# Japanese — Litigation, Administrative, Criminal and Settlement Sub-Lexicon

Auto-generated from translation experience. Maps Japanese civil, administrative,
criminal procedural, settlement, and arbitration terms to their correct English
equivalents. Covers the Japanese court hierarchy, the Code of Civil Procedure
(民事訴訟法), the Administrative Case Litigation Act (行政事件訴訟法) and
Administrative Procedure Act (行政手続法), the Code of Criminal Procedure
(刑事訴訟法), the Criminal Code (刑法), the Arbitration Act (仲裁法, UNCITRAL
Model Law-based, 2023 amendments) and the Civil Code (民法) settlement regime.

## Court System and Judicial Actors

| Japanese | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 裁判所 | court | |
| 簡易裁判所 | Summary Court | First instance, small claims (≤ JPY 1.4m), minor criminal |
| 地方裁判所 (地裁) | District Court | General first-instance civil/criminal; appeals from Summary Courts in criminal |
| 家庭裁判所 | Family Court | Family and juvenile matters |
| 高等裁判所 (高裁) | High Court | Appellate; eight regional; also IP High Court (知財高裁) in Tokyo |
| 最高裁判所 (最高裁) | Supreme Court | Final appeal; Grand Bench (大法廷) / Petty Bench (小法廷) |
| 知的財産高等裁判所 | IP High Court | Special branch of Tokyo High Court |
| 裁判官 | judge | |
| 裁判長 | presiding judge | |
| 陪席裁判官 | associate judge | |
| 裁判員 | lay judge / saiban'in | Six lay judges sit with three professional judges on serious criminal cases |
| 検察官 | public prosecutor | |
| 検察庁 | Public Prosecutors Office | |
| 最高検察庁 | Supreme Public Prosecutors Office | |
| 検事総長 | Prosecutor General | |
| 代理人 / 訴訟代理人 | representative / counsel | |
| 書記官 | court clerk | |
| 司法書士 | judicial scrivener | Limited litigation rights in Summary Courts |

## Civil Procedure (民事訴訟法 — Code of Civil Procedure)

| Japanese | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 民事訴訟 | civil action / civil procedure | |
| 民事訴訟法 (民訴法) | Code of Civil Procedure | Act No. 109 of 1996 |
| 訴え / 訴訟 | action / suit | |
| 原告 | plaintiff | |
| 訴状 | complaint / statement of claim | |
| 答弁書 | answer / statement of defense | |
| 反訴 | counterclaim | |
| 訴えの変更 | amendment of claim | |
| 訴訟参加 | intervention | |
| 補助参加 | assisting intervention | |
| 独立当事者参加 | independent-party intervention | |
| 訴訟告知 | third-party notice | |
| 弁論準備手続 | preparatory proceedings for oral argument | |
| 争点整理 | issue organization | |
| 書面による準備手続 | preparatory proceedings by documents | |
| 弁論主義 | principle of party presentation | Parties supply facts/evidence |
| 処分権主義 | principle of party disposition | |
| 自由心証主義 | free evaluation of evidence | |
| 証拠調べ | evidence examination | |
| 書証 | documentary evidence | |
| 証人尋問 | witness examination | |
| 当事者尋問 / 本人尋問 | party examination | |
| 検証 | inspection (by judge) | |
| 文書提出命令 | order to produce documents | |
| 専門委員 | technical advisor | Specialist assisting judge |
| 調査嘱託 | inquiry to public office/organization | |
| 弁論の全趣旨 | totality of the pleadings | Element in free evaluation |
| 判決 | judgment | |
| 中間判決 | interlocutory judgment | |
| 一部判決 | partial judgment | |
| 終局判決 | final judgment | |
| 確定判決 | final and binding judgment | Has res judicata (既判力) |
| 執行力 | enforceability | |
| 形成力 | formative effect | |
| 訴訟費用 | court costs | Costs allocated to losing party |
| 弁護士費用 | attorney fees | Generally borne by each party (except special rules) |

