In this introduction to Japanese law, J. Mark Ramseyer and Minoru Nakazato combine an economic approach with a clear and often amusing account of the law itself to challenge commonly held ideas about the law. Arguing against such things as the assumption that Japanese law differs from law in the United States and the idea that law plays only a trivial role in Japan or is culturally determined, this book will be recognized as a major contribution to the understanding of Japanese law.

"A compelling economic analysis. . . . This book remains one of the few concerning Japanese law that successfully brings to life the legal culture of Japan." —Bonnie L. Dixon, New York Law Journal

J. Mark Ramseyer is the Mitsubishi Professor of Japanese Legal Studies at Harvard University. He is the author or coauthor of several books, most recently Odd Markets in Japanese History: Law and Economic Growth.

Minoru Nakazato is a professor of law at the University of Tokyo and the author of The Taxation of International Transactions.