Through an examination of law and legal institutions in a non-Western setting, this course emphasizes the complex relationship between law, culture, politics and economics in advanced industrialized democracies. It looks broadly at debates involving constitutional law, torts, and criminal law, as well as more specific legal conflicts involving women's rights, HIV/AIDS, and a variety of other issues. The course reader consists of articles by legal academics, anthropologists, political scientists, sociologists and the class will view several films that offer a valuable perspective on Japanese law and society. There are no prerequisites for this course, and students with no background in Japanese or Asian studies are welcome.