## Provisional Remedies and Enforcement

| Japanese | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 民事保全法 | Civil Provisional Remedies Act | |
| 仮差押え | provisional attachment | Monetary claims |
| 仮処分 | provisional disposition / interim injunction | Non-monetary claims |
| 係争物に関する仮処分 | provisional disposition concerning subject matter in dispute | |
| 仮の地位を定める仮処分 | provisional disposition establishing provisional status | |
| 担保 | security (for provisional order) | |
| 強制執行 | compulsory execution / enforcement | |
| 民事執行法 | Civil Execution Act | |
| 債務名義 | title of obligation / executory title | |
| 執行文 | execution clause | |
| 差押え | attachment / seizure | |
| 転付命令 | assignment order | |
| 第三債務者 | third-party obligor / garnishee | |
| 財産開示手続 | property disclosure procedure | |
| 第三者からの情報取得手続 | third-party information acquisition procedure | Introduced by 2019 amendment |

## Appeal and Extraordinary Remedies

| Japanese | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 上訴 | appeal (generic) | |
| 控訴 | kōso appeal | From first-instance judgment to High Court (civil) / High Court (criminal) |
| 上告 | jōkoku appeal | From appellate judgment to Supreme Court; limited to constitutional and certain legal errors |
| 上告受理申立て | petition for acceptance of final appeal | Discretionary review by Supreme Court |
| 抗告 | kōkoku appeal | Against court order/ruling |
| 即時抗告 | immediate kōkoku | |
| 特別抗告 | special kōkoku | Constitutional issues to Supreme Court |
| 許可抗告 | permitted kōkoku | |
| 再審 | retrial | Extraordinary remedy — limited grounds |

## Administrative Procedure (行政手続法 / 行政事件訴訟法)

| Japanese | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 行政手続法 | Administrative Procedure Act | Non-litigious proceedings before authorities |
| 行政処分 | administrative disposition | |
| 不利益処分 | adverse disposition | |
| 聴聞 | hearing | |
| 弁明の機会の付与 | opportunity for explanation | |
| 申請 | application | |
| 標準処理期間 | standard processing period | |
| 行政指導 | administrative guidance | Non-binding but characteristic Japanese tool |
| 行政不服審査法 | Administrative Complaint Review Act | |
| 審査請求 | application for administrative review | |
| 再調査の請求 | request for reexamination | |
| 再審査請求 | reapplication for administrative review | |
| 行政不服審査会 | Administrative Complaint Review Board | |
| 行政事件訴訟法 (行訴法) | Administrative Case Litigation Act | |
| 取消訴訟 | action for revocation of administrative disposition | Most common action type |
| 無効等確認訴訟 | action to declare nullity etc. | |
| 不作為の違法確認訴訟 | action to declare illegality of inaction | |
| 義務付け訴訟 | mandamus action | Order authority to make disposition |
| 差止訴訟 | injunction action (administrative) | Prevent disposition |
| 当事者訴訟 | party suit | Inter-party administrative suit |
| 民衆訴訟 | citizen action | |
| 機関訴訟 | interagency action | |
| 執行停止 | stay of execution | Suspensive effect |
| 訴訟要件 | standing / lawsuit requirements | |
| 原告適格 | standing (plaintiff qualification) | |
| 処分性 | qualification as administrative disposition | Threshold for reviewability |
| 国家賠償法 | State Redress Act | Tortious liability of the State |

