Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T16:17:33.412Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Management of Disputes: Automobile Accident Compensation in Japan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2024

Takao Tanase
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

We often ask why the Japanese are nonlitigious and look into the unique culture that may explain it. It is more appropriate to ask why Japan has maintained a complex industrialized society without much reliance on law. For the nonlitigious society does not come about spontaneously. Instead, it was made possible only by careful management. I elaborate this process of management through the detailed analysis of automobile accident compensation disputes in Japan.

Type
Research Article
Information
Law & Society Review , Volume 24 , Issue 3 , 1990 , pp. 651 - 691
Copyright
Copyright © 1990 The Law and Society Association.

Footnotes

I am grateful for the thoughtful comments by Robert Kidder, James Finerman, Whitmore Grey, David Wilkins and Editor Shari Diamond, all of which led to substantial revisions of this article.

References

References

BARDACH, Eugene, and Robert, KAGAN (1982) Going by the Book: The Problem of Regulatory Unreasonableness. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.Google Scholar
BAYLEY, David (1976) Forces of Order: Police Behavior in Japan and the United States. Berkeley: University of California Press.Google Scholar
BOMBAUGH, Robert (1971) “The Department of Transportation's Auto Insurance Study and Auto Accident Compensation Reform,” 71 Columbia Law Review 207.Google Scholar
CONARD, Alfred, MORGAN, James N., PRATT, Robert W. Jr., VOLTS, Charles E., and Robert L., BOMBAUGH (1964) Automobile Accident Costs and Payments. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.Google Scholar
FRANKLIN, Marc, CHANIN, Robert H., and Irving, MARK (1961) “Accidents, Money and the Law: A Study of the Economics of Personal Injury Litigation,” 61 Columbia Law Review 10.Google Scholar
FUJIWARA, Hiromichi, and Masahiro, HOSOI (1988) “Osaka Chisai ni okeru Kotsu Jiko Songai Baisho Seikyu Sosho no Jitsujo to Mondaiten (Problems of the Automobile Accident Litigations in Osaka District Court),” 905 Jurisuto 36.Google Scholar
HALEY, John (1978) “The Myth of the Reluctant Litigant,” 4 Journal of Japanese Studies 359.Google Scholar
HALEY, John (1982a) “Sheathing the Sword of Justice in Japan: An Essay in Law Without Sanctions,” 8 Journal of Japanese Studies 265.Google Scholar
HALEY, John (1982b) “The Politics of Informal Justice: The Japanese Experience, 1922–1942,” in Abel, Richard L. (ed.), The Politics of Informal Justice, Vol. 2. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
HAMMITT, James (1985) Automobile Accident Compensation, Vol. 2. Santa Monica, CA: Institute for Civil Justice, Rand.Google Scholar
HAMILTON, Lee, and Joseph, SANDERS (1988) “Punishment and the Individual in the United States and Japan,” 22 Law & Society Review 301.Google Scholar
HASEBE, Mokichi (1976) “Kotsu-jiko Saitei Senta no Setsuritsu Mondai (On the Establishment of Traffic Dispute Resolution Center),” 609 Jurisuto 47.Google Scholar
ITO, Fumio (1985) “Jidosha Jiko ni okeru Iryohi no Genjo: Shinryo Hoshu Kijun no Kakuritsu ni mukete (Problems of Medical Costs in Automobile Accident Cases: Establishing a Unit Fee System),” 993 Jurisuto 52.Google Scholar
KAKALIK, James, and Nicholas, PACE (1986) Costs and Compensation Paid in Tort Litigation. Santa Monica, CA: Institute for Civil Justice, Rand.Google Scholar
KATO, Ichiro (1985) Kotsu Saigai Shinpojumu ‘85 (Symposium on Traffic Accidents ‘85). Tokyo: Kaihatsu-sha.Google Scholar
