Ryuji Yamada

Constitution, Media Law

In addition to issues related to defamation by the media and freedom of expression, I would also like to undertake research into the process by which judicial decisions are made in the Supreme Court.

"Reading," "thinking," "speaking," "listening," "writing"--.
In the Yamada seminar, we hone these five skills.
Our aim is to build a foundation that will lead to a future life using law as a weapon, for example, going on to a doctoral course in Graduate School of Law or Law School, passing national and local civil service exams, obtaining various qualifications, working in the mass media, etc. Of course, there are also students who hope to find employment in a company, and they all work hard with a variety of goals in mind.

On a daily basis, students are actively engaged in activities such as 1) writing reports based on case research, 2) making presentations based on those reports, and 3) participating in debates and discussions.
The report writing in ① involves in-depth research into important constitutional precedents featured in the 100 Selected Constitutional Precedents and other publications, and also considers "incidents" in postwar history related to those precedents. Examples of "themes" include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs secret leak incident (the Nishiyama journalist incident) and the "Reversion of Okinawa," the Sarufutsu Incident, the Yawata Steel Corporation Incident, and the "55 System." Students then proceed through three steps: collecting documents, analyzing and examining the documents, and writing a report.
In the second presentation, the instructor will report and present the essence of the report that they have spent a lot of time preparing in a seminar class. By preparing a detailed individual report, students will hone their basic abilities as members of society (including legal professionals and researchers).
The third part, debate, involves listening to presentations and then engaging in a discussion based on those presentations. Through free and lively debate-style discussions, students will develop the ability to correctly understand the views of others and to logically and persuasively assert their own views to others.
The completed "reports" are bound into booklets each year, leaving a visible trace of the efforts made.
In addition to classroom lessons, we also provide opportunities to observe court and parliamentary hearings from time to time.

Constitutional law, government structure, media and human rights (Law School)

"Constitutional Studies: Reading Constitutional Cases in Postwar History"

Overview of the seminar
What is a constitution?
I learned about it up until high school as it is the highest law in the country. I was naturally familiar with the three principles.
After entering university, I continued to study governance structures and other topics in depth.
Of the various laws studied in Faculty of Law, this should be the most important and the most familiar.
But for some reason, I feel like I'm not very good at it. Even though I've studied it thoroughly, I still can't quite grasp the Constitution.
In fact, there are quite a few students who feel this way, even among those who go on to law school.
One of the reasons for this is that the provisions of the Constitution are too abstract.
Even if you just look at the constitutional provisions in the Six Codes, it's hard to understand what exactly it prescribes.
This is merely a comparison with other positive laws such as criminal law and civil law, but this is still something that can be said.
In order to understand the abstract provisions of the constitution, knowledge of the history, politics, and society of Japan and major countries is essential.
This knowledge cannot be acquired overnight.
There, we will carefully study each and every constitutional court case that has become a Supreme Court precedent.
Through specific cases, we will gradually understand the historical and political background. Let's look at how society and the world were at the time, and how it relates to the Constitution, taking into account the historical situation. Of course, we should also be interested in the legal news that occurs every day.
If you continue to make steady efforts together with your fellow classmates in Yamada's seminar, you will find that you will be able to see the Constitution clearly.

Graduated from Faculty of Law of Soka University and joined the Yomiuri Shimbun Osaka Headquarters
Completed doctoral course at Osaka University Graduate Graduate School of Law, obtained Ph.D. (Law)
2012: Resigned from Yomiuri Shimbun Osaka Head Office, and became Associate Professor at Soka University Faculty of Law
2019 Professor Faculty of Law, Soka University

Japanese Association of Public Law, Japanese Association for the Study of Mass Communication, National Constitutional Law Study Group, Constitutional Theory Study Group, Constitutional Issues Study Group, Kansai Constitutional Law Case Study Group, Media and Law Study Group.

Public Figures and the Mass Media: Considering Constitutional Defamation Law (Shinzansha, 2008), Defamation: The Battle over Freedom of Expression (Iwanami Shoten, 2009), The Supreme Court's Unconstitutional Rulings: Why Not Use the Family Heirloom? (Kobunsha, 2012)

He is the author of Constitutional Theory by Journalists and Sometimes Scholars (Nihon Hyoronsha, 2012). He has co-authored Easy to Understand Media Law (Minerva Shobo, 2011), Basic Media Terms Encyclopedia (Sekai Shisosha, 2011), and Lectures on Information Law (Horitsu Bunkasha, 2012).

Have you ever heard the phrase "Faculty of Law that can be crushed"? The word "crush" in this case refers to the metal that is melted down from metal objects, and the meaning has expanded from "still useful as metal" to "able to be adapted to various professions," and Faculty of Law is a place where you can acquire such abilities. Indeed, when you think of Faculty of Law, you probably have a strong image of passing the bar exam to become a legal professional (lawyer, prosecutor, judge). At our university, more than 100 students have become lawyers and other legal professionals since the school was founded, and they are a solid force in the world of practice. However, there is more to it than just the legal profession. The range of careers you can aim for in the future is surprisingly wide. In fact, some students take various qualification exams and go on to become so-called "professionals," some become national and local government officials who serve the people and residents, some become UN staff who work hard for world peace, and some work in the mass media or general companies, and go on to a variety of fields. Why not join us for four years to learn the law that will be the framework and foundation when you set sail into society?