## Criminal Procedure (刑事訴訟法 — Code of Criminal Procedure)

| Japanese | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 刑事訴訟 | criminal procedure | |
| 刑事訴訟法 (刑訴法) | Code of Criminal Procedure | |
| 捜査 | investigation | |
| 逮捕 | arrest | |
| 通常逮捕 | ordinary arrest (with warrant) | |
| 現行犯逮捕 | arrest in flagrante | |
| 緊急逮捕 | emergency arrest | |
| 勾留 | detention | Pre-indictment up to 23 days, post-indictment up to 2 months + extensions |
| 被疑者 | suspect | Pre-indictment |
| 被告人 | accused / defendant | Post-indictment |
| 弁護人 | defense counsel | |
| 国選弁護人 | court-appointed counsel | |
| 起訴 | indictment / prosecution | |
| 起訴状 | indictment | |
| 起訴独占主義 | prosecutorial monopoly | Only prosecutors may indict |
| 起訴便宜主義 | principle of discretionary prosecution | Prosecutor may decline even with sufficient evidence |
| 起訴猶予 | suspension of prosecution | Characteristic Japanese diversion tool |
| 不起訴 | non-prosecution | |
| 略式手続 / 略式命令 | summary proceedings / summary order | Written conviction, fine only |
| 即決裁判 | speedy trial procedure | |
| 検察審査会 | Committee for the Inquest of Prosecution | Citizen panel; can force indictment (起訴議決) in certain cases |
| 公判 | public trial | |
| 公判前整理手続 | pretrial conference procedure | Issue/evidence clarification |
| 証拠開示 | evidence disclosure | |
| 冒頭陳述 | opening statement | |
| 論告 / 求刑 | closing argument / sentencing request (by prosecutor) | |
| 最終弁論 | closing argument (defense) | |
| 判決 (刑事) | criminal judgment | |
| 無罪判決 | acquittal | |
| 有罪判決 | conviction | |
| 量刑 | sentencing | |
| 執行猶予 | suspension of execution of sentence | |
| 仮釈放 | parole | |
| 保釈 | bail | Post-indictment only |
| 刑法 | Criminal Code | Substantive criminal law |
| 犯罪 | crime | |
| 故意 / 過失 | intent / negligence | |
| 正当防衛 | self-defense | |
| 緊急避難 | necessity | |
| 合意制度 / 日本型司法取引 | Japanese-style plea bargain / agreement system | Introduced 2018; limited to specified offenses; prosecutor/suspect/defendant mutual cooperation |

## Constitutional Review

| Japanese | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 違憲審査権 | power of constitutional review | |
| 違憲判決 | judgment of unconstitutionality | |
| 付随的違憲審査制 | incidental constitutional review | Japan has no separate constitutional court |
| 憲法判断 | constitutional determination | |

## Settlement (和解 / 示談)

| Japanese | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 和解契約 | settlement agreement | |
| 示談 / 示談書 | out-of-court settlement / settlement document | Informal; common in personal injury / traffic / minor criminal contexts |
| 裁判外の和解 | extrajudicial settlement | |
| 裁判上の和解 | judicial settlement | CCP Art. 89; has effect of final judgment, directly enforceable |
| 訴え提起前の和解 / 即決和解 | pre-filing settlement / sokketsu-wakai | Summary-court settlement procedure |
| 和解調書 | settlement record | Court document equivalent to final judgment |
| 和解金 / 解決金 | settlement amount / settlement payment | |
| 相互の譲歩 | mutual concessions | Civil Code Art. 695 requirement |
| 請求権の放棄 | waiver of claims | |
| 権利放棄条項 / リリース条項 | release clause | |
| 清算条項 | full-and-final settlement clause | Very important in Japanese settlements |
| 秘密保持条項 | confidentiality clause | |
| 不争条項 | non-challenge clause | |
| 口外禁止条項 | non-disclosure / non-discussion clause | |

## Alternative Dispute Resolution

| Japanese | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 裁判外紛争解決手続 (ADR) | alternative dispute resolution | |
| ADR促進法 / ADR法 | Act on Promotion of Use of ADR | 2004 |
| 認証ADR | certified ADR | Justice Ministry-certified providers |
| 調停 | mediation / conciliation | |
| 民事調停 | civil conciliation | Court-annexed; Civil Conciliation Act |
| 調停委員会 | conciliation committee | Judge + two lay conciliators |
| 調停調書 | conciliation record | Same effect as final judgment |
| 特定調停 | specific conciliation | For over-indebted debtors |
| 家事調停 | family conciliation | Mandatory before family litigation |
| 労働審判 | labor tribunal procedure | Hybrid adjudication/mediation; 3-hearing limit |
| 労働審判委員会 | labor tribunal panel | Judge + 2 expert members |
| あっせん | conciliation (non-committee) | |
| 交通事故紛争処理センター | Traffic Accident Dispute Resolution Center | |
| エスカレーション条項 / 多段階紛争解決条項 | escalation clause / multi-tier dispute resolution clause | |