KATO, Masanobu (1987) “The Role of Law and Lawyers in Japan and the United States,” 1987 Brigham Young University Law Review 627.Google Scholar
KAWABATA, Yoshiharu (1980) “Bengoshi banare: Kotsu-jiko Higaisha no Baai (Alienation from Lawyers: In the Case of Auto-Accidents Victims),” 417 Hanrei Taimuzu 38.Google Scholar
KAWASHIMA, Takeyoshi (1959) “Junpo Seishin (The Law-abiding Spirit),” in Kindai Shakai to Ho (Modern Society and Law). Tokyo: Iwanami Publishing Co.Google Scholar
KAWASHIMA, Takeyoshi (1960) “Shakai-Kozo to Saiban: Meiji iko no Shakai-Kozo to Saibanseido no Kankei (Social Structure and the Judiciary Since the Meiji Period),” 432 Shiso 713.Google Scholar
KAWASHIMA, Takeyoshi (1967) Nihonjin no Hoishiki (Legal Consciousness of the Japanese). Tokyo: Iwanami Publishing Co.Google Scholar
MATSUSHIRO, Takashi (1984) “To Senta ni okeru Jiken Shori no Tokushoku (Characteristics of Dispositions at the Center),” in Kotsu-jiko Songaibaisho no Hori to Jitsumu (Legal Rules and Practice in Traffic Accident Compensation). Tokyo: Gyosei.Google Scholar
MIYAZAWA, Setsuo (1987) “Taking Kawashima Seriously: A Review of Japanese Research on Japanese Legal Consciousness and Disputing Behavior,” 21 Law & Society Review 219.Google Scholar
RAMSEYER, J. Mark (1985) “The Costs of the Consensual Myth: Antitrust Enforcement and Institutional Barriers to Litigation in Japan,” 94 Yale Law Journal 604.Google Scholar
RAMSEYER, J. Mark (1988) Reluctant Litigant Revisited: Rationality and Disputes in Japan,“ 14(1) Journal of Japanese Studies 111.Google Scholar
ROSCH, Joel (1987) “Institutionalizing Mediation: The Evolution of the Civil Liberties Bureau in Japan,” 21 Law & Society Review 243.Google Scholar
ROSS, H. Laurence (1970) Settled Out of Court: The Social Process of Insurance Claims Adjustments. Chicago: Aldine.Google Scholar
SASAKI, Kazuhiko, and Masato, TAKANO (1988) “Songai Baisho-gaku Santei Kijun no Genjo to Kadai (Problems of the Standards for Assessing Damages),” 905 Jurisuto 31.Google Scholar
SUZUKI, Tatsunori (1985) “Jibaiseki no Akaji Taishitsu Ko (On the Perennial Deficit in the Compulsory Insurance),” 2 Baisho Igaku 9.Google Scholar
TAKAHASHI, Etsuo (1983) “Horitsu-sodan ni okeru Bengoshi no Rinri to Kokoroe (Lawyers' Ethics in Legal Consultation),” 34(12) Jiyu to Seigi 9.Google Scholar
TANASE, Takao (1981) “Bengoshi Juyo no Keisei (Legal Service Needs of the Public),” 53(2) Horitsu Jiho 23.Google Scholar
TRAFFIC SECTION OF THE TOKYO DISTRICT COURT (1964) “Kotsu Jiko niyoru Songai Baisho Seikyu Sosho no Sho-mondai (Problems of Personal Injury Litigation in Traffic Accidents),” 166 Hanrei Taimuzu 6.Google Scholar
TRIBE, Laurence (1980) “Too Much Law, Too Little Justice,” 52 New York State Bar Journal 544.Google Scholar
UNGER, Roberto (1976) Law in Modern Society. New York: Free Press.Google Scholar
UPHAM, Frank (1987) Law and Social Change in Postwar Japan. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
VOGEL, Ezra (1979) Japan as Number One. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
WAGATSUMA, Hiroshi, and Arthur, ROSETT (1986) “The Implications of Apology: Law and Culture in Japan and the United States,” 20 Law & Society Review 461.Google Scholar
YONEZU, Susumu (1977) “Kotsu-jiko ni okeru Saiban-zen Funso Shori (Resolution of Traffic Accident Disputes Without Litigation),” 8 Jurisuto 20 (Special Issue).Google Scholar
YOUNG, Michael (1984) “Judicial Review of Administrative Guidance: Governmentally Encouraged Consensual Dispute Resolution in Japan,” 84 Columbia Law Review 923.Google Scholar
ZADANKAI (Symposium) (1982) “Minji Kotsu Sosho no Kiseki to Tembo: Dai-3 (History and Outlook of Civil Traffic Accident Litigation: Part 3),” 765 Jurisuto 97.Google Scholar

