The Seminar will be held in virtual form via Zoom

Preparatory meeting with assignment of topics for student presentations: Wednesday 17 February 6:15 PM via Zoom. For further Informations: OLAT

Brief Introduction to Japanese Contract Law: Wednesday 21 April 6:15 PM via Zoom

Block session with student presentations: Friday to Sunday 18 to 20 June 

Contracts as a means of voluntary exchange are a corner stone of any market economy. The rules and principles governing private agreements thus make up a key part of private law.

In this seminar we will discuss selected issues of Japanese contract law, which has undergone substantial changes in 2020 by a comprehensive law of obligations reform. The course besides contract law rules will also look at contract law practice in Japan. In their presentations and written papers students are encouraged to take a comparative perspective.

Further explanation on the topics proposed for student presentations (see list) will be given in the preparatory meeting on 17 February. On 21 April, the instructor will offer a brief general introduction to Japanese contract law.

This course is open both to law students and students from the Modern East Asian Studies (MEAS) program. The language of instruction is English. Japanese language skills are most welcome, but no prerequisite. Selected materials both on contract law in general, meant to assist in particular students without a solid background in law, and on Japanese contract law are provided via OLAT. WESTLAW may prove a helpful data base for most of the topics. Of course, our library also provides extensive additional literature on Japanese contract law in German and Japanese.

Requirements for Receiving Credit:

Law students can take this course as seminar in the concentration (Schwerpunkt) Internationalisierung und Europäisierung. Alternatively – or even in addition – the course counts as course in foreign legal terminology (fremdsprachige Rechtskenntnisse). Please, do not forget to register with "Prüfungsamt" according to the applicable rules. Grading will be based 1/3 on the oral performance (presentation of 15- 20 minutes (2/9) and participation in class discussions (1/9)) and 2/3 on the written paper (15 pages excl. references etc.). Deadline for submission of written papers is 31 August 2021 (searchable pdf by email to baelz@jur.uni-frankfurt.de plus upload to e-center). 

Students from Modern East Asian Studies (MEAS) can take the course as (legal) elective. Those whithout a legal background are strongly encouraged to study the literature on contracts in general provided by the instructor. Exam registration with Philprom via QIS/LSF is required. Requirements for credit as above, but grading will be based exclusively on the written paper (as the Study Rules do not allow for considering the oral performance). Exam registration: tba. Withdrawal from examination: 23 August 2021. Submission of term paper: 30 August 2021. Repeat submission of term paper: 30 September 2021. 

OLAT