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Legal Japanese: Essential Japanese Legal Terms With Translations

Last updated: January 25, 2026

Legal terminology basics - Banner

If you've ever tried reading a Japanese contract, court document, or legal notice, you know the language gets seriously dense. Legal Japanese (houteki na nihongo/) uses specialized vocabulary that even native speakers find challenging. This guide covers the fundamental legal terms, court structures, and key phrases you'll encounter when dealing with Japanese legal matters.

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The most common way to say "legal" in Japanese is houteki (), which literally means "relating to law." You'll see this term everywhere in legal contexts. Another word you'll encounter is gouhou (), which specifically means "lawful" or "legitimate."

Here's the thing: Japanese legal language borrows heavily from Chinese characters (kanji) that carry specific meanings. The character (hou) means "law" or "method," and it appears in tons of legal vocabulary. When you see this character, you're probably dealing with something law-related.

The word for "law" itself is houritsu (). Japanese law is called nihon no houritsu () or simply nihonhou (). The Japanese legal system underwent massive reforms after World War II, blending its original civil law tradition (Inherited from German and French systems) with some common law elements from American influence.

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Legal Japanese uses formal grammar structures and specific verb forms. You'll encounter the formal copula de aru (である) instead of casual da (だ). Legal documents use koto (こと) constructions extensively to nominalize verbs.

The writing style tends toward precision over readability. Sentences run long with multiple clauses. Where everyday Japanese might use hiragana, legal texts use kanji to eliminate ambiguity.

Honorific language (keigo/) appears in court proceedings and formal legal communications, though legal documents themselves use neutral formal language.

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Let's start with the basics. These terms form the foundation of legal Japanese:

  • Keiyaku () means "contract." You'll use this constantly in business settings. A written contract is keiyakusho (), where the 書 (sho) character indicates a document or written form.
  • Saiban () means "trial" or "legal judgment." The courtroom where this happens is called saibansho (), literally "judgment place."
  • Bengoshi () is the word for "lawyer" or "attorney." These are the professionals who've passed the notoriously difficult bar exam ().
  • Saibankan () means "judge," while kensatsukan () refers to a "prosecutor." The defense attorney is specifically called bengonin ().
  • Koushouningyoumu () relates to notary services, though the simpler term koushoujin () means "notary public."
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The Japanese court system explained

The Japanese court structure has four levels, and understanding them helps you grasp how legal terminology applies at different stages.

  1. The lowest level is the kan'i saibansho (), or "summary court." These handle minor civil claims and less serious criminal cases. The character 簡 (kan) means "simple" or "brief."
  2. Next up are the chihou saibansho (), or "district courts." These are the main trial courts for serious cases. The character (chihou) means "region" or "district."
  3. Appeals go to the koutou saibansho (), or "high courts." There are eight of these across Japan. The character 高 (kou) means "high" or "elevated."
  4. At the top sits the saikou saibansho (), or "Supreme Court." The character 最 (sai) means "most" or "supreme."
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Criminal law terminology

Criminal law in Japanese is keiji hou (). The main criminal code is called the keihou (), established in 1907 but updated many times since.

  • Hanzai () means "crime."
  • A criminal is a hannin (). When someone commits a crime, they hanzai wo okasu ().
  • Taiho () means "arrest."
  • Police officers (keisatsukan/) can arrest suspects (yougisha/).
  • Keimusho () is "prison." The character 刑 (kei) relates to punishment or penalty. A prison sentence is choeki ().
  • Yuzai () means "guilty," while muzai () means "not guilty" or "innocent." The character 罪 (zai) means "crime" or "guilt."
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Civil law and codes

Civil law is minji hou (). The Civil Code, one of the most important legal documents in Japan, is called minpou (). It was originally enacted in 1896 and covers contracts, property rights, family law, and inheritance.