Data Sources

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES COURTS (1986) Annual Report of the Adminstrative Office of the United States Courts. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.Google Scholar
ASAHI SHIMBUN-SHA (1984, 1988) Minryoku (Statistical Abstract by Prefecture). Tokyo: Asahi Shimbun-sha.Google Scholar
DAI-NI TOKYO BENGOSHI-KAI HORITSU SODAN SENTA (1979) Horitsu Sodan Hakusho (Legal Consultation White Paper). Tokyo: Dai-ni Tokyo Bengoshi-kai.Google Scholar
JIDOSHA HOKEN RYORITSU SANTEI-KAI (1987a) Jidosha Hoken no Gaikyo. Tokyo: Jidosha Hoken Ryoritsu Santei-kai.Google Scholar
JIDOSHA HOKEN RYORITSU SANTEI-KAI (1987b) Jidosha Hoken Tokei (Optional Automobile Insurance Statistics). Tokyo: Jidosha Hoken Ryoritsu Santei-kai.Google Scholar
JIDOSHA HOKEN RYORITSU SANTEI-KAI (1986) Jidosha Hoken no Gaikyo. Tokyo: Jidosha Hoken Ryoritsu Santei-kai.Google Scholar
JUDICIAL COUNCIL OF CALIFORNIA (1988) Annual Report of the Administrative Office of the California Courts. Sacramento: California State Printing Office.Google Scholar
KEISATSU-CHO (1983) Keisatsu Hakusho (Police White Paper). Tokyo: Keisatsu-cho.Google Scholar
KYOTO CITY GOVERNMENT (1984) Kotsu-jiko Sodan no Gaiyo (Summary of Traffic Accident Consultation). Kyoto: Kyoto City Government.Google Scholar
NICHIBENREN KOTSU-JIKO SODAN SENTA (1985) Kotsu-jiko Songai-gaku Santei Kijun (Guidelines for Assessing Damages in Traffic Accident Cases). Tokyo: Nichibenren Kotsu-jiko Sodan Senta.Google Scholar
NIHON BENGOSHI RENGO-KAI (1983) Bengoshi Gyomu Handbook (Handbook for Legal Practice). 3d ed. Tokyo: Nihon Bengoshi Rengo-kai.Google Scholar
NIHON BENGOSHI RENGO-KAI BENGOSHI GYOMU TAISAKU IINKAI (1987) Nihon no Horitsu Jimusho (Legal Practices in Japan). Tokyo: Gyosei.Google Scholar
NIHON BENGOSHI RENGO-KAI BENGOSHI GYOMU TAISAKU IINKAI (1986) Shimin to Horitsu Mondai (Legal Needs of the Public). Tokyo: Nihon Bengoshi Rengo-kai.Google Scholar
OSAKA CITY GOVERNMENT (1984) Kocho Koho (Public Relations and Hearings). Osaka: Osaka City Government.Google Scholar
SAIKO SAIBANSHO JIMU SOKYOKU (1987) Shiho Tokei Nenpo 1: Minji-gyosei hen (Annual Judicial Statistics 1: Civil-administrative cases). Tokyo: Saiko Saibansho Jimu Sokyoku.Google Scholar
SAIKO SAIBANSHO JIMU SOKYOKU (1986) Shiho Tokei Nenpo 1: Minji-gyosei hen. Tokyo: Saiko Saibansho Jimu Sokyoku.Google Scholar
SORI-FU (1988) Kotsu Anzen Hakusho (Traffic Safety White Paper). Tokyo: Sori-fu.Google Scholar
SORI-FU (1987) Kotsu Anzen Hakusho. Tokyo: Sori-fu.Google Scholar
SORI-FU (1986) Kotsu Anzen Hakusho. Tokyo: Sori-fu.Google Scholar
SORI-FU (1975) Kotsu Anzen Hakusho. Tokyo: Sori-fu.Google Scholar
TOKYO SAN BENGOSHI-KAI KOTSU-JIKO SHORI IINKAI (1986) Minji Kotsu-jiko Sosho Songai Baishogaku Santei Kijun (Guidelines for Assessing Damages in Civil Traffic Accident Litigations). Tokyo: Tokyo San Bengoshi-kai Kotsu-jiko Shori Iinkai.Google Scholar
U.S. BUREAU OF THE CENSUS (1986) Statistical Abstracts of the United States. Washington DC: U.S. Department of Commerce.Google Scholar
U.S. BUREAU OF THE CENSUS (1987) Statistical Abstracts of the United States. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Commerce.Google Scholar