## Arbitration (仲裁)

| Japanese | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 仲裁 | arbitration | |
| 仲裁法 | Arbitration Act | Act No. 138 of 2003, substantially amended 2023 |
| 仲裁合意 | arbitration agreement | |
| 仲裁条項 | arbitration clause | |
| 仲裁人 | arbitrator | |
| 単独仲裁人 | sole arbitrator | |
| 仲裁廷 | arbitral tribunal | |
| 仲裁廷の長 | presiding arbitrator | |
| 仲裁人の忌避 | challenge to arbitrator | |
| 仲裁判断 | arbitral award | |
| 確定的かつ拘束力ある仲裁判断 | final and binding award | |
| 一部仲裁判断 | partial award | |
| 暫定措置 / 保全措置 | interim measure / provisional measure | 2023 amendment added court-enforceability |
| 仲裁手続 | arbitral proceedings | |
| 仲裁地 | seat of arbitration | |
| 仲裁言語 | language of arbitration | |
| 準拠法 | governing law | |
| 仲裁判断の取消し | setting aside of arbitral award | |
| 仲裁判断の承認・執行 | recognition and enforcement of arbitral award | |
| 日本商事仲裁協会 (JCAA) | Japan Commercial Arbitration Association | Leading institution |
| 日本国際紛争解決センター (JIDRC) | Japan International Dispute Resolution Center | Hearing facility (Tokyo, Osaka) |
| ニューヨーク条約 | New York Convention | 1958 |
| ICSID / 投資仲裁 | ICSID / investment arbitration | |

## Limitation and Timing

| Japanese | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 消滅時効 | extinctive prescription | Civil Code Art. 166+ — post-2020 reform: subjective 5 years / objective 10 years for contract |
| 時効の完成猶予 | stay of completion of prescription | Post-2020 reform terminology |
| 時効の更新 | renewal of prescription | Post-2020 reform (formerly 中断) |
| 除斥期間 | strict limitation period (non-tollable) | |
| 時効の援用 | invocation of prescription | Required — court does not apply ex officio |
| 不変期間 | statutory strict period | Procedural deadlines |

## Formal and Boilerplate

| Japanese | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 専属的合意管轄 | exclusive jurisdiction agreement | |
| 合意管轄 | consensual jurisdiction | |
| 完全合意条項 | entire agreement clause | |
| 分離可能性 | severability | |
| 権利不放棄 | non-waiver | |
| 通知 | notice | |
| 不可抗力 | force majeure | |
| 覚書 (MOU) | memorandum of understanding | |

## Notes for Translators

- **Court hierarchy**: Japan has a unified court system — Summary Courts, District Courts, Family Courts, High Courts, Supreme Court. There is no separate constitutional court — the Supreme Court exercises incidental constitutional review. The IP High Court is a specialized branch of the Tokyo High Court. Translate "最高裁判所" consistently as "Supreme Court", "最高裁" in shortened form as "Supreme Court" (don't invent alternatives).
- **民事訴訟法 (Code of Civil Procedure, 1996)**: Replaced the 1890 statute. Introduced preparatory proceedings, document-production orders, and modern case management. The 2022 amendment introduced remote hearings and IT-ification; further digitization reforms ongoing through 2025-2026. Flag currency of translation.
- **裁判上の和解 (Judicial Settlement)**: Concluded before a court during pending litigation under CCP Art. 89. Recorded in a settlement record (和解調書), which has the same effect as a final judgment (同一の効力) and is directly enforceable as an executory title. Crucial to preserve this special status in translation.
- **示談 (Jidan)**: Informal out-of-court settlement, culturally very important in Japan, especially in personal injury, traffic accidents, and minor criminal cases (where jidan with the victim may lead to suspension of prosecution). Not a court settlement — not directly enforceable unless made into notarial deed. Translate as "out-of-court settlement" or preserve "jidan" with gloss.
- **清算条項 (Full-and-final settlement clause)**: Critical Japanese settlement drafting convention — parties expressly confirm that apart from obligations recorded in the settlement, they have no mutual claims. Functions as a comprehensive release. Always translate as "full-and-final settlement clause" or "settlement quittance clause"; flag.
- **即決和解 / 起訴前和解 (Pre-filing settlement)**: Summary court procedure under CCP Art. 275 to convert an agreement into an enforceable executory title without filing a full lawsuit. Useful for securing enforceable collection. Translate as "pre-filing settlement" or "sokketsu-wakai" with gloss.
- **控訴 (kōso) vs 上告 (jōkoku)**: Two distinct types of appeal. Kōso (to High Court) reviews facts and law. Jōkoku (to Supreme Court) is limited to constitutional violations and specific legal errors; discretionary acceptance via 上告受理申立て. Translate as "kōso appeal" / "jōkoku appeal" or "appeal to the High Court" / "appeal to the Supreme Court" — never use one English term for both.
- **裁判員制度 (Lay judge system)**: Introduced 2009. Six lay judges + three professional judges hear serious criminal cases (死刑・無期 punishable offenses and certain others). Lay judges decide facts AND sentence together with professional judges (unlike US juries). Translate "裁判員" as "lay judge" or "saiban'in"; do NOT use "juror".
- **起訴便宜主義 (Principle of discretionary prosecution)**: Prosecutors may decline to indict even with sufficient evidence, based on offender's age, circumstances, and remedial measures. Combined with high acceptance of 示談, creates high non-prosecution rate. Translate and flag as distinctive.
- **起訴猶予 (Suspension of prosecution)**: Most important prosecutorial diversion tool. Technically case closed; no trial. Different from 執行猶予 (suspended execution of sentence — post-conviction). Flag the distinction.
- **検察審査会 (Committee for the Inquest of Prosecution)**: 11-member citizen panel reviewing non-prosecution decisions. If twice decides by 8+ votes that prosecution should occur (起訴議決), mandatory prosecution through court-appointed prosecutor. Unique mechanism. Translate as "Committee for the Inquest of Prosecution" (officially).
- **合意制度 / 日本型司法取引 (Japanese-style plea bargain, 2018)**: Very limited — only cooperation-based agreements for financial and organized crime; no US-style charge bargaining. Preserve "plea bargaining" label but flag the restrictive scope.
- **行政指導 (Administrative guidance)**: Non-binding but ubiquitous Japanese regulatory tool — authorities "suggest" action outside formal orders. Administrative Procedure Act Chapter IV regulates it. Translate as "administrative guidance"; flag the non-binding (but practically powerful) character.
- **行政処分 vs 行政指導**: Only 行政処分 (administrative dispositions) are judicially reviewable via 取消訴訟. This makes the "処分性" (qualification as disposition) threshold a major litigation battleground. Flag.
- **ADR法 (2004)**: Act on Promotion of Use of Alternative Dispute Resolution, created certification regime for private ADR providers. Certified ADR enjoys limitation-tolling effect. Translate as "ADR Promotion Act" or "Act on Promotion of Use of ADR".
- **労働審判 (Labor Tribunal)**: Post-2006 hybrid procedure for individual labor disputes. One professional judge + two expert members (employer/employee side) in up to three hearings. If parties reject tribunal's decision, case automatically becomes civil litigation. Distinctive feature: labor tribunal decisions gain judgment-equivalent force only if not challenged within 2 weeks. Translate "労働審判" as "labor tribunal procedure"; never "labor arbitration" — it is not arbitration.
- **民事調停 (Civil Conciliation)**: Court-annexed mediation by a committee of one judge and two lay conciliators (調停委員). If successful, 調停調書 (conciliation record) has effect of final judgment. Translate as "civil conciliation"; flag binding effect of resulting record.
- **家事調停 (Family Conciliation)**: Mandatory pre-litigation step for most family disputes under Act on Domestic Relations Case Procedure. Translate as "family conciliation" and flag the调停前置 (conciliation-first) principle.
- **Arbitration Act 2003 / 2023 amendment**: Based on UNCITRAL Model Law (1985). 2023 amendment introduced court-enforceability of tribunal-ordered interim measures (aligning with 2006 Model Law), expanded language flexibility, and Supreme Court/Tokyo & Osaka District Courts centralized jurisdiction. Flag post-2023 changes when translating recent documents.
- **JCAA rules (2021)**: Commercial Arbitration Rules, Interactive Arbitration Rules (with tribunal intervention to narrow issues), Administrative Rules for UNCITRAL Arbitration. Distinguish.
- **JIDRC (Japan International Dispute Resolution Center)**: State-of-the-art hearing facility (Tokyo and Osaka) — not an institution. Proceedings administered by JCAA or other institutions can use JIDRC. Translate as "Japan International Dispute Resolution Center".
- **2020 Civil Code reform (消滅時効)**: Replaced complex period-specific regime with unified subjective-5/objective-10 year framework for contract claims (Art. 166). Older terminology "時効の中断" replaced with "時効の更新". Translate according to applicable Civil Code version; flag the 2020 reform date for documents straddling it.
- **既判力 (Res judicata)**: Civil Code / CCP concept — final judgment, judicial settlement, conciliation record all have 既判力. Translate consistently as "res judicata" and note the same-effect provision for settlements/conciliations.
- **Japanese-English bilingual boilerplate**: Many Japanese settlements are drafted bilingually. Japanese version often controls (日本語正本 / 英語参考訳). Flag which version controls — important legal consequence.
- **Notarial deed (公正証書)**: Not strictly a court settlement but a notarial instrument that can be executory. Often used for structured payments. If agreement includes 強制執行認諾文言 (acceptance of compulsory execution clause), it is directly enforceable for money claims. Translate "公正証書" as "notarial deed" and flag executory status.
- **国家賠償法 (State Redress Act)**: Separate statute for tortious liability of State/public bodies. Translate as "State Redress Act" (not "State Compensation Act"; the official rendering is "State Redress").
- **Typographic conventions**: Japanese legal documents use 甲 (kō) / 乙 (otsu) / 丙 (hei) for Party A / Party B / Party C. Translate as "Party A / B / C" in English or preserve with gloss on first use.
- **Supreme Court case citation**: Use format 最判 [date] 民集 [vol.-no.-page] for Supreme Court civil judgment; 最判 = Supreme Court judgment; 最決 = Supreme Court order. Preserve Japanese abbreviations when citing.