  • Songai () means "damage" or "loss." When someone seeks compensation, they file a songai baishou seikyuu (), which is a "claim for damages."
  • Soshō () means "lawsuit" or "litigation." To sue someone is uttaeru ().
  • Shoyuuken () means "ownership rights." Property law gets pretty complex in Japanese, but this term covers the basic concept of owning something.
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Contract and commercial law basics

Commercial law is shouji hou () or shouhou (). The Commercial Code (shouhou/) governs business transactions and corporate activities.

  • Torihiki () means "transaction" or "business deal." A business partner is a torihiki saki ().
  • Kaisha () means "company." A corporation is specifically a kabushiki gaisha (), often abbreviated as KK. You'll see this everywhere in Japanese business.
  • Touki () means "registration" or "registry." Companies must register with the Legal Affairs Bureau (houmukyoku/).
  • Yakkan () refers to "terms and conditions" or "stipulations" in a contract. These are the detailed clauses that nobody reads but probably should.
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Labor law essentials

Labor law is roudou hou (). The Labor Standards Act (roudou kijun hou/) sets minimum standards for working conditions.

  • Koyou () means "employment." An employment contract is koyou keiyaku ().
  • Kaiko () means "dismissal" or "firing." Japan has strong worker protections, so this process involves specific legal procedures.
  • Chingin () means "wages" or "salary." Minimum wage is saitei chingin ().
  • Roudou kumiai () means "labor union." These play a significant role in Japanese labor relations.
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Family law terminology

Family law falls under the Civil Code but has its own specialized vocabulary. Kazoku hou () covers marriage, divorce, adoption, and inheritance.

  • Kekkon () means "marriage." To register a marriage, couples submit a konin todoke () to their local ward office.
  • Rikon () means "divorce." Japan recognizes both consensual divorce (kyougi rikon/) and court-mediated divorce.
  • Youshi engumi () means "adoption." Japanese adoption law includes provisions for adult adoption, which is sometimes used for business succession.
  • Souzoku () means "inheritance." When someone dies, their estate goes through souzoku tetsuzuki (), or "inheritance procedures."
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Translating between Japanese and English legal systems presents real challenges because the concepts don't always match up perfectly.

  1. A Japanese keiyaku () might function differently than an English "contract" due to different legal traditions and enforcement mechanisms.
  2. Professional legal translation (houritsu honyaku/) requires understanding both language and legal systems. Many law firms in Japan employ bilingual legal specialists who can navigate both frameworks.
  3. When you need to translate "legal" to Japanese, context matters. "Legal advice" becomes houritsu soudan (). "Legal document" is houritsu bunsho (). "Legal representative" translates to houteii dairi nin ().
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  1. Start with the most common terms and build from there. Legal Japanese uses a lot of compound words where you can recognize individual kanji characters. Once you know (hou/law), (sai/judge), and (kei/promise), you can decode many related terms.
  2. Read actual legal documents, even if you start with simple ones like rental agreements (chintai keiyaku/). The repetition helps cement vocabulary.
  3. Watch Japanese courtroom dramas. Shows like "Hero" or "99.9: Criminal Lawyer" use legal terminology in context, which helps you understand how these terms function in real situations.
  4. Consider using bilingual legal dictionaries. The "Japanese Law Translation" database maintained by the Ministry of Justice provides official English translations of major Japanese laws, which helps you see how terms correspond across languages.

Anyway, if you want to build your Japanese vocabulary beyond just legal terms, Migaku's browser extension and app let you look up words instantly while reading actual Japanese websites or watching shows. Makes learning from real content way more practical. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out.

Dramas and videos with Japanese translation with Migaku
Learn Japanese with Migaku
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If you're doing business in Japan, signing apartment leases, dealing with visa applications, or just trying to understand Japanese society more deeply, legal terminology comes up constantly. Moreover, with this knowledge, you can understand many Japanese legal dramas (which are well-known for their fast pace and dense vocabulary) more quickly.

If you consume media in Japanese, and you understand at least some of the messages and sentences within that media, you will make progress. Period.

People tend to binge-watch Japanese legal dramas. That's how engaging they are!