[Summary]
This course offers overview of the entire body of the Constitution of Japan and description of provisions related with guarantee of the fundamental human rights.
[aim]
Understanding the role of Constitution and other laws in our livelihood, and developing basic legalmind for solution to problems through acquiring knowledge of the Constitution of Japan, especially provisions of fundamental human rights with precedents.
To comprehend entire body of the Constitution and provisions of guarantee of fundamental human rights.
To acquire contents and boundaries of human rights, and understand basic methodology for interpretation of laws.
To learn legalmind through the Constitution, and to be able to find YOUR solutions with legal thinking to problems.
the Constitution, Human rights, Culture
Specialist skills | Intercultural skills | Communication skills | ✔ Critical thinking skills | ✔ Practical and/or problem-solving skills |
First, we overview the Constitution including of governmental functions for beginners. After that contents and boundaries of fundamental human rights are introduced with precedents. Class discussion on a case will be held for training legal thinking.
Course schedule | Required learning | |
---|---|---|
Class 1 | 1. Guidance 2. Introduction of the Constitution and other laws | Understand roles of laws and the Constitution in society. |
Class 2 | Understanding entire body of the Constitution - Comprehension of Constitutionalism, Rule of law, Popular sovereignty, Government Structure | Read texts of the Constitution throughout and comprehend that contents and capturing concepts behind them. |
Class 3 | Natures, categories, scope and boundaries of human rights, and standards of constitutionality | Read provisions of human rights, capturing arguments common with those provisions. |
Class 4 | Equality under the law, civil freedom and boundaries I - and homework for discussion | Comprehend arguments related with equality under the law and freedom of conscience and thought. |
Class 5 | 1. Discussion 2. Political freedom and boundaries II | Prepare answers for homework, discussing each other. Comprehend arguments of freedom of speech. |
Class 6 | Economical freedom, "Due process of law", social human rights and those boundaries | Comprehend arguments of each human right. |
Class 7 | Right to access to public service, right to vote and concepts of "New human rights" | Comprehend arguments of each human right. |
Class 8 | Summary and the final examination | Review of knowledge of human rights and try resolving problems in relation with human rights. |
[Please read the part corresponding to the lecture content in advance.]
Nobuyoshi Ashibe (Kazuyuki Takahashi) “Constitution (7th edition)” (2019, Iwanami Shoten) (Japanese)
[For beginners]
Supervised by Akira Ikegami, original work by Masanori Kadowaki, drawing by Hiroki Subiki "Manga Our Japanese Constitution" (2019, Shuei-sha)(Japanese)
[For students learning more]
Naoto Katagiri et al. "Introduction to the Constitution to One Step Ahead" (2016, Yuhikaku)(Japanese)
Toshiyuki Munesue et al. “Case Book of Fundamental Human Rights: To the World of the Constitution (5th Edition)” (2016, Yuhikaku Selection)(Japanese)
attendance to classes and evaluation of the examination
Whoever interested in the Constitution
The Constitution of Japan is surely a rule regulating our lives as the same of other laws, though it is often argued in political aspect in our country. I recommend to attending to my class because knowledge of the Constitution surely make you develop a sense of basic legalmind useful in your social life. Thanks.