case is, in this re as the Quod priiuipi spect, even less satis plaçait of education) factory than it was two rests in part upon the years ago. At that prestige of English law time there were at and the preponderat least two professors in ing influence of the the Imperial Univer English-speaking for sity, — Konakamura eign community in the Kujonori and Naito East. It also comes in TOMII MASAKIRA. Chiso, — who gave a (Dean of the Law Department of the Imperial University.] part of their time to part from the success and eminence of the the ancient law of the English-trained members of the bar, for the country. These gentlemen are perhaps the student community has not been slow to dt ivv two most eminent scholars of the older gene inferences from this. But probably the chief ration; and although they dealt in their lec influence is the peculiar ideal of the Japanese tures rather with the public statutory law than student. He labors not so much to train with the private customary rules, they kept himself for bread-winning as to acquire the subject before the public, and vindicated knowledge, — not at all with the consuming its right to a place in the curriculum. The thirst for knowledge as a source of power general interest of the learned community in which Bulwer attributes to the ambitious such things is rather on the increase than Randal Leslie, but with the less practical otherwise, and courses are planned for the and more reverent conception of knowledge near future; but at this moment nothing is as in itself a possession and an accomplish being done. Here, again, a good deal must ment. The Japanese student is thus eclec- be attributed to what may be called the con