## Standard Bilingual Dictionary (2006) — Additional Mappings

| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 訴え | suit / lawsuit / action (dictionary rendering — all three are acceptable synonyms) |
| 言渡し | rendition (of judgment) — 判決言渡し "rendition of judgment" |
| 異議 | objection |
| 異議の申立て | filing of an objection |
| 異議申立書 | written objection |
| 異議申立人 | objector / petitioner for objection |
| 異議後の判決 | judgment subsequent to objection |
| 応訴管轄 | jurisdiction by appearance |
| 押収 | seizure |
| 押収物 | seized articles |
| 横領 | embezzlement |
| 訴訟 | litigation / lawsuit / action |
| 訴訟代理人 | counsel / attorney at law (retained for specific case) |
| 弁護士 | attorney / lawyer (general term) |
| 被告 | defendant (civil) / accused (criminal) |
| 送達 | service (of process) |
| 公示送達 | service by public notice |
| 送達場所 | place of service |
| 準備書面 | brief / written preparatory statement |
| 証拠 | evidence |
| 証人 | witness |
| 鑑定 | expert opinion / expert examination |
| 鑑定人 | expert witness |
| 口頭弁論 | oral argument / oral proceedings |
| 既判力 | res judicata effect |
| 担保権の実行 | enforcement of security right |
| 民事訴訟法 | Code of Civil Procedure |
| 刑事訴訟法 | Code of Criminal Procedure |
| 行政事件訴訟法 | Administrative Case Litigation Act |
| 不服申立て | complaint / appeal (administrative) |
| 裁判員制度 | saiban-in system (lay-judge system — hybrid professional/lay panel for serious criminal cases) |
| 認諾 | acceptance of claim |
| 放棄 (請求の) | abandonment of claim |
| 和解 | compromise agreement / settlement (Arts. 695-696 Civil Code) |
| 示談 | private out-of-court settlement (typically criminal — compensation to victim